Unlike much of my writing, this is not going to go at things in a humorous or contrarian sort of way. I'm going to go at the Broncos draft with an "at the same time" mindset that reflects my general mixed feelings about what the Broncos did. Basically I'm gonna put down the Kool-Aid while hoping not to slide into negativity. I'm also going to make some general draft observations that don't necessarily have to do with the Broncos.

GENERAL DRAFT OBSERVATIONS

1. The Raiders, specifically Al Davis, are crazy. I seriously considered putting DHB in as the Raiders pick here in my mock and then decided that even Al couldn't be that insane. How you don't get more value for the #7 pick is beyond me. If you like DHB better than Crabtree that's fine, but how you don't recognize that you can have him 15 or 20 picks later is beyond me. Even if you give a value discount, say by letting Philly come up to take Crabtree by swapping the 21st pick and their second rounder you still pick up value and get your guy. And don't get me started on their 2nd round pick. The guy could've been theirs in the fifth round and people still would've been thinking it was a slight reach. I never thought I'd say this, but I am starting to feel sorry for Raiders fans. And I'm sad that a great rivalry is losing it's edge because of the senility of one man.

2. Three of the biggest reaches in the first round were by our division rivals. I am not going to fault the Chiefs much for taking Tyson Jackson where they did because he was clearly the best 3-4 DE in the draft, and while they could've had him 5-10 picks later they probably couldn't find someone to come up for their pick. Larry English at 16 for the Chargers makes me smile. He could likely have been had somewhere in the 2nd round and frankly looks like another Jarvis Moss to me. How Everette Brown fell to the second round and this guy goes 16 is beyond me. The Raiders I've already discussed.

3. In terms of the Broncos draft, my biggest problem was that we also didn't maximize the value of the picks we had. More on this with my breakdown of the specific picks. At the same time, I am pretty sure that we had a better draft than anyone else in our division.

4. What is it with the Bengals? Do they intentionally look for the biggest character risks in the draft? Andre Smith is a talent and no doubt, but the guy is coming into a situation that is likely to make him a bust. I'm so happy for Michael Oher that the Bengals didn't take him. As far as the Bengals in the 2nd round go, they and Maualuga deserve each other. One of the most positive developments of the Broncos draft, IMO, is that Rey Rey is not in orange and blue. Frankly, I consider him to be a more talented version of Nate Webster on the field with the added problem of being a bad risk off the field and a potential disaster in the locker room.

5. The Bills had an iffy first round. Aaron Maybin is not going to contribute until he's been in an NFL strenght and conditioning program for at least two seasons. He may have first round potential but he's a second or third rounder in terms of what he's going to give to the team over the first few seasons on the roster.  Wood is a good pick though I'm surprised they didn't address LT.

6. I don't like the Lions draft. Stafford may be a stud, but the probabilities (thanks HT :) ) for first round QBs make this a huge risk. Give me Curry, J. Smith, or Monroe. Much better chance they start early and contribute for a long time. And how in the world you pass on Michael Oher in the 20s is beyond me. When a top-ten talent drops to you and will greatly improve the probability that your new franchise player won't turn into Tim Couch or David Carr you take him. I like Pettigrew but this was a bad idea.

7. How does Ozzie Newsome always manage to come up with a great value pick at a position of need. Oher is likely going to be one of the steals of the draft.

8. The Jets sure didn't give up that much to get to the #5 pick. At the same time, the Browns did alright for themselves. Kind of a win-win IMO.

9. Something very weird happened in the Broncos draft that I'm sure a number of you experienced as well. Three times in this draft, the player I thought the Broncos should pick when they went on the clock were the next pick after we passed on them. Max Unger went #49, Sammie Lee Hill went #115, and A.Q. Shipley went #226. Not sure what it means but it was kind of disconcerting.

10. The first-round picks that I really liked (not counting the Broncos). Jacksonville getting Monroe at #8 who will start somewhere on their o-line for ten years. Michael Crabtree to the 49ers at #10 will help their marginal QBs and rub it in Al Davis' face for a decade. With rare discipline, the Redskins scored great value with Orakpo at #13. Maclin at #19 gives McNabb another dynamic option. Alex Mack to the Browns at #21 is the kind of boring but solid pick that leads to winning teams. Michael Oher will be a steal for the Ravens at #23. Though everyone and their mom married the Steelers to Mack, Ziggy Hood is a good consolation prize who will be developed to start at 3-4 defensive end.

11. Did I say the Raiders were crazy? Yes? Sorry to repeat, but seriously. THE RAIDERS ARE EFFING CRAZY!!!

ANALYSIS OF THE BRONCOS DRAFT

The running theme through my analysis, and the reason I have mixed emotions regarding this draft, is that I'm not sure we got maximum value for our picks. At the same time, I like most of the players we took. While I won't claim to have the pure football knowledge of HT and SlowWhiteGuy or the prospect knowledge of Styg, Broncoman, Colinski, or gnarlybroncodude, I do feel like a have a good general knowledge of the draft and how football works and I'm both happy and concerned about what I saw from Denver in the Draft.

1a. Knowshon Moreno RB, Georgia

I have no doubt that Knowshon is going to be a very good player for the Broncos for a long time. He will have 22-25 touches (18-22 rushes and 3 or 4 catches) a game and make things happen for the offense. He'll take pressure off of our QBs and increase the durability of the plethora of situational backs we have, especially Hillis. He's a stud and worthy of pick #12.

...and at the same time, I can't help but wonder if we couldn't have gotten a comparable running back while pick up value for this pick. We may even have been able to get Knowshon and added value. I'm not going to scream too loudly about it right though because I realize it may have been difficult to find a trading partner. My other concern is that a player of equal or greater value at a position of equal or greater need fell to us at pick #12 in Brian Orakpo. I like him as much or better than Ayers and wonder if we couldn't have had Orakpo at #12 and Knowshon at #18. I'm also wondering if we couldn't have addressed a defensive need here and gotten a back of nearly the same value later in the draft. Running backs always fall and this year was no exception.

Overall, I'm fine with this pick. While we might have gotten more value, Knowshon will likely do a lot for the Broncos for a long period of time and that's what you really want from a first round pick.

1b. Robert Ayers DE, Tennessee

I had Ayers to the Broncos in my mock because I knew that his positional versatility would appeal to Josh McDaniels and I think he has a ton of upside. At his best, I see Ayers as the new era version of Karl Mecklenberg (who was Adalius Thomas before Thomas even knew he could play football). He has the combination of size and athleticism to situationally play anywhere in the front seven. I expect that he will mostly be moved between DE and OLB with some kicks inside to rush the passer in our 4-3 hybrid. 

...and at the same time, Ayers makes me a bit nervous in that he didn't produce until his final year in college. Really a minor gripe. My main concern actually was addressed above. I feel like Orakpo and Moreno might have been better for our team than Ayers and Moreno.

Overall, I'm fine with this pick as well. I see what McDaniels sees and as long as he develops into that vision I think he'll be worthy of this selection. He does make me wonder if a 3-4 is going to be our base defense, or if McDaniels is planning to create the ameoba defense to compliment the ameoba offense.

2a. Alphonso Smith CB, Wake Forrest

I like Alsphonso Smith as a player a lot. I think he is going to be a playmaker. He's quick and has good ball-skills. Frankly, he reminds me a bit of Dre Bly when Bly was at his best and used properly. He's a ballhawk and will make plays as a nickleback until he's ready to move into the starting lineup. He also tackles much better than Bly while giving added value on special teams. He can spell Royal on punts and team with Arrington on KOs.

...and at the same time, I have serious concerns regarding what we gave up to get him. I accept the logic that McXander's chose to spend one of next year's 1st round picks to get someone they gave a first round grade and who will contribute immediately. I have concerns that the logic cost us a pick we may have been able to keep and still get either A. Smith or a similar player in S. Smith at our pick at #48. Basically, my complaint is that we may have really wasted a ton of value and flexibiltiy in next years draft to get a player we could have gotten anyway.

Overall, I'm not terribly upset. I do believe that Smith is a talent who was correctly graded by the McXander's team. If we view this as we got 3 first rounders this year instead of just two this looks good. If we think of it as we could have had three first rounders this year and still had two first rounders next year it's a bit more iffy.

2b. Darcel McBath S, Texas Tech

In general I'm cool with this pick. He's going to push Renaldo Hill to be his best if he doesn't want to go to the bench and will likely start for the Broncos within a couple of seasons. He won't be a liability in coverage and will make plays as an Ed Reed sort of centerfielder. As HT pointed out in his analysis, McBath is the best free safety for what he does in the draft.

...and at the same time, I wonder if he's the best 'best at' we could've taken at #48. Max Unger is also a 'best at' at a position of equal or greater need. Unger is clearly the one elite linemen who is best at being versatile. He can play credibly anywhere on the offensive line and is an exceptional prospect at both center and guard. I believe that McBath is a reasonable value at #48, but I think that Unger would have been an exceptional value.

Overall, I'm not gonna cry over spilt milk. McBath is a good player worthy of going mid-second round. I expect he will be a long time contributor to the Broncos defense and special teams.

2c. Richard Quinn TE, North Carolina

Okay, here we go. I like Quinn fine as a player. He is a versatile TE who has a nasty disposition as a blocker and apparently impressed McD with his combine workout and hands. I think he is good insurance for Graham and Scheffler and definitely represents an upgrade from the Jackson experiment.

...and at the same time, I really hate this pick. The reason I hate it is that I am 99.999999% sure that we could have taken Quinn with the first of our third round picks and kept our second third round pick. To tell the truth, this pick reminded me of Coach Shanahan at his worst on draft day. It's silly to give up value in the draft when you don't have to. We could've had this guy and another third round player or multiple later round picks.

Overall, blah. I'm pretty sure that Quinn will be a decent player for Denver, but why we gave up anything to get him is beyond me.

4a. David Bruton S, Notre Dame

Once again, I have no problem with Bruton as a player. He brings great leadership and work ethic to a team that seems to have been lacking both in recent years. He plays hard and he will absolutely kill it on kick and punt coverage.

...and at the same time, I really question the decision to make a second pick at safety when another best fell to us in an area of need. Sammie Lee Hill is clearly the best developmental NT prospect in this draft. His perceived upside is high enough that many draft experts had him going in the third round. That he fell to an area of the draft that is perfect for developmental prospects makes me wonder if McXander's emphasis on taking BPA was properly executed here.

Overall, I see this as a luxery pick for a team that hasn't reached the penthouse and shouldn't be looking for a bubble bath.

4b. Seth Olsen OG, Iowa

This is not an 'at the same time' analysis. This is the one pick that I don't like, period. I don't see how a guy with poor feet and limited athleticism is a fit in an offense that emphasizes frequent pulling by the guards or zone blocking, much less both. Yeah, he's a tough guy with a nasty demeanor and good intangibles but there were other guys like that who fit the system McD has outlined with the same qualities who would have been better fits.

5. Kenny McKinley WR, South Carolina

McKinley is a quick receiver with very good hand and body control. He makes tough catches and gets turned upfield quickly. He offers schematic versatility in that he can play the slot or outside and allows us to maximize both his impact and increase the veratility of Eddie Royal who can also bounce between the outside and the slot.

...and at the same time, McKinley is pretty light in the shorts. I think he can put on 5-10 more pounds of protein armor without losing quickness, but I'm not sure of it. I have questions about his durability.

Overall, McKinley is a good pick and may turn into a steal this late in the draft.

6. Tom Brandstater QB, Fresno State

This guy is as good a developmental pick as any. He's got a good enough arm, learned from a coach with pro experience in a pro-syle offense, reads defenses well, and has upside.

...and at the same time, he reminds me more of Drew Bledsoe than Tom Brady. Not that that is necessarily bad, but I question his mobility and that lowers his versatility. Also, not to beat a dead horse into a bloody pulp of bite-sized bits for the vultures, but I really don't think we had to give up one of our 7th round picks to get Brandstater, or a QB of equal developmental value. Still, not a huge sin if you think he can be your guy of the future.

Overall, I'm fine with this pick. I'm happy with our #1 and #2 QBs and if McDaniels thinks that Brandstater has potential, I'm not going to argue with him.

7. Blake Schlueter C, TCU

This guy fits the mold of what we should covet in a scheme that emphasizes good feet and athleticism. He moves well, is smart, and plays mean. He could develop into a good playr for the Broncos.

...at the same time, he lacks strength and sometimes got pushed around in a league not known for it's monsters on the interior DL. My bigger problem is who he isn't. Like I said before, I would've much preferred to take Max Unger when he fell to us. Schlueter is neither as talented nor as versatile. Further, I thought that A.Q. Shipley, who went one pick later, is a better overall prospect with more experience against tougher competition. Still, I can't say that Shipley was so much better as a prospect that passing on him for Schlueter is a bad move.

Overall, I can't argue too terribly much with this pick. He's a solid prospect with some upside taken in the seventh round.

BRING ME A PITCHER OF ORANGE & BLUE KOOL-AID

I have mixed feelings about our draft, but that doesn't mean that I won't be rooting like crazy for all of these guys to be great Denver Broncos.

I think we did a couple of things with CFA's that make me feel better about not addressing the defensive front seven as much as we could in the draft. We picked up 2 DE, a DT, and a LB after the draft. Of those, I'm pretty darn excited about Pedescleaux who has the look of a 3-4 end with upside. I also like that we got DT Chris Baker from Hampton after the draft. Using a pick on him would have worried me considering his character problems, but as a CFA coming into an organization modeled after the Patriots I think he's worth a shot. 

Also, the draft approach tends to make me feel more optimistic about our players in place on defense than I otherwise would have been. Maybe Coach Shanahan's biggest problem is he was accidently drafting and signing players for the 3-4 rather than the 4-3!

Moreover, I think that we clearly did as well or better in the draft than the rest of our division. The AFC West is still likely to be a pretty weak division and I don't see that these players hurt our chances of winning a division title.

Anyway, feedback is both accepted and desired and...

GO DENVER BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!