What Happened to the Broncos’ 2019 and 2020 Draft Classes?
Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images
The Denver Broncos lost another piece of their offensive line on Monday Morning, as former center Lloyd Cushenberry signed a contract with the Tennessee Titans. This came the day after the Broncos traded wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns, as Sean Payton continues to restructure the roster to cater to his wants. After these moves, the Broncos officially no longer have one of their 2019 or 2020 draft picks on the roster.
The two classes for Denver were the final two drafted by former General Manager John Elway. He had his fair share of great draft classes during his 10-year tenure as Denver’s GM, but these two were not his best work, and it’s showed quickly as today’s leadership in Dove Valley hasn’t retained any of them. Here are the picks, what they did with Denver (if anything), and how they ended up leaving the Broncos.
2019
Round 1, Pick 20: Noah Fant, TE
Fant seemed like the other great NFL tight ends who have come out of Iowa. He had immense speed for a tight end and played more of a hybrid tight end/slot role. He played for the Broncos for three years, totaling 170 catches for 1,905 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a casualty of the Russell Wilson trade in the 2022 offseason, and was sent to Seattle as one of the pieces in that trade
Round 2, Pick 41: Dalton Risner, T
Risner spent four years in Denver, starting all 62 games he appeared in. Risner was one of the best linemen the Broncos have had in recent memory, but he opted to sign with the Minnesota Vikings when he became a free agent in the 2023 offseason. Risner committed just seven penalties in 3,775 snaps in Denver
Round 2, Pick 42: Drew Lock, QB
Lock seemed like he had the potential to possibly end the Broncos’ search for a quarterback. Everyone saw the arm talent he possessed, by he was plagued by turnovers. He had a 5:4 touchdown to interception ratio In Denver and threw for 4,740 yards. He was benched for Teddy Bridgewater in 2021 and was another casualty of the Wilson trade in 2022. He recently signed with the New York Giants after putting on a show for Seattle in a Monday Night Football game against Philadelphia in 2023.
Round 3, Pick 71: Dre’Mont Jones, DT
Yet another player who Denver sent to Seattle; Jones was a solid player for the interior of the Broncos’ defensive line. Jones accounted for 133 tackles, 22 sacks, and one interception in Denver. In Seattle this year, he started 16 of 17 games, and should be a key piece for them again.
Round 5, Pick 156: Justin Hollins, LB
Hollins was a player who didn’t do much for Denver in his one year with the Broncos, posting just 21 tackles. Since then, he has bounced around the league, as he was a pick that didn’t pan out at all. Denver took him over other options such as Charles Omenihu, who was a big contributor on Kansas City’s defensive line this year.
Round 6, Pick 187: Juwann Winfree, WR
Winfree was the last pick of the Broncos’ 2019 draft and did absolutely nothing for them in one season. He then went to Green Bay and then Indianapolis, where he also didn’t do much, as he has just nine career catches. Winfree was taken over offensive talents such as Travis Homer and Scotty Miller.
2020
Round 1, Pick 15: Jerry Jeudy, WR
Jeudy was the highest drafted receiver in franchise history and didn’t pan out at all. He was plagued by drops and hot emotions which made the end of his tenure in Denver sour. He was traded to Cleveland for two late round picks, while guys drafted behind him such as CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson are blossoming into superstars.
Round 2, Pick 46: KJ Hamler, WR
Another receiver prospect who had lots of potential, Hamler was a speedy player who was hampered by injuries his whole career. He is the only player taken in the second round who isn’t currently active, as he stepped away from the game to tend to a heart condition.
Round 3, Pick 77: Michael Ojemudia, CB
Another player who is no longer active, Ojemudia never made a great impact for Denver’s defense. He had six pass deflections in 12 starts but was constantly on the wrong end of big plays. Another poor pick in an earlier round.
Round 3, Pick 83: Lloyd Cushenberry, C
Cushenberry was great for Denver but couldn’t be retained this week due to his contract costing too much for Denver. He was a great piece of the offensive line in 2023 and was one of the better picks from Elway as of late. Denver deciding to let him walk showed that they trust their reinforcements in 2024, notably Alex Forsyth.
Round 3, Pick 95: McTelvin Agim, DT
Agim has just 14 career tackles, and again was a day two draft pick from Elway which busted. He spent two years in Denver before going to Indianapolis in 2023.
Round 4, Pick 118: Albert Okwuegbunam, TE
Albert-O was an athletic tight end who seemed to have lots of potential. In three years, he posted 54 catches, 546 yards and four touchdowns for Denver. However, he was cut at the end of the 2023 preseason, which was a puzzling move to many, as Denver then had one of the worst tight end rooms in the league this past season.
Round 5, Pick 178: Justin Strnad, LB
Strnad missed the 2020 season due to injury but was a solid contributor on defense in 2021. However, his role in 2022 and 2023 was greatly diminished, and he is now a free agent after appearing in only five games this past season.
Round 6, Pick 181: Netane Muti, OG
Muti only started four games in three years for the Broncos but appeared in many more as a depth piece for Denver. He was another depth guy, but his play wasn’t worth extending a contract to resign him. He played for Las Vegas in 2023 after a signing a deal with them.
Round 7, Pick 252: Tyrie Cleveland, WR
Cleveland was a depth piece for Denver who was utilized much more than other late round draft picks. Appearing in 23 games in three seasons, he had 17 targets in his limited run, averaging 11.4 yards per catch. He was on and off the practice squad, and since the 2022 season, has landed with Philadelphia and Indianapolis.
Round 7, Pick 254: Derrek Tuszka, LB
The pick before Mr. Irrelevant, Tuszka was a player who never contributed anything to Denver and is now out of the league after three seasons. He had six tackles for Denver in nine games.
The recent drafts for the Broncos have been a roller coaster, and the ’19 and ’20 classes are prime examples of that. With no players left on the roster from those two drafts, General Manager George Paton is ready for a rebuild. They have the 12th overall pick in the upcoming draft and are looking to make a splash to begin the post-Russell Wilson era.
