FanPost

Denver Broncos draft thoughts, and what I'm looking forward to this season.

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Welcome our 2012 NFL Draft selections.

Draft thoughts:

  • If you're still curious as to why Chris Polk wasn't drafted, here's why.
  • Elway was right: this draft was incredibly deep in the middle to late rounds. It gives justification to players like Nic Jean-Baptiste, Ryan Steed, Leonard Johnson, Chase Minnifield, DaJohn Harris, Marcus Forston, and Dwight Jones going undrafted.
  • No matter what anybody says, the front office knows more than anybody else. And I'm not talking talent evaluation of prospects. I'm sure there are college football pros and other "draftniks" on this site who spend as much time evaluating prospects. I'm saying they flat out know more. Period. End of story. They have the inside knowledge. Did you notice during the draft at times, there were 3 or 4 teams with their picks in at once? As the broadcasters mentioned, that's because they already knew the previous teams' picks. Why did the Seahawks pick Bruce Irvin at 14? Another team in the later part of the 1st round (rumor has it it's the Jets) told him they would draft him. The same goes with the Chandler Harnish case. Put more trust into our front office. I am in no way saying you don't have the right to your own opinion, but watch the situation unfold with hope.
  • I have to think Wolfe was, honest to God, EFX's best DT available when they picked him. Maybe it's just understandable to me, because I'm a Still/Worthy hater, but it's not that farfetched to think this could be true. There is reason to believe that the pick was a reach, and we could have grabbed him at 25, but Reyes, Worthy, and Still were all gone by pick 21 in the 2nd round. Anyways, can you really classify a pick as a reach until the player actually plays at least an entire season? Every person has a different opinion on a prospect.
  • By the way, if you're pissed we passed on Worthy for Wolfe, maybe you can take time off your job with him and go play some golf or something.
  • I don't love the Brock Osweiler pick, but I don't hate it either. It makes sense, but it doesn't make sense. Through all the known information from the experts, was the pick a reach? I think so. Would I have rather picked David, Curry, Randle, etc. at that particular spot, and then grabbed Lindley in the later rounds? Hell yeah! But I love Osweiler as a player, and as it has been said numerous times on this site, he has the most upside of any QB in the draft not named Luck or Griffin.
  • I'm not sure how I feel about drafting the "quarterback of the future". It seems like a 50/50 process, but I do realize that it's better to start now then later, just as it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm of the more moderate kind in this debate. Because this piqued my interest, I decided to go ahead and look back at the Broncos' success rate at drafting a QB for the future. Tommy Maddox was a fail, especially because Elway would go on to play 6 more seasons. Griese was a middle of the road situation. I'll go ahead and say it was a fail, mainly because we missed the playoffs more than we made them with Griese at the helm. Cutler was a pretty good pick, diva personality aside, and Tebow looked promising in his 2nd year. Had we not gotten Manning, I think we'd still be set for the forseeable future. So it does seem as though Osweiler has a 50% chance of succeeding.
  • I loved the Ronnie Hillman pick. I think the reason they traded up for him is because they thought he truly wouldn't be available at 25, and I don't think so either. Why? Every other "better" back was oft-injured and had major concerns. Lamar Miller had a shoulder problem and knee surgery, Polk had a shoulder problem and a supposed degenerative hip, Turbin tore his ACL the year before last, and Bernard Pierce was simply hurt constantly. I would have loved Pead or James in the 2nd round, but Hillman was the next best thing, making it a possibility that we wouldn't have gotten the electric back. Hopefully he can be the next Darren Sproles.
  • Omar Bolden was our best pick in the draft. I also wanted Josh Norman at this juncture, but Bolden simply has more talent if he can stay healthy. He recovered once from an MCL injury to become all PAC-10, 12, 34 whatever, so he can do it again. He's already back on his feet running 4.5 40s, hopefully on his way to regain his 4.4 speed. Not only is he a solid pick to become the heir apparent to Champ, but he also fills our KR role. He isn't the tallest corner by any means, but he is very compact with his 202 pound weight. A tremendous value pick that fills multiple needs.
  • Philip Blake was the pick that made the most sense. I believe it was Nick Cast who said that his arrival marked the end of the Beadles era, and I have to agree. Even if this statement is inaccurate, Blake provides unparalleled depth to our offensive line. He is a big man for a center, can play both guard positions, and even started at right tackle while Walton was in charge of the snaps at Baylor. Hopefully at the very least he can push either Beadles or Walton to the limit. As a starter, he's very good in run and pass blocking, receiving praise from scouts. Mayock in particular thinks he has starting potential.
  • Malik Jackson = steal. There's debate about whether he'll play inside or out because of his added muscle weight, but I think he'll excel either way. Personally, I'd be excited as hell if we had a tandem of Wolfe and Jackson at the interior. He is supposedly expected to lineup at end and provide depth at the under tackle position. Maybe he can move inside on passing downs? Who knows? Oh, that's right. The front office and coaches.
  • DANNY TREVATHAN. I know you've all seen it, but this is all I have to say. Favorite play at :42. Call me crazy, but I do think he has a chance at starting while the dumba$$, DJ, is on the sidelines. What makes these late round/undrafted guys so prone to success is the lack of pressure. All they've got is a chip on their shoulder, remarkable work ethic, and the will to succeed (i.e. Woody).

5 things I'm looking forward to:

  • The unknowns. What makes this potential Super Bowl year so exciting is that it's all just potential. What's the fun in knowing we're gonna make it to the big game? I'm not saying I'll be happy if we suck, but there is that added dose of reality. We get to say "what if?" I'm looking forward to seeing if we got the old Peyton for the next 5 years. I'm looking forward to seeing if we can grind it out with the best of em on our tough schedule. I'm looking forward to seeing if our 2012 draft class exceeds the pessimists' expectations. I'm looking forward to football.
  • The Peyton Manning Offense. Man, oh man, this offense is exciting. Specifically the no-huddle portion. I'm just happy it'll be working for us this time, rather than against us. And how will Demaryius and Decker develop with Peyton? Will they eventually be able to get on the same level as Marvin and Wayne? They certainly have the potential to be a duo of 1,000 yard receivers. I plan on drafting Demaryius and Peyton in fantasy football, at the least! What about you?
  • Our undrafted free agents. As mentioned earlier, the draft was a deep one from rounds 3-7. As a result, we ended up signing steals of talents. Who will be our next Chris Harris or Wesley Woodyard? Coryell Judie and Jerry Franklin are some extremely likely possibilities. Two guys I would really love to keep are Gerell Robinson and Eric Page, especially Robinson (Osweiler's go-to-guy at Arizona State). Robinson has towering size and really intrigued the Bronco coaching staff during Osweiler's private workout. It would be interesting to keep him on board to develop with Brock, and maintain the chemistry between the two. If he can play out his potential, a trio of Decker, Demaryius, and Gerell would be insane. As for Page, he brings a slot talent to the group. In addition, he is a fantastic returner which makes exposing Bolden to more contact unnecessary. Just a few thoughts.
  • Position battles. Watching the faces, new and old, duke it out to make the final roster will be a treat. The three positions I'm really interested in are TE, WR, and CB. Will Tamme get the starting spot because of his chemistry with Peyton, or will Dreessen's versatility as a receiver and blocker win out? We've got enough receivers to create a standing army. Which 6 of them will outplay the rest? Corner is another position with an influx of unproven youth. Champ, Porter, and Harris seem to be the incumbents, but how will the depth chart look after that? It looks as though one of the remaining three (Bolden, Syd, and Vaughn) will be sent to the practice squad. I'm gonna go ahead and say Vaughn on that one. What do you think?
  • The new look defensive line. We've completely renovated the defensive line. The DE position held by Dumervil and Hunter is the only spot that encountered no changes. Bunkley is gone and Thomas looks as though he's out the door as well. Wolfe was added and is welcomed by comeback players Ty Warren and Kevin Vickerson. Malik Jackson is the Philip Blake of the defensive line, in that he can back up Ayers while also playing at the UT. I feel confident in this group, and confident in Fox and Del Rio to bring the best out of them. It's not the monsters we were expecting to be on the roster come May, but it is a promising group.

It's a very exciting time in Denver and for Broncos fans across the globe. Rejoice in the fact that we just came off of our first playoff appearance since 2005, and now it looks like we're headed for many more. It's been a long time comin, my fellow fans, but the good ones are always rewarded.

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