The Broncos waited until the 42nd overall pick to take a quarterback, in part because of the incredible trust John Elway has in a 34-year-old.

The Broncos boss told Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America that what he’s seen so far from Joe Flacco was enough for him to be patient in his pursuit, and waiting to draft Drew Lock until the middle of the second round.

“Our comfort with Joe enabled us to pass on a quarterback,” Elway said. “What made that decision is, Joe is fitting really well with what we want to do offensively, and he looked great in our minicamp last week. He really put on a throwing exhibition last week in camp.

“I truly think we’ve got a guy coming into his prime.”

Nothing on the back of Flacco’s football card suggests that is true. The last four years, his passer rating has hovered between 80 and 84, and they only broke a three-year playoff drought when he was replaced by Lamar Jackson.

Like the Ravens, the Broncos aren’t exactly overburdened with receiving talent, though they hope first-round tight end Noah Fant will become a major part of the passing game soon.