Broncos · former general manager

John Elway Draft History and Grades

9 draft classes, 2012-2020. Every pick graded against its slot.

The answer

John Elway has made 71 picks. 24 became starters and 12 were busts. Draft Value Added per pick: -7.2, league average -7.6. That ranks 31 of 55 GMs with 20+ picks.

Best at offensive linemen (+26.8 vs league on 3 picks) and linebackers (+12.0 vs league on 6 picks). Weakest at defensive backs (-24.5 on 5 picks) and cornerbacks (-16.8 on 4 picks).

71Picks

44%Hit rateleague 40%

34%Starter rateleague 31%

38%Bust rate (R1-3)league 31%

-7.2DVA per pickleague -7.6

Open John Elway in the draft explorer All GMs ranked

By position

Draft Value Added compares each pick's peak season to what that draft slot usually produces. Click a position to see those picks in the explorer.

Pos	Picks	Starters	Busts	Hit	DVA/pick	Verdict
WR	10	4	2	40%	-11.3	-5.3 vs league
DT	6	3	1	67%	+0.8	+10.4 vs league
LB	6	1	0	50%	+5.6	+12.0 vs league
QB	6	4	2	17%	-21.4	+0.9 vs league
RB	6	0	2	50%	-0.9	+0.5 vs league
TE	5	1	0	80%	+1.0	-1.7 vs league
DB	5	1	2	0%	-36.4	-24.5 vs league
CB	4	1	2	25%	-27.7	-16.8 vs league
G	4	1	0	25%	-10.0	-3.1 vs league
DE	4	1	1	50%	-19.4	-5.6 vs league
T	3	2	0	33%	-0.2	+6.1 vs league
OL	3	2	0	67%	+15.9	+26.8 vs league
C	2	1	0	100%	+24.0	too few to judge
ILB	2	1	0	50%	+10.3	too few to judge
S	2	1	0	100%	+23.1	too few to judge
FB	1	0	0	0%	-20.6	too few to judge
P	1	0	0	-	-	too few to judge
NT	1	0	0	0%	-35.2	too few to judge

Best and worst picks

Best value

Matt Paradis (OL, R6 2014) +61 DVA
Connor McGovern (G, R5 2016) +45 DVA
De'Angelo Henderson (RB, R6 2017) +45 DVA

Worst value

Shane Ray (DE, R1 2015) -68 DVA
Bradley Roby (DB, R1 2014) -61 DVA
Paxton Lynch (QB, R1 2016) -58 DVA

Tenure

Broncos: 2012-2020 (Brian Xanders held the GM title in 2012 but Elway had final say from 2011)

Whoever was in the chair on draft day owns that class. Our pick window starts in 2012, so earlier classes are not counted.

Every pick

Year	Pick	Player	Pos	School	DVA	Result
2020	R1, #15	Jerry Jeudy	WR	Alabama	+13.2	starter
2020	R2, #46	KJ Hamler	WR	Penn St.	-33.3	bust
2020	R3, #77	Michael Ojemudia	CB	Iowa	-47.7	bust
2020	R3, #83	Lloyd Cushenberry III	C	LSU	+30.8	starter
2020	R3, #95	McTelvin Agim	DT	Arkansas	-42.6	bust
2020	R4, #118	Albert Okwuegbunam	TE	Missouri	+30.0	active
2020	R5, #178	Justin Strnad	LB	Wake Forest	+28.3	backup
2020	R6, #181	Netane Muti	G	Fresno St.	-24.6	active
2020	R7, #252	Tyrie Cleveland	WR	Florida	-10.5	active
2020	R7, #254	Derrek Tuszka	LB	North Dakota St.	-7.6	backup
2019	R1, #20	Noah Fant	TE	Iowa	+13.9	starter
2019	R2, #41	Dalton Risner	T	Kansas St.	-5.9	starter
2019	R2, #42	Drew Lock	QB	Missouri	-7.7	starter
2019	R3, #71	Dre'Mont Jones	DT	Ohio St.	+23.3	starter
2019	R5, #156	Justin Hollins	LB	Oregon	+2.9	backup
2019	R6, #187	Juwann Winfree	WR	Colorado	-34.9	active
2018	R1, #5	Bradley Chubb	DE	North Carolina St.	+5.6	starter
2018	R2, #40	Courtland Sutton	WR	SMU	+21.3	starter
2018	R3, #71	Royce Freeman	RB	Oregon	-14.9	backup
2018	R3, #99	Isaac Yiadom	CB	Boston Col.	+6.2	backup
2018	R4, #106	Josey Jewell	ILB	Iowa	+38.1	starter
2018	R4, #113	DaeSean Hamilton	WR	Penn St.	-20.2	starter
2018	R5, #156	Troy Fumagalli	TE	Wisconsin	+5.3	active
2018	R6, #183	Sam Jones	G	Arizona St.	-34.2	active
2018	R6, #217	Keishawn Bierria	ILB	Washington	-17.4	active
2018	R7, #226	David Williams	RB	Arkansas	+41.3	active
2017	R1, #20	Garett Bolles	T	Utah	+10.2	starter
2017	R2, #51	DeMarcus Walker	DE	Florida St.	+16.1	backup
2017	R3, #82	Carlos Henderson	WR	Louisiana Tech	-55.6	bust
2017	R3, #101	Brendan Langley	CB	Lamar	-41.4	bust
2017	R5, #145	Jake Butt	TE	Michigan	-45.1	active
2017	R5, #172	Isaiah McKenzie	WR	Georgia	+7.9	backup
2017	R6, #203	De'Angelo Henderson	RB	Coastal Carolina	+44.8	active
2017	R7, #253	Chad Kelly	QB	Mississippi	-20.3	active
2016	R1, #26	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis	-57.9	bust
2016	R2, #63	Adam Gotsis	DT	Georgia Tech	-19.0	backup
2016	R3, #98	Justin Simmons	S	Boston Col.	+42.0	starter
2016	R4, #136	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah	+18.9	backup
2016	R5, #144	Connor McGovern	G	Missouri	+44.9	starter
2016	R6, #176	Andy Janovich	FB	Nebraska	-20.6	backup
2016	R6, #219	Will Parks	S	Arizona	+4.1	backup
2016	R7, #228	Riley Dixon	P	Syracuse	-	backup
2015	R1, #23	Shane Ray	DE	Missouri	-67.6	bust
2015	R2, #59	Ty Sambrailo	T	Colorado St.	-5.0	backup
2015	R3, #92	Jeff Heuerman	TE	Ohio St.	+1.0	backup
2015	R4, #133	Max Garcia	C	Florida	+17.2	backup
2015	R5, #164	Lorenzo Doss	CB	Tulane	-28.1	active
2015	R6, #203	Darius Kilgo	NT	Maryland	-35.2	active
2015	R7, #250	Trevor Siemian	QB	Northwestern	+21.9	starter
2015	R7, #251	Taurean Nixon	DB	Tulane	-20.7	active
2015	R7, #252	Josh Furman	DB	Oklahoma St.	-20.5	released
2014	R1, #31	Bradley Roby	DB	Ohio St.	-61.1	bust
2014	R2, #56	Cody Latimer	WR	Indiana	-5.0	backup
2014	R3, #95	Michael Schofield	OL	Michigan	+36.3	starter
2014	R5, #156	Lamin Barrow	LB	LSU	-24.7	backup
2014	R6, #207	Matt Paradis	OL	Boise St.	+61.4	starter
2014	R7, #242	Corey Nelson	LB	Oklahoma	-7.5	backup
2013	R1, #28	Sylvester Williams	DT	North Carolina	+4.5	backup
2013	R2, #58	Montee Ball	RB	Wisconsin	-51.3	bust
2013	R3, #90	Kayvon Webster	DB	South Florida	-43.5	bust
2013	R5, #146	Quanterus Smith	DE	Western Kentucky	-31.8	active
2013	R5, #161	Tavarres King	WR	Georgia	+4.3	active
2013	R6, #173	Vinston Painter	G	Virginia Tech	-26.2	active
2013	R7, #234	Zac Dysert	QB	Miami (OH)	-24.1	released
2012	R2, #36	Derek Wolfe	DT	Cincinnati	+6.7	starter
2012	R2, #57	Brock Osweiler	QB	Arizona St.	-40.5	bust
2012	R3, #67	Ronnie Hillman	RB	San Diego St.	-44.1	bust
2012	R4, #101	Omar Bolden	DB	Arizona St.	-36.4	backup
2012	R4, #108	Philip Blake	OL	Baylor	-49.8	released
2012	R5, #137	Malik Jackson	DT	Tennessee	+32.0	starter
2012	R6, #188	Danny Trevathan	LB	Kentucky	+42.5	starter

Questions

How good is John Elway at drafting?

John Elway has 24 starters and 12 busts from 71 picks, with a hit rate of 44% and -7.2 Draft Value Added per pick. A positive number means the picks outperformed their draft slot.

How good is John Elway at evaluating wide receivers?

John Elway has drafted 10 wide receivers: 4 starters, 2 busts, -11.3 DVA per pick. That is 5.3 points below the league average for wide receivers.

How good is John Elway at evaluating defensive tackles?

John Elway has drafted 6 defensive tackles: 3 starters, 1 busts, +0.8 DVA per pick. That is 10.4 points above the league average for defensive tackles.

How good is John Elway at evaluating linebackers?

John Elway has drafted 6 linebackers: 1 starters, 0 busts, +5.6 DVA per pick. That is 12.0 points above the league average for linebackers.

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