So much for those mock drafts that had the Denver Broncos taking a defensive tackle with the 25h pick in the first-round of the NFL Draft; not only did they not take a defensive tackle, they did not take anyone. Denver first traded with New England and received their 31st pick and a 4th round pick later in the draft. John Elway wasn’t done, however, the Broncos then traded that 31st pick to Tampa Bay for their 2nd round pick (#36) and the teams exchanged 4th round picks. While the Broncos came out of the 4th round with no new players, it was a good night at Dove Valley.
Denver entered the draft with 7 picks overall, now they have 7 in the next 100 picks.
There is not much difference between the players that were on the board at #25 or #31 from what is likely to be there when the Broncos pick at #36. In fact there are 4 or 5 players still available that Denver is likely to be interested in; including 2 defensive tackles that many believe are 1st round talents. The Broncos will come away with 2 very good players out of the 2nd round on Friday night.
With the 3 4th round picks that the Broncos now own, it gives them some flexibility. Depending on how the board falls, they could just stay where they are and make all 3 selections in the 4th round. More likely, however, is they use at least one of those and a later pick to move back into the 3rd round to grab a guy they like. If Friday night goes the way Denver believes it will, the Broncos will be introducing 4 new players on Saturday. Look for them to draft a defensive tackle, a running back, a quarterback and either a cornerback or a wide receiver.
Many fans were disappointed and angry that there was not a first-round pick but the Broncos did exactly what they should have done. There was not one player that they loved when it came time for them to pick, and they were able to pick up more picks via the trades. Thursday night may have been a bummer but come Friday night, the Denver Broncos are going to get better.
