FanPost

All the cool kids are doing it!! (My Mock Draft)


I am a firm believer in the theory of drafting the best player available, and the higher the pick in the draft the more important it is. Later on it makes sense to fill some holes but it is best to stick to the draft board. Every team's draft board is going to look different. This is due to many factors including but not limited to... Film study, character, measurables, fit into scheme, and need. The top person left on your team's board is who they should draft. If by chance there are multiple prospects with very close grades one may opt to trade down or if the value of the pick does not meet the value of the highest player on their board. The way I see it the Broncos will have their eyes on anybody in the top 20 who may have slid, and if there is not anybody worth the pick they will look to trade down. Trading down isn't always as easy as wanting to, there has to be an equally interested partner who wants to trade up. Here is the top 20 which if any are available we almost have to take them unless we get a great offer.

1.) Andrew Luck QB Stanford

2.) Robert Griffin III QB Baylor

3.) Matt Khalil T USC

4.) Morris Claiborne CB LSU

5.) Trent Richardson RB Alabama

6.) Fletcher Cox DT Miss St.

7.) Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St.

8.) Quinton Coples DE/DT UNC

9.) Riley Reiff T Iowa

10.) David DeCastro G Stanford

11.) Melvin Ingram DE S. Carolina

12.) Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame

13.) Luke Kuechly MLB Boston College

14.) Dontari Poe DT Memphis

15.) Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama

16.) Stephon Gilmore CB S. Carolina

17.) Cordy Glenn OL Georgia

18.) Michael Brockers DT LSU

19.) Kendall Wright WR Baylor

20.) Mark Barron SS Alabama

With those names out there now I must say that I expect them to all be gone by 25, but there might be 1 or 2 left. Between Tannehill, Upshaw, Hightower, and maybe another pass rusher or lineman will make their way into the top 24 and cause someone to fall to us. In this scenario let us say that they are all gone, there are a few other names we have to think about just in case we can't find a partner to trade down with.

1.) Janoris Jenkins CB N. Alabama- if he checks out mentally he is a stud

2.) Stephen Hill WR Ga. Tech- physical freak may not help much this year though

3.) Devon Still DT Penn St. - solid player at huge postion of need

4.) Jerel Worthy DT Mich. St.- see above

I can't say I would be disappointed with any of these either, even though they all have some question marks I trust the front office to do their homework and if they deem one of these guys our pick then great. Luckily while the guys in the war room are contemplating the remaining players the phone does ring and we get an offer to trade down. Is it someone trying to get Hill before the Texans are on the board? No, Elway wouldn't do Kubiak like that, he would let Kubiak match the offer I'm sure. Instead Miami jumps back up to the first round and get a coveted pass rusher before New England and Green Bay pick.

We give Miami 1-25(720 points) they in turn give us 2-10(480), 3-10(220), 5-10(37)

Our picks are now 2-10, 2-25, 3-10, 3-24, 4-13, 4-25, 5-2, 5-10, 6-18

This gives us a lot of flexibility to move up or down having 2 picks in rounds 2,3,4, and 5 which should really help us build elite D and give our O a couple of weapons and O-line depth.

Now on to our draft, remember we want to come away with as many impact players as possible. I will use Charlie Campbell's draft http://walterfootball.com/draft2012charlie.php and only choose players that are available when we pick.

Round 2 Pick 10- Kelechi Osemele G Iowa St. - That's pronounced kah-LETCH-ee oh-sem-AH-lee, and scouts know it well. Osemele may be stronger than he is big, which is saying something. While some players use a strong base and others rely on a powerful upper body, Osemele has both. He has incredible reach (35??-inch arms and an 85??-inch wingspan) and massive hands (10 3/8 inches) that make him hard to escape. He seems to enjoy using that strength most on run blocking, where he overwhelms defenders. He is a bit more tentative as a pass blocker and must work on recognizing what is happening there. A hard-working student on and off the field, Osemele made the academic Honor Roll three times and was selected All-Big 12 first team in 2011. He played in 49 games and started 43 in a row despite missing most of one game last year with a severely sprained ankle. - Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange

Another physical freak who will help our line for many years to come, is an upgrade over Beadles and may be asked to play early on if Kuper doesn't return at 100%.

Round 2 Pick 25- Devon Still DT Penn St. - Devon Still insists his best is yet to come. The Penn State All-American defensive tackle, who led the 2011 defense with 17 tackles for loss, admitted Wednesday he is still bothered by a turf toe injury to his left big toe. The 6-4 Still, who said he weighed in at 300 pounds for NFL talent evaluators during a Pro Day workout inside Holuba Hall, suffered the injury a few days before the Nittany Lions lost to Houston in the Jan. 2 TicketCity Bowl in Dallas. Still, obviously limited in the bowl game, is considered one of the top tackles in next month's NFL draft. "I'm getting there. ... I still think I have time to work on my toe to get it ready,'' said Still, who ran a 4.95 40-yard dash Wednesday, bettering his NFL scouting combine time (5.03). "I think this was the big deal because I don't think I put forth my best effort or my best performance at the combine. I just wanted to come out here and compete.'' Still said he spoke to 22 NFL teams at last month's combine in Indianapolis. His message to the league? "That I was able to go into every game and have an impact, whether I was making tackles or not,'' Still said. - Bob Flounders, The Patriot-News

What a steal, the guy who most people had as the best DT early on in the process is still here. He should get a good amount of playing time early on.

Round 3 Pick 10 - Alfonzo Dennard CB Nebraska- .Dennard is a tenacious, physical cornerback who has the ability to make it difficult to get a clean release off the line if he plays up. If Dennard plays off, he has the closing speed and toughness to make it difficult to catch or keep the ball. But didn't look great playing off during Senior Bowl practice, so teams that expect that of their cornerbacks probably took note. He won the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year last season after getting four interceptions, six pass breakups, and 31 tackles, most of them loud. Dennard was the main reason opposing Big Ten quarterbacks were held to a conference-low 51 percent on completions. His career included 97 tackles, four for a loss. Dennard led Wilcox County High (Rochelle, Ga.) to second place in the Class A State championships, stealing five passes as a cornerback, catching 39 passes for 780 yards, 14 touchdowns at wide receiver and returning two kickoffs for touchdowns. At the scouting combine, Dennard had an unofficial 40 time of 4.55 and a 37-inch vertical jump. - Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange

Is a very solid CB who is sliding due to an injury but seems to be very solid, could become a long-term solution on the outside and would allow Champ to line up inside on nickel formations.

Round 3 Pick 24 Robert Turbin RB Utah St. - Stout and well-muscled, Turbin is a powerful-looking physical specimen with arms as strong as most legs. But his legs and feet are another issue, not a great sign for a runner.

He sat out 2007 with an injured foot and missed 2010 because of a torn ACL. But before and after those injuries he looked every bit the part of a future NFL star.

In 2009 he set records with 1,296 rushing, 418 yards receiving and 18 total touchdowns. After returning in 2011 from knee surgery, he broke his 09 record by rushing for 1,517 yards and 19 touchdowns and catching 17 passes for 171 yards and four more scores.

He runs with good initial explosion (36-inch vertical jump, 10' 6" broad jump), toughness (28 reps with 225 pounds in bench press) and has a deceptive second gear to fool defenders (reportedly a best of 4.42 seconds in 40 yards).

Although concerns over durability will keep him down on some draft boards, his combination of initial burst, power and reliability as a receiver and blocker may get him selected early and then should get him on the field as a rookie. If he can stay healthy, he has the various abilities to be an outstanding NFL back.

He surely looks the part. If he can stay healthy, he may be the second best RB in this class, I apologize up front to all the Miller and Martin fans, but he has it all. While spitting time with Moreno and Mcgahee this year he can ease his way into the offense, and will be a great complement to Moreno in the future.

Round 4 Pick 13 Nigel Bradham OLB Florida St. - Bradham was a celebrated five star high school prospect who had 145 tackles and 8 sacks as a senior.

Bradham played as a True Freshman in 2008, and then took over as starting Will in 2009 and has led the team in tackles for the past three years. Stats were 93 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, two sacks, one interception and one pass defensed in 2009, 97/5.5/5/0/5 in 2010, and 86/9.5/2/2/5 in 2011. Bradham appears to have a perfect health record, which is understandable given his chiseled body.

Bradham looks a bit like a giant safety. Hips are a bit high, arms are long, and waist is narrow. Bradham, despite his build, holds up well in traffic, and makes a lot of plays by engaging a block, shedding, and pursuing. He is completely fearless and will always try to plow into the largest piles, and has a good knack of ending up glued to the ball carrier. Cover skills, in both man and zone, speed, quickness, and agility are very good.

Bradham could fit in the NFL at any 4-3 LB position, and inside in a 3-4 because he doesn't offer much of an edge rush. Ferocious against the run and very good in coverage, Bradham is extremely versatile. Best fit would appear to be outside in a 4-3, either side.

He has been very underrated throughout draft process but would be a great fit here in Denver. Could very well be the starter for the beginning of the season then he would be another linebacker that we can use in the nickel with Woody. Fox likes linebackers who can run and he is all over the field.

Round 4 Pick 25 Chris Rainey RB/WR/KR Florida- Perhaps the most explosive cutting ability and straight-line speed of any athlete in the 2012 draft. Can make defenders look silly due to his lateral agility and sudden acceleration. Versatile. Saw time as a running back, receiver, punt returner and kick returner for the Gators. Looks natural catching the ball out of the backfield and has shown the ability to track the ball over his shoulder and snatch passes outside of his frame. Has struggled a bit with durability over his career but is willing to play with pain. Relishes his opportunities on special teams but is not just a return specialist. Explosive burst led to his breaking the school and SEC record with six blocked punts.

Looks like he is somewhere between Harvin, Mcluster, Sproles, and Dion Hall( KR from the Chiefs). Will be a dangerous weapon whenever he is on the field, and we can use someone who can score every time he touches the ball. The other thing I loved to see was the SEC record with 6 blocked punts.

Round 5 Pick 2 Nick Foles QB Arizona- He is not my favorite QB in the draft, but he does offer what we need and more importantly when in the draft we need it. He has the size and arm strength to start in the NFL but is still raw. He could use a couple of years to learn under Manning. He doesn't have much in the way of athleticism but neither does his predecessor.

Round 5 Pick 10 Tommy Streeter WR Miami- While maybe not the safest pick, he has tremendous upside and the thought of him and DT on the outsides with Decker and sometimes Rainey working the middle of the field excites me and probably Manning as well. He has great size and deep speed but needs to refine his route running and hands. DT should be able to help out since he has been down that path(just not as far), and the demand that Manning puts on his receivers should push him faster.

Round 6 Pick 18 Malik Jackson DE/DT Tennessee- We need some depth at DE and he can be a solid part of our rotation. Not only at DE but he may also line up at DT on passing downs now that he has jumped up to 284 lbs. We can use another DE who can stop the run on short yardage as well as an inside pass-rusher and he can offer both which is the kind of value you love in the 6th round.

So there you have it. I tried to keep the mentality of BPA but put a little value into need as most teams most likely do on their big boards. Just a couple items to point out about the draft...

1- I was tempted to go after Zach Brown at our first pick but felt that Osemele was the superior talent.

2- I don't want a guy like Rainey as either a primary back or receiver but with Turbin and Streeter on board he can just be a weapon.

3- I only took Foles because it seems like a sure thing that we will draft a QB this year. I do prefer Osweiller but think he will be over drafted due to the nature of the league, same goes for B.J. Coleman.

4- I do feel like we added impact players for the most part. 8 out of the 9 picks could easily see playing time(excluding Foles) and bring some immediate value as well as long term value.

Hopefully everyone like it since we can all seem to agree on everything around here. Let me know what you think.

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