FanPost

What will we do with our 3rd?

 

I'm not gonna lie, I'm more excited about what we're gonna do with our 3rd round pick then I am our two 2nds. Most the players I see constantly mocked to the Broncos in the 2nd just don't excite me that much. Don't get me wrong, there is some great talent there but nothing I'm in love with.

Now I know I just said that the 3rd round excites me more yet I never see the players who excite me mocked to us even though they all fit a position of need. Here are a couple players who I never see mocked to the Broncos or rarely even talked about here yet deserve some love.

Please note that this is a list of player who I constantly see available to the broncos in the 3rd yet are rarely mocked to us. This is not a list of players who could drop out of the 2nd.

SS DeAndre McDaniel Clemson

Most people have him rated as a 2nd round talent who will fall due to character concerns. For a while I was one of them and I'm not gonna lie, his character concern is a big one. He was arrested for physically assaulting his girlfriend which included him throwing her down a flight of stairs. This occured before he went to college I believe but a year ago this had me completely against him.

Yet I still had my eye on him and it seems ever since then he has completely turned his life around. Every interview I've heard and everything I've read on him in terms of his current character have been nothing but positive. Yet what is it that makes me love him as a player. Well he reminds me alot of Troy Polomalu. If he turns out to be half the player Polomalu is, that is a darn good football player.

He is a ballhawk. In 2009 he totaled 98 tackles, including 2 sacks and 3 TFL's. He also had 8 INTS, one being a pick six. In 2010 his production nosetailed a bit. He still had 75 tackles and 4 INT's which is beyond decent for a safety but the potential to improve is definitely there. His biggest knock this year (and another reason his draft stock has dropped) is that he's been inconsistent at times and was beat a few times for big plays.

He's not the most physically gifted safety in the draft but he is a great tackler and very good in run defense. He's also smart and has a strong work ethic. He is a film room junkie which explains why he is always around the ball and his ability to read defenses and decipher plays. He is also a leader on the Clemson defense (I mentioned he's turned his life around haven't I). To me football IQ and leadership are the most important aspect of the safety position and he has both.

I made a recent post where I gave my assessment of the current roster. In it I said SS is the area of greatest need for the Broncos. If this guy is available in the 3rd and I was in charge of the Broncos draft, I don't think I would hesitate. He would be a Denver Bronco. He's definitely not a surefire safe pick but too me he is definitely worth a 3rd and could be a very good player down the line. Who ever gets him will be very happy.

OT Joseph Barksdale LSU

I don't understand why this guy isn't considered a 2nd round pick. As a converted DT, he is a bit raw but has the potential to be a very good OT in the league. He is a gifted athlete and has probably the best technique of any tackle in the draft. He is incredibly good in pass protection. His only downside is that he's not overly strong in the running game but he can still hold his own.

Against Texas A&M he completely shutdown Von Miller. At half time Miller hadn't recorded a single tackle or sack. The only sack Miller got that game was coming from Barksdale's opposite side. He also had great performances against Robert Quinn and Marcel Dareus (other top 10 picks).

Barksdale is an athletically gifted 315 lb OT who should be perfect for zone blocking and has the potential to be a dominant LT. While LT is not a need, RT tackle is and it just so happens that's the side Barksdale played in college. He played RT because LSU has a potential 2012 1st round LT playing the other side. He might not be the strongest in run support but one thing to remember is that our future qb is a lefty making the right side the blind side. Well Barksdale excels in pass protection. This guy is another 2nd round talent who will most likely fall to the 3rd and should be very tempting for the Broncos to pass up. If we release Harris, this guy would be very hard to pass up.

These guys are my two favorites with this pick but here are some other worth while names.

SOLB KJ Wright Mississippi State - This kid looks like a perfect fit for Foxy's defense and SOLB is a position of need.

DT Sione Fua Stanford - I really like this guy. He's not flashy but he's solid. His draft stock has suffered greatly from the amount of DT talent available in this years draft.

RB Jacquizz Rogers Oregon State - Not a feature back but he's a speedster who would be a great change of pace to Moreno.

OT Jason Pinkerton Pittsburgh - He's a better run blocker then Barksdale but nowhere near the potential. Not overly big and can move so he could be a decent fit in ZB.

EDIT:

I decided to go back and add a couple of ILB's I missed.

ILB Kelvin Sheppard LSU - He's the leader of LSU's defense and has a high football IQ. He's a great football player but just an above average athlete. Still there is alot of potential here.

ILB Casey Matthews Oregon - I wanted to leave Matthews off because everyone already knows who he is but I decided against it. Like Sheppard above, he's a great football player but just an above average athlete. Still there is potential here.

I'm sure I left some names out but these our the players who really jump out at me the most right now.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR.