NFL Power Rankings: 2017 Pre-NFL Draft Look at All 32 Teams

Teams that win Super Bowls based off their defense alone rarely hang onto a year-to-year dominance unless they have something going for them, offensively.

This was the case with the Denver Broncos a year ago, who watched their postseason-return hopes vanish with poor quarterbacking, a porous offensive line and a banged-up running game.

Perhaps 2017 is the year in which general manager John Elway installs quarterback Paxton Lynch, Denver’s 2016 first-round draft pick, under center to replace Trevor Siemian. But either QB will need protection, and that has to be priority No. 1 for the Broncos in the NFL Draft.

The Russell Okung experiment at tackle didn’t work, but the addition of former Oakland Raiders tackle Menelik Watson isn’t exactly an upgrade. He’s a swing tackle, at best, and shouldn’t be viewed as a long-term solution.

Instead, Denver’s first couple of picks should be used to address the offensive line. The team could stand to use an anchor at tackle, and a guard would help matters too.

Depth at running back is also key, and it would be nice to see the Broncos find some tight end production to replace Julius Thomas, whose absence was sorely missed a year ago.