Evans: 2018 draft not just business as usual for the Denver Broncos

Observations from the Denver Broncos 2018 NFL Draft:

1. I don’t hand out draft grades

I don’t know. You don’t know. Nobody knows for sure if these guys can play in the NFL.

I only grade teams on what they were trying to do with their picks. For this, I give the Broncos a solid B.

I like how they tried to fill holes and find replacements for guys who are getting older and less productive.

Bradley Chubb was a terrific pick in that you can never have enough good pass rushers, and we saw last year how much Von Miller needs complementary pass rushers on the other side.

The Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton picks at wide receiver were good because now you have your replacements for Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.

Josey Jewell gives you Brandon Marshall insurance at linebacker, and Isaac Yiadom is an option as Denver tries to replace Aqib Talib.

Royce Freeman replaces C.J. Anderson, and Troy Fumagalli is now paired with Jake Butt at tight end, hopefully giving the Broncos much-needed impact at that position.

2. I like the emphasis on drafting football players

Not athletes that are raw but have potential. Not guys with questionable character and work ethic.

The Broncos had an emphasis on drafting guys who were very productive in college and who were leaders. Several draft picks were team captains.

I like that.

I give credit to general manager John Elway for looking at his recent flawed and failed drafts and realizing it had to be done a different way.

This way was different. These draft picks look like they love football. They love working hard at football. They enjoy being around football.

What a breath of fresh air.

3. I don’t like the Broncos not drafting a quarterback.

To be clear, I wanted them to draft one somewhere between Rounds 2 and 4 based on the Broncos needing another QB to develop. Again, you can never have enough.

I wanted a quarterback there and for Denver not to overdraft one of those overrated players at No. 5 overall.

By not drafting one and, instead, putting tremendous (misguided?) faith in Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly, the Broncos are in a precarious position if Case Keenum doesn’t prove to be the long-term answer.

Again, I would’ve drafted a quarterback. That said, I would prefer no quarterbacks drafted instead of drafting one at fifth-overall.

4. Case Keenum was the biggest winner in this draft.

No longer does he need to wander by the salad bar and look over his shoulder at his possible replacement. No hotshot quarterback drafted at No. 5 means this is Keenum’s job.

The real intrigue is the backup battle between Kelly and Lynch. Put my money on Kelly.

The spin from the Broncos that they always viewed Lynch as a three-year project doesn’t pass the smell test. In years one and two, they desperately wanted Lynch to win the job, going so far last training camp to set aside preseason Week 2 in San Francisco as Paxton’s week.

Denver begged him to win the job, and he couldn’t. I have a hard time believing the light bulb is ready to flash on all of a sudden.

5. The reasons I like, but don’t love, this Broncos draft is …

… They didn’t draft a quarterback between Rounds 2 and 4. And they didn’t do enough to upgrade the offensive line.

I have a hard time believing that a much-maligned offensive line from last year, which will be basically the same this year, will be that much improved.

Maybe a better quarterback, and at least on paper better wide receivers and tight ends, will make all the difference for this offensive line.

Maybe. Until then, color me skeptical.

6. There’s still a sense of moves not made and help not given

It says something about how the talent drain on this roster the past few years leaves more to be desired, even after a draft I which the broncos addressed many needs.

This is what happens when you go 5-11 — 10-18 in your last two years of football.

This is a rebuilding football team.

On paper, they should be better. But there was not going to be one move, one draft pick, that would suddenly change the fortunes of this football team.

Even with what looks to be a good draft, the damage that was done over the past few years will be hard to overcome.

The Broncos were 5-11 last year. After free agency and the draft, they’ll be better. But not much.

Put me down for 8-8.

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