Early in John Elway’s time as Denver Broncos general manager, he hit some home runs in the draft. That hasn’t been the case lately, especially when it comes to offensive players. As a result, the Broncos haven’t made the playoffs the past two seasons.

Say this about Elway’s 2018 draft class: It’s not short on star power.

The Broncos started the draft with three players who made names for themselves in college. In the first round, pass rusher Bradley Chubb fell to the Broncos and it became an easy pick. In the second round, Denver took SMU receiver Courtland Sutton, a big and athletic playmaker who might be a bit raw, but could be a No. 1 receiver at a discount draft price if he develops. And then the Broncos, who needed a running back after cutting C.J. Anderson, landed Oregon’s Royce Freeman in the third round. Freeman is big, fast, had a great college career as the Ducks’ all-time leading rusher. Their final third-round pick of the night, Boston College cornerback Isaac Yiadom, isn’t an instant star but he fills a need.

John Elway, general manager of the Denver Broncos, made some high-profile moves in the draft’s first two days. (AP) More

Nothing says any of those top three picks are going to work out. Shane Ray was a great pass-rushing prospect when the Broncos took him in the first round, and now he’s practically done in Denver. Montee Ball had a monster college career and was Denver’s second-round pick in 2013, and he flamed out fast. Cody Latimer was a big and exciting receiver when he was the Broncos’ 2014 second-round pick, and he ended up with 45 catches before he was done with Denver. We’ve seen exciting prospects bust with every team, at every position. Nothing is ever guaranteed in the draft.

Yet, this seems like a very good haul. If Chubb doesn’t work out, every draft expert will be wrong. Chubb seems as can’t-miss as it gets. Sutton could go either way, but his ceiling is tantalizing. If he develops, he can help right away and eventually take over Demaryius Thomas’ job as the top option in the passing game. And Freeman seems like the standard mid-round running back who ends up being very productive in the NFL.

Elway needs this draft to work out. The last skill-position player Elway truly hit on was tight end Julius Thomas, and that was 2011. As a result, the Broncos’ offense has fallen into disrepair. They hope that signing quarterback Case Keenum fixes one big problem. Perhaps Sutton and Freeman fix other issues on the offense. And Chubb and Von Miller should make a scary pass-rush duo.

It’s not like Elway is on the hot seat. He’s about 27 months removed from the Broncos winning a Super Bowl under his watch. And he’s an icon in Colorado. Elway has been a good GM, he has just had some whiffs in the draft lately. And Broncos fans are impatient.

This could be the draft that helps the Broncos bounce back. If not, we’ll have to start asking when Elway will finally hit some draft home runs again.

Here are some of the other winners and losers from day two of the NFL draft:

WINNERS

Washington Redskins: There were plenty of rumors and tales swirling around as LSU running back Derrius Guice slid in the draft. Perhaps in the days or weeks ahead, we’ll have a much better understanding of what happened.

But here’s what we know for sure: Guice was probably a first-round talent at running back, and the Redskins filled a huge need by picking him at No. 59 overall. That could be a steal.

Guice’s story seems similar to Dalvin Cook last year. Cook slid in the draft because of issues off the field. The Minnesota Vikings took a chance, and Cook played very well before he tore his ACL. That doesn’t mean Guice will also look like a good pick once the season starts, but he’s clearly talented enough to make that happen.

Guice ended up being the seventh running back drafted, even though he might be the second-best back in the class. Perhaps he’ll just be one of those players who never becomes a true professional, and the Redskins will regret taking him. But it seems like a pretty good gamble late in the second round, and it would fill a big need for Washington if they’re right.

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