Denver Broncos general manager George Paton deserves credit for turning around Denver. He was hired during the 2021 offseason, coming off an 11-loss season. Paton then traded for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater before the 2021 NFL draft for roster flexibility. Instead of force-picking Justin Fields or Mac Jones, acquiring Bridgewater allowed Paton to acquire cornerback Pat Surtain II and still keep a long-term view on constructing the team’s roster.
After the 2021 season (7-10), Paton traded for quarterback Russell Wilson. And after missing on Wilson, the former knew to cut bait after two seasons. It was an inflection point that got the Broncos to where they are now — atop the AFC West, the No. 1 seed in the AFC Conference, and on a 10-game winning streak. Here’s how the Broncos are maximizing a rookie QB contract to build their roster.
George Paton’s Rebuilding of the Denver Broncos
The Broncos drafted QB Bo Nix with pick No. 12 in the 2024 NFL draft. The contract (approximately $18.6 million) helped offset the dead cap hit of Wilson ($85 million). Paton split the dead cap hit into two seasons. He immediately drafted the aforementioned Nix, No. 14 in PFSN’s QB Impact Score, then EDGE Jonah Elliss, No. 41 in PFSN’s EDGE Impact Score, in the starter rounds. And Paton drafted wide receiver Troy Franklin in the fourth round as well (No. 102 overall).
So, the latter was on the edge of the starter rounds. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine was drafted as a cost-effective backup in the fifth round as well. Then, in 2025, Paton drafted cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round, running back RJ Harvey in the second round, and wide receiver Pat Bryant in the third round.
Paton had to nail these picks because of what he gave up for Wilson. The former traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and three players. So far, so good. As I type this sentence, Harvey, the default draft class headliner because of RB J.K. Dobbins’ injury, announced his arrival to the league in Week 14 of the 2025 season.
That said, a competent QB on a rookie contract is the biggest competitive advantage in professional football. Auxiliary pieces such as Harvey, Franklin, etc, are icing on the cake. The Broncos went 10-7 in Year 1 of Nix and are currently 11-2 in Year 2. So, where is the money going? For whoever the QB was in 2024, Paton — and Broncos head coach Sean Payton — stacked the lines on both sides of the ball.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract in the 2023 offseason. And left guard Ben Powers signed a four-year, $52 million contract as well, while interior defensive linemen Zach Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract.
In the 2024 offseason, interior defensive linemen Malcolm Roach signed a two-year $7 million contract, while safety Brandon Jones signed a three-year, $20 million contract. Paton traded for interior defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers as well. And in the 2025 offseason, safety Talanoa Hufanga signed a three-year contract with the Denver Broncos worth a base value of $39 million.
The result on the offensive line: left tackle Garrett Bolles, left guard Powers, center Luke Wattenberg, right guard Quinn Meinerz, and right tackle McGlinchey.
The result on the defensive line: defensive end Allen, nose tackle D.J. Jones, and defensive end Franklin-Myers. And in nickel defense, it’s Allen, Franklin-Myers, and EDGES Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.
Shifting gears, after checking the couches, Paton stacked the backend of the defense on the third level. Safeties Jones and Hufanga form the best safety duo in the league.
Nix, meanwhile, can’t negotiate a contract extension until after 2026 because he hasn’t accrued three seasons. So, the Broncos are No. 12 in cap space available starting in the 2026 offseason (approximately $40 million). This means the Broncos have two shots on goal, 2025 and 2026, to win a Super Bowl with Nix on a rookie contract.
Since 2016 — the past 10 years — there have been several teams to make the Super Bowl with a competent QB on a rookie contract. There’s the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, the 2018 Los Angeles Rams, the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs, the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals, the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles, and the 2023 San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos hope to round out the decade of history of teams with a 2025 Super Bowl appearance. This one’s for Pat!