Stokley: Future power ranking for Broncos could ‘change really quickly’
Jul 17, 2018, 7:21 PM
In a recent exercise from ESPN.com, a panel of experts ranked the Denver Broncos 20th in the NFL in what they predict will be a future power ranking.
Experts Louis Riddick, Mike Sando, and Field Yates rated all 32 NFL teams on roster (minus the quarterback), quarterback, draft, front office, and coaching on a scale from 0 to 100.
The Broncos, on that scale, earned an average grade of 74, marks in which both “Stokley and Zach” hosts Zach Bye and Brandon Stokley agreed.
“I’d put the Broncos … if I look at it from that perspective, they probably gave them a C,” Stokley said Tuesday. “You look at the recent drafts, they haven’t been good enough. So, the future with some of these draft picks is questionable.”
The ESPN.com panel ranked the Broncos roster 17th overall, quarterback at 23rd, draft at 23rd, front office at 10th, and coaching at 29th.
However, Stokley said with just a few things aligning, those grades could jump significantly.
“Now, this could change really quickly with this draft class that they just drafted and if some of those players from last year’s draft class end up performing a lot better,” Stokley said.
Stokley said Denver’s roster could quickly jump up to a top 10 position should players like left tackle Garett Bolles and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker take “big steps forward” in 2018.
Case Keenum at 23, Stokley said makes sense. But the veteran has the potential to become a “fringe top 10 type of quarterback.”
What if Royce Freeman turns into the running back many expect him to be, Stokley said, and joins De’Angelo Henderson to make a “terrific one-two punch” for the Broncos? Or, what if Bradley Chubb is a hybrid of Lawrence Taylor and Von Miller?
“This stuff could change really really quickly,” Stokley said. “We’re sitting here, and this is kind of how we viewed it too — right around the mid-70s, low-70s — and all of a sudden, if a few things hit, you’re high-80s.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
