Since being named the Broncos’ general manager in 2011, John Elway has taken plenty of heat. There’s been widespread criticisms of his drafting (see: Garett Bolles, Paxton Lynch et al) in addition to questions about Elway’s decisions in free agency (see: Ja’Wuan James and Bryce Callahan this year).
But even in a dumpster fire of a 3-8 season in which many of those front office missteps have been highlighted, Elway deserves credit for signing a handful of impact players who were overlooked by the rest of the league.
Four of the following five players were undrafted out of college, and Elway’s signing of them has proven critical for the team this year and, most likely, going forward.