Even with their first-round whiff on quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Broncos are getting impressive production from their 2016 draft class.
Connor McGovern, a fifth-round guard out of Missouri, led all Broncos with a $445,424 performance bonus this year.
The NFL and players union distributed performance and playing time-based bonus payments Wednesday. The bonuses are based on a formula where a low player’s salary and higher amount of playing time equals the greatest bonus payments. Chris Harris Jr. and Matt Paradis once topped these lists as undrafted and sixth-round players, respectively, who never came off the field.
They made good money in 2018, though, so their performance bonuses shrunk considerably.
McGovern drew the third-year minimum $630,000 salary last year, but lined up for 1,056 plays, or 98.3 percent of the offensive snaps while playing at both right guard and center. Thus, his bonus that put his overall earnings past $1.075 million.
Justin Simmons, a third-round safety out of Boston College in 2016, was second among Broncos with a $408,952 performance bonus.
He, too, drew a $630,000 salary while playing 100 percent of the 1,077 defensive snaps.
Also getting decent performance bonuses from the Broncos’ 2016 draft class were sixth-round safety Will Parks, sixth-round fullback Andy Janovich, fourth-round running back Devontae Booker, and second-round defensive end Adam Gotsis.
A look at the 65 Broncos players who got a performance payout from their play in 2018. Note: Chad Kelly is last on a list for not the first time.
Player ………........…. Bonus
Connor McGovern ..... $445,424
Justin Simmons ......... $408,952
Will Parks ................... $303,723
Elijah Wilkinson ......... $268,066
Matt LaCosse ............ $247,153
Tim Patrick ................. $237,112
Josey Jewell .............. $220,555
Andy Janovich ........... $210,999
Phillip Lindsay ............ $201,592
Shelby Harris ............. $194,032
Adam Gotsis .............. $187,652
Jeff Heuerman ............ $184,734
Joseph Jones ............. $175,987
Devontae Booker ....... $169,617
DaeSean Hamilton ..... $164,244
Garett Bolles ............... $145,724
Brian Parker ................ $130,706
Courtland Sutton .......... $128,860
Isaac Yiadom ................ $123,838
Keishawn Bierria ........... $115,409
Billy Turner .................... $105,291
Dymonte Thomas .......... $87,876
Zach Kerr ....................... $86,556
Royce Freeman .............. $80,027
Todd Davis ...................... $74,263
Adam Jones .................... $70,552
Matt Paradis .................... $67,901
Su'a Cravens ................... $67,155
Casey Kreiter ................... $64,462
Shaquil Barrett ................. $59,016
Shamarko Thomas ........... $57,477
Tramaine Brock ................ $55,693
River Cracraft .................... $53,304
Darian Stewart ................... $48,488
Domata Peko ..................... $46,505
Max Garcia ........................ $45,966
Colby Wadman .................. $44,212
Jake Butt ........................... $40,128
Temarrick Hemingway ....... $37,461
Bradley Roby ..................... $35,717
Jared Veldheer ................... $34,067
Shane Ray ......................... $33,466
Bradley Chubb .................... $32,494
Von Miller ............................ $27,316
Derek Wolfe ........................ $23,636
Case Keenum ...................... $23,477
Chris Harris Jr. ...................... $22,949
Brandon Marshall .................. $21,888
Andre Holmes ........................ $21,342
Brendan Langley .................... $19,910
Jeff Holland ............................. $19,866
Emmanuel Sanders ................. $19,753
Gino Gradkowski ..................... $18,464
Ronald Leary ........................... $14,423
Brandon McManus ................... $12,547
Jamar Taylor .............................. $10,583
Sam Jones ................................. $10,161
Trey Marshall .............................. $8,578
Demaryius Thomas ..................... $8,539
DeMarcus Walker ........................ $6,958
Cyrys Kouandjio ........................... $6,388
Marquette King ............................ $5,890
A.J. Johnson ................................ $4,774
Isaiah McKenzie ........................... $2,243
Chad Kelly .................................... $354
