Quarterback is not a need for the Broncos in 2015, with Peyton Manning remaining in Denver. But with Manning’s retirement after this season a strong possibility, quarterback will be a need for the Broncos soon.
That’s why, according to Mike Klis of KUSA, it’s a virtual certainty that the Broncos will take a quarterback at some point in Rounds 2-7.
The big question is whether that quarterback will be drafted on Friday or Saturday. If the Broncos use a second-day pick on a quarterback, that’s a bad sign that they’re not sold on Brock Osweiler as Manning’s successor. The Broncos made the surprising decision to select Osweiler in the second round in 2012 despite having Manning in the fold, and so far Manning’s presence has kept Osweiler on the sideline except in garbage time. The Broncos drafting a quarterback in the second or third round would suggest that they doubt Osweiler will be the man for the job going forward.
But if the Broncos draft a quarterback on Day 3, that’s more a sign that they want depth and competition at the position. The Broncos also spent a 2013 seventh-round pick on a quarterback, Zac Dysert, and a late-round rookie would compete with Dysert for the third-string job behind Manning and Osweiler.
What we know for sure is that Manning is the starter for now, and that John Elway is getting prepared for a time in the near future when Manning is gone.