John Elway and the Broncos have used this trait to great success over the last two drafts." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteMile High Reporta Denver Broncos communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBroncosOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Broncos NewsBroncos 2019 Draft ClassBroncos PodcastsBroncos 2019 ScheduleKey Offseason DatesCommunity RulesFull ArchiveBroncos StoriesScheduleRosterStatsOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:NFL DraftDenver Broncos 2018 DraftDenver Broncos NewsBroncos draft picks have something in common: leadershipNew Womens Royce Freeman Jersey ,81commentsJohn Elway and the Broncos have used this trait to great success over the last two drafts. Broncos draft picks have something in common: leadershipPhoto by David Becker/Getty ImagesJohn Elway has found his groove when it comes to the NFL Draft. The last two years, he and his staff have used their codex to great success for the Denver Broncos — they target captains and leaders on their college teams. So those players are a combination of confident, humble, mature and well-spoken. The first four picks for Elway and the Broncos in this year’s Draft followed that path. Right on cue, Denver employed the same strategy with their two picks in the final rounds on Saturday when it selected linebacker Justin Hollins from Oregon and receiver Juwann Winfree from Colorado. Both were captains on their respective teams and bring those same qualities from college to the Broncos. In terms of Hollins, he brings needed depth to Denver’s edge guys but enough versatility to play inside if Vic Fangio needs it. Hollins can also contribute on special teams. When you add in his ability to create pressure in the passing and running game (14 sacks, 36 tackles for a loss in his career for the Ducks) to forcing turnovers (seven forced fumbles for his career), this is a great pick. Former NFL scout Dan Shonka said Hollins could be the sleeper of the draft for the Broncos. Christoper Hart made a great point when he saw a tweet from Jim Leavitt. Leavitt coached Hollins at Oregon. Leavitt also coached with Fangio during their time together with the San Francisco 49ers. Connections matter. No doubt there was insight from Leavitt to Fangio on Hollins.What will endear Hollins to fans is when he told Andrew Mason, Brandon Krisztal, Mike Rice and Ryan Edwards: “Hopefully I can be a Bronco for the rest of my life.” In terms of Winfree, the pick seemed to catch people off guard given what else was on the board at receiver. But there’s no doubt the fact he played for the Buffs helped. “I know Phillip Lindsay put in a huge word for me with the Broncos,” Winfree told the media after the pick. “That’s my big brother right there.” It never hurts to have Lindsay vouch for you. That, and being a guy who has high upside and will put in the work for Denver. Ryan Koenigsberg noted that over the last two years, 11 out 16 draft picks for the Broncos have been team captains (seven in 2018 Courtland Sutton Jersey , four this year). The other five no doubt could have been.After the success of the 2018 draft, Broncos Country and NFL fans wanted to see how Elway and Denver would respond. Well, Elway and the Broncos have now killed it in two-straight drafts. It’s clear the codex they uncovered prior to last year is working to great success. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Safety Darian Stewart is joining a crowded field of free agent safeties following his release Wednesday from the Denver Broncos, where he won a Super Bowl ring.A starter in Denver since 2015, “No Fly Zone” secondary that also featured safety T.J. Ward and cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib.With Stewart’s departure, Harris is the only remaining member of that secondary that helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 three years ago.Stewart, who turns 31 in August, was due nearly $5 million in both 2019 and 2020.“Broncos country thank you all for the love you showed me and my family these past 4 years,” Stewart wrote on Instagram. “But it’s time for me to move on and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”The nine-year pro said he felt he still had a lot of football left in him, but he’ll have some stiff competition on the open market that features safeties Earl Thomas, Landon Collins, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Royce Freeman Jersey White , among others.Undrafted out of South Carolina in 2010, Stewart spent four seasons with the Rams in St. Louis followed by one season in Baltimore, where he caught the eye of Gary Kubiak, who was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2014. When Kubiak replaced John Fox as head coach in Denver, he encouraged general manager John Elway to sign Stewart.Stewart missed just three games in his four seasons in Denver, where he collected 250 total tackles, intercepted nine passes and broke up two dozen others, recovered four fumbles and registered one sack.In the 2015 playoffs, he had 11 tackles, a sack, an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2016.Elway called him Wednesday to inform him of his release.