Denver Broncos Draft Countdown: Making the Case for Garrett Grayson

The Denver Broncos are looking for a quarterback. They don’t need a starter with Peyton Manning set to lead the way once again in 2015. Instead of a starter, the Broncos are looking for a backup who could develop into a starter in the near future.

They currently have Brock Osweiler as the primary backup behind Manning. They selected Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft with the idea that he could one day take over for the team. Osweiler’s contract is up after the 2015 season, and the Broncos could lose him in free agency next offseason if they don’t extend him sometime before then.

If the Broncos are going to select a quarterback in this year’s draft, then it had better be Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson—here’s why.

College Career

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Grayson reshaped his game over the last two years and became a star for the Rams. He started four games as a freshman for the Rams, and Grayson was named the full-time starter before the beginning of his sophomore season. A broken collarbone against the Air Force Falcons in October of 2012 limited Grayson’s playing time to only six games.

Year	Comp	Att	Yds	TDs	INTs
2011	43	77	542	2	6
2012	78	138	946	7	3
2013	297	478	3,696	23	11
2014	270	420	4,006	32	7

As a junior, Grayson started to come into his own. He improved his completion percentage, and Grayson had six games with over 300 yards passing in 2013. Arguably his best game of that season was his 397-yard performance at home against Boise State.

During his senior season, Grayson was better than ever before. He passed for over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, and Grayson seemed comfortable in any game situation. Grayson made fewer mistakes, cutting his interceptions to only seven on the season.

Skill Set

There are things that Grayson does as a passer that most college quarterbacks have yet to master. He plays with the savvy of a much more experienced player, and this should help him make the transition to the NFL.

Grayson does a wonderful job of using his eyes to manipulate the defense. This was evident on film, but he also showed off that ability during the week of practice for the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this year. Grayson will move players in the secondary with his gaze, only to create space for wide receivers at a different point on the field.

As a senior, Grayson was allowed to call audibles at the line of scrimmage. Former Rams head coach Jim McElwain, now with the Florida Gators, had faith in his senior quarterback, and Grayson did a good job of adjusting to defensive looks before the snap.

Grayson has a good feel for when pressure is coming to get him. He’s athletic enough to take off and run if needed, but he’s not a scrambler. Instead, Grayson can slide to the side or “climb the ladder” in the pocket to evade oncoming pass-rushers.

One of Grayson’s best attributes is his ability to throw accurately on the run. Grayson does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield while extending the play. He’s not afraid to attack the edges of a defense, and Grayson has no problem throwing into coverage—even though he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm.

Grayson’s mechanics can get a little out of sorts when the pocket is clean. His throwing motion could be cleaned up—and sped up—in order for him to make the most of his arm in the pros.

The Competition

LM Otoro/Associated Press

Grayson may not be the only quarterback Denver is considering at this time. Players like Bryce Petty (Baylor), Brett Hundley (UCLA) and Chris Bonner (CSU-Pueblo) could be targets for the Broncos at various points in the draft.

Petty is the player that could have the most interest from the Broncos. Arguably the best arm talent in this draft class, Petty showed at the Senior Bowl that he has a ton of things to work on before he is NFL-ready. Petty struggled to take a snap during the week of practice, and he failed to go through his progressions cleanly and quickly during scrimmages.

During his college career at Baylor, Petty didn’t work from under center and will have to start from square one as a pro. Petty didn’t throw into tight windows due to the system that gave him easy reads to mostly wide-open receivers. He’ll have to prove that he can diagnose defenses quickly as he makes his dropback to scan the field and find a place to throw the ball.

Petty has upside, but he could be a multiyear project. Some team may decide that upside is worth taking off the board with a second- or third-round pick.

Player	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TDs	INT
Garrett Grayson	270	420	64.3	4,006	32	7
Bryce Petty	270	428	63.1	3,855	29	7
Brett Hundley	271	392	69.1	3,155	22	5
Chris Bonner	258	461	56.9	3,291	30	8

Hundley is one of the most—if not the most—athletic quarterbacks in this draft class. He’s incredibly dangerous as a runner, and Hundley can make defenders miss in the open field like a running back. Hundley has a strong arm, and he can make every throw required in the NFL. He can throw with touch, but his offense at UCLA didn’t ask him to do that on a consistent basis.

His biggest problem might come from his greatest asset. Hundley looks skittish in the pocket at times, and he’ll drop his eyes to run too quickly when the pressure is on. He’s likely to be a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

Bonner is a small-school prospect that has attracted a lot of attention in the scouting community. That attention is well-deserved because of Bonner’s size (6’7”, 225 pounds) and rocket arm. He can scan the field with ease, and he has the arm strength to attack all the edges on the defense.

He does a good job of rolling out, and Bonner has no problem throwing accurately on the run. Bonner is a tough player who can take a beating in the pocket, stand tall and distribute the football at the last moment possible. Level of competition can certainly be an issue, and Bonner needs to do a better job of throwing his receivers open as a pro. Bonner is likely a late-round pick in the draft.

Summary

The team is preparing for life without Manning. At this time, there is zero buzz about the team possibly extending Osweiler’s contract. That means the Broncos will need a quarterback to groom as a potential quarterback of the future.

Thus, you can see why the team is monitoring the quarterbacks in this draft class.

This is not considered a strong draft class at the quarterback position. After the top two quarterbacks, Jameis Winston (Florida State) and Marcus Mariota (Oregon), there is nothing but question marks behind them. While Winston and Mariota should be first-round picks—likely in the top 10 of the draft—where the next quarterback will come off the board is a mystery.

If the Broncos go with a right tackle with the 28th overall pick, then a quarterback may be their next pick. At the end of the second round, Grayson should still be on the board.

He’s the most pro-ready quarterback behind Winston and Mariota, and Grayson’s transition to the NFL should be much smoother than other rookies selected after the first round. Grayson has the upside of a solid starter in the NFL who could work well in the Broncos offense.

With the questions surrounding all of these rookie quarterbacks (even Winston and Mariota), it wouldn’t be a total shock to see Grayson develop into the best quarterback from this draft class.

The Broncos may only have one year left with Manning. They need a guy who can be ready to go as early as 2016. If they really want to draft a quarterback, Grayson is the guy they should be building around for the future.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.