The 2020 NFL Draft was loaded with offensive firepower, and the Denver Broncos thought they struck gold when they selected wide receiver Jerry Jeudy at No. 15 overall. Coming off a standout career at Alabama, Jeudy was supposed to be a cornerstone for Denver’s passing attack. At the time, it looked like a logical move to give the young Drew Lock a dynamic weapon.
But as the years unfolded, the Broncos struggled to find consistency at quarterback. The team cycled through a revolving door of passers and failed to produce a winning season until 2024. It’s fair to wonder if the franchise’s direction could have been dramatically different had they invested in the game’s most valuable position that year instead.
NFL Redraft: Jordan Love Could Have Solved Denver Broncos’ Quarterback Struggles
In PFSN’s 2020 NFL Redraft, NFL Draft analyst Jacob Infante reimagined Denver’s pick and landed on a quarterback who has since proven he can carry a franchise. Infante selected Jordan Love, who originally went to the Green Bay Packers at No. 26.
“The only reason Jordan Love falls to No. 15 is due to his limited playing time in his first three seasons,” Infante wrote. “What he’s shown in his two seasons as a starter, though, is that he’s a capable starting quarterback who can lead the charge towards making his team perennial playoff contenders.”
Since taking over as Green Bay’s starter following Aaron Rodgers’ trade to the Jets in 2023, Love has thrown for 7,548 yards and 57 touchdowns. He has emerged as one of the league’s most exciting young quarterbacks. His combination of arm talent, pocket presence, and poise has helped stabilize a Packers team once in flux.
For Denver, Love’s presence would have been a game-changer. Instead of enduring losing records from 2020 through 2023 (with seasons of 5-11, 7-10, 5-12, and 8-9), the Broncos could have built around a young, ascending signal-caller.
Love’s ability to elevate an offense is something the Broncos never found with Lock, Teddy Bridgewater, or Russell Wilson. Though rookie Bo Nix now offers promise, Denver’s last four years likely would have looked very different with Love under center.
Jordan Love highlights, otherwise known as “5 minutes and 25 seconds of pure happiness” pic.twitter.com/mtINPtPBUr
— Jacob (@NotionsOfJacob) July 13, 2024
Meanwhile, Jeudy never quite reached the heights expected of a first-round wideout. His best year came in 2022, when he tallied 972 yards and six touchdowns with Wilson at quarterback. After his rookie deal expired, Denver declined to pick up his fifth-year option. Jeudy signed with the Cleveland Browns, where a quarterback competition including Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sheduer Sanders clouds the future.
In a twist, Infante slotted Jeudy to the Packers in the redraft. “It took until his departure from Denver to get there, but Jerry Jeudy seems to be living up to his potential with the Browns,” Infante wrote. “He and Davante Adams would have been unguardable in Green Bay.”
Redrafts are always a fun exercise in hindsight. For the Broncos, it’s hard not to think about what could have been with Love leading the charge. A missed opportunity, perhaps, that could have altered the course of the franchise.