The NFL Draft is 10 days away and the Denver Broncos need to continue the great work they’ve done in free agency. While Peyton Manning and the Broncos kicked off their off-season program on Monday, the front office remains busy preparing for next week’s selection meeting. Here is our take on where the Broncos should look round by round.
1st Round-25th pick- Denver needs to go defensive tackle here although there are situations where they could take a running back, if they know a defensive tackle they like is going to slip to the 2nd round.
The good news is that the defensive tackle position in this years draft is very deep. The player I like the most here is, Michael Brockers out of LSU. He played in the middle of one of the best defenses in college football and is a great run stuffer.
2nd Round-57th pick- The Broncos need a running back that fits an offense led by, Peyton Manning. As good as Willis McGahee was last year, he’s not ideal for Manning. LaMicahel James from Oregon is the pick for me here. James comes from a fast paced offense with the Ducks and is an excellent receiver out of the backfield.
3rd Round-87th pick- A lot of mock drafts have the Broncos going cornerback at this spot, I disagree. Denver should take the best available defensive tackle at this spot. Even though they might take one with their first pick, they should add another one in the 3rd round. It’s their biggest need and it is vital to have 3 or 4 guys at that position to rotate and keep fresh.
4th Round-108th pick- This is where they should take the cornerback and they can get a good one here. Just like defensive tackle, the position of cornerback is very deep.
4th Round-120th pick- This is Peyton Manning’s replacement 3 or 4 years down the road. BJ Coleman out of Tennessee-Chattanooga is an intriguing pick here. Coleman went the Tennessee before transferring in large part because he idolizes Manning. Coleman has a lot of natural ability but is very raw. If he is in the right situation where he can learn and develop, then he has a chance to be very good. Can you think of a better situation for a young quarterback, especially one who patterns his game after the guy he would be learning from? Me either and that’s why this is a good pick.
5th and 6th Round- Denver will need to add depth at wide receiver, linebacker or safety in these rounds. Obviously with only two picks, they can only address two of the positions but those are the areas they will look at. Denver will take the best player available at those spots.
It is also possible that Denver could trade out of the first round to acquire more picks, which would make complete sense. This is a very deep draft in the areas where Denver needs help and stockpiling picks is a definite option. This much is true, with the signing of Manning, this draft is no longer about rebuilding. It’s about picking players who can come in and contribute to a contending team.
