Broncos Hire Kelly Kleine as Executive Director of Football Operations & Special Assistant to GM

The Broncos just found new GM George Paton his No. 2 in the front office.

Since the Denver Broncos hired George Paton to succeed John Elway as the team's general manager, the brand-new exec has fielded questions about hiring a No. 2. Paton's first focus was on getting through the 2021 free-agent and NFL draft cycle and with that now fully in the rear-view, the Broncos announced a new, tectonic hire in the front office. 

Kelly Kleine has been hired as executive director of football operations/special assistant to the general manager. Kleine worked alongside Paton in Minnesota for nine years and most recently served as the Vikings' manager of player personnel/college scout (2019-20). 

She brings some serious NFL front-office experience to the table and Paton couldn't be more thrilled to bring her to Denver. 

“Kelly is a rising star in the NFL, and we’re fortunate to add someone of her caliber to the Denver Broncos,” Paton said via statement. “Having worked with her for nine years in Minnesota, Kelly has a strong understanding of all aspects of football operations and player evaluation along with outstanding leadership qualities. She will be a tremendous resource with her experience on the pro and college sides as well as her knowledge of our grading scale and football calendar.”

We’ve hired Kelly Kleine as Exec. Director of FB Ops./Special Advisor to the GM.

Believed to be the highest ranking woman in scouting in NFL history, Kleine will have significant scouting responsibilities & oversee several football departments.

📰 » https://t.co/gYXgwQnrdX pic.twitter.com/h442UpalHz

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 17, 2021

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According to the Broncos, Kleine will work as the "primary liaison" for the team's football operations and will shoulder responsibilities relating to both pro and college scouting. From player evaluation, draft/free agency preparations, and football administration, she will be very involved in the day-to-day grind of building and maintaining a competitive roster. 

When it comes to the personnel department, Kleine has had her finger on the pulse of multiple aspects of roster building including player evaluation, draft/free agency planning, opponent advances, and general football administration.

In Minnesota, she scouted prospects from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, and the Dakotas. Kleine held previous titles in Minnesota such as college scouting coordinator (2015-18), scouting assistant (2014), and scouting administration intern (2013). She actually got her start in the NFL as a Vikings public relations intern in 2012.

You don't often see a PR person climb the ladder to the personnel department, let alone to a perch high atop the front-office totem pole. That speaks to Kleine's football IQ and work ethic. 

Kleine's path has been a unique one but like most NFL success stories, she worked hard to get her foot in the door and eventually kicked it wide open. The Broncos have shown a progressive attitude toward front-office hiring as Kleine will be the first woman to hold such a high executive position in the personnel department in Dove Valley. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Kleine is "believed to be the highest-ranking female scouting exec ever with an NFL team."

Kleine's ascent to this job in Denver was earned through diligence, perseverance, and hard work. It's very well deserved. 

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