For the Denver Broncos, there weren’t all that many holes that needed to be filled in the 2017 NFL Draft. However, that doesn’t mean that this rookie class won’t find ways to contribute this year. Going into this upcoming season, which members of this year’s draft class figure to make an impact?
We’ll leave players like Jake Butt and Chad Kelly from this list, even though they could end up being great finds on the part of John Elway and the front office. Butt likely needs a season to fully get his legs underneath him, as he continues to rehab from his second major knee operation. Kelly is slated to get the “Siemian” treatment, sitting the bulk of this year while getting fully acclimated to Mike McCoy’s offense and recovering from a wrist injury.
With that in mind, here are three rookies that could make an impact for the Broncos right away.
1. Garett Bolles
This is a no-brainer. With Reuben Foster still on the board, the selection of Bolles will be second-guessed if he struggles out of the gate. Presumably filling a void at left tackle, he is being brought in to keep either quarterback upright and improve a historically bad running attack.
For any rookie lineman, Bolles will have moments where the speed of the pro game and the level of competition he faces on a weekly basis will get the best of him. The good news for the former Ute is the team is high on his potential and figures to give him every opportunity to be the franchise cornerstone on the left side of the line.
2. Carlos Henderson
The Denver Broncos boast Pro Bowl wideouts in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. After those two, the rest of the group struggled with consistency and production, as no one out of Jordan Norwood, Bennie Fowler and Jordan Taylor staked his claim to the third wideout spot.
Instead of going after a veteran pass-catcher in free-agency, the Broncos took the explosive Henderson out of Louisiana Tech. Blessed with 4.4 speed, Henderson is a burner. as witnessed by the 48 missed tackles he caused (tops in the NCAA). It might take Henderson a couple of seasons to learn to run a more polished route tree than he had to do with the Bulldogs but he could be the answer at punt and kick returner that Denver has missed since the days of Trindon Holliday.
3. Brendan Langley
It’s difficult to comprehend that losing a fourth cornerback can hurt a defense, but Kayvon Webster departing in free agency is a real blow. Aside from being one of the best gunners in the league on the coverage teams, Webster was a reliable defender in sub-packages and provided depth behind the big three of Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby.
Langley is still a raw project after bouncing back-and-forth between receiver and cornerback while in college. Coming into Denver though, is an ideal situation for the defensive back. Instead of being asked to be a major contributor his first year, Langley will have the opportunity to use his raw athleticism to fill the role of Webster on the defense and on special teams, while refining his cornerback skills.
It’s the hope that each of Denver’s eight draft choices will help out the Broncos in some way this season. For the three players listed, the time to step on the field to be a key cog in the Broncos rebounding from a disappointing 9-7 season, looks to be sooner rather than later.