3 quarterbacks Broncos should acquire after missing out on Aaron Rodgers

Malik Willis offers the highest upside of any quarterback entering the NFL Draft

Though there is a chance Liberty Flames star Malik Willis is the first quarterback to be taken, possibly as high as to the Carolina Panthers at No. 6 or to his hometown Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, he could fall to the Broncos at No. 9. As with Pickett, Willis is a bona-fide lock to go in the first round this year. It would be shocking to not see both off the board somewhere in the top-10.

The big difference between Pickett and Willis is this. While Willis has the higher upside of the two, he needs to sit for a year to make the leap from Group of Five competition at Liberty to the NFL. He is seen as having the arm talent of a Jay Cutler and the football savvy of a Jalen Hurts. It might be a stretch to say he is the next Lamar Jackson, but he could be this year’s Justin Fields of sorts.

What is key for the Broncos is they cannot get this pick wrong if they do go quarterback. Though he may back up Drew Lock or some other stop-gap for a year, drafting Willis around No. 9 means he will be the face of the Denver franchise come 2023. The untapped potential Willis has is jaw-dropping, but there is also considerable boom-or-bust potential with the former Auburn transfer.

Given that he has NFL pedigree from his uncle James Anderson, he could make the big transition.