Broncos Draft: What Does The Trade For Teddy Bridgewater Means For The Broncos?
DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Broncos traded for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers for a 2021 sixth-round pick a day before the 2021 NFL Draft. With Bridgewater joining Drew Lock in the quarterback room, this gives the Broncos several options with what they can do with the No. 9 selection in the first round of the draft.
Quarterback
One of the top items for Broncos general manager George Paton in the offseason was to bring in "competition" for the starting quarterback position with Drew Lock. He has accomplished this in the trade for Bridgewater who has a 26-23 career record and has thrown 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 starts last season.
The Broncos can still draft a quarterback in the first round if Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or Mac Jones fall in the draft. They can sit a year while being mentored by Bridgewater before competing for the starting role in 2022.
Lock also doesn't have any more guaranteed salary on his rookie contract, according to OverTheCap.
Offensive Tackle
If several teams move above the Broncos to draft a quarterback, two of the top offensive tackles could fall right into the Broncos lap.
Penei Sewell from Oregon and Rashawn Slater from Northwestern are the top two tackles in the draft. Broncos starting right tackle Ja'Waun James opted out last season and has battled injuries in his career only playing a full season twice in his six-year career.
A tackle would provide depth to the offensive line and also allow the team to move on from James in 2022 as he would have no more guaranteed salary on his contract.
Linebacker
If the Broncos decide to go the defensive side of the ball, they could take a look at Micah Parsons from Penn State. Despite opting out of the season in 2020, Parsons is seen as the top linebacker in the draft racking up 109 tackles, 5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss in 2019.
Another linebacker to keep an eye on is Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from Notre Dame.
Cornerback
Denver addressed the cornerback position with the free-agent signings of Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby but could add depth to the position by drafting Jaycee Horn from South Carolina, Patrick Surtain II from Alabama, or Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech.
The 2021 NFL Draft beings April 29 and ends on May 1.
