The Denver Broncos are preparing diligently for Sunday's AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, but that isn't the only serious business the team is handling this week.
Believe it or not, draft season is upon us. The Broncos scouting staff has been very active over the course of the college football season scouting and analyzing players from all over the country. Now that the All-Star bowl games are approaching, we can officially say it's NFL Draft season.
As expected, several scouts and player personnel representatives from Denver are currently at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices in St. Petersburg, Florida in order to get a first-hand look at some of the talent available in the 2016 NFL Draft. The 91st East-West Shrine Bowl game will be played this Saturday, January 23 with a 4PM (EST) kick-off and broadcasted on NFL Network. Interested in knowing who is participating in this years game? Click here to access the rosters for the East and West teams.
Players receiving interest from Denver at the EWSB:
The list above comes from Walter Football and various other sources. It is an intriguing list of players who all have good qualities that would improve the team. I'm familiar with most of the names on there and here are a few tidbits on some of the prospects that are getting attention from the Broncos scouting staff.
Cornerback isn't a need for Denver entering the off-season and draft, but Juston Burris is a long and physical corner who has extensive experience in press-man coverage with NC State who would be a tremendous fit for the Broncos defensive backfield. He isn't an elite athlete, but has good ball skills and could make a transition to free safety.
Devon Johnson out of Marshall is a jack of all trades back who has experience at multiple positions, including tight end and is a quality runner, receiver and blocker. The Broncos could certainly use a safety valve like him out of the backfield for the future and there is no question he would be a perfect fit for Gary Kubiak's offensive system.
My two favorite players from above? Hunter Sharp and Anthony Zettel, two under the radar prospects who would be excellent fits for the Broncos.
Sharp is a receiver who can line up anywhere and has extra value as a return man, which the Broncos could desperately need. He plays with a lot of fire and has speed to burn on the gridiron. His level of play and demeanor on the field have earned him comparisons to NFL receiver Steve Smith.
Zettel isn't getting the national attention he deserves, but mark my words — he will go a lot higher than where he is currently projected when the draft rolls around. In my opinion, Zettel is comparable to current Bronco defensive end Derek Wolfe. He possess great pass rushing ability on the interior, but also has shown stoutness against the run with great awareness and technique that would allow him to play the 5 technique position in Wade Philips' defense.
Keep in mind, the East-West Shrine Bowl won't be the only place Denver will be scouting. The Senior Bowl, arguably loaded with more top level talent and early draft picks begins next Tuesday, January 26 in the afternoon. ESPN will be broadcasting the Wednesday and Thursday practices live on ESPNU. The 67th Reese’s Senior Bowl will be played on January 30 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabma with a 2:30PM (EST) kick-off.
Some of the best players in the NFL have competed in Mobile and made early impressions on scouts at the Senior Bowl by participating in the week of activities. Each year it seems more and more first-round picks end up being players who participated at Mobile. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most important weeks for the talent evaluation process, as representatives from teams can see how this years crop of prospects stack up against each other on the field in team activities and one-on-one drills. Click here to access the rosters for the North and South teams.
Mile High Report will be doing extensive draft coverage from now until the draft comes to an end in April. As always, we will have our yearly prospect tracker that will show you who Denver is scouting and bringing in for private workouts. There will be a plethora of scouting reports, as well as mock drafts to keep you informed and entertained over the next few months. Rest assured, if you are a fan of the NFL draft, we will have everything you are looking for with a Broncos emphasis!
If you ever have any draft related questions for the Broncos, don't hesitate to hit me up on Twitter @topherhart — I'd love to talk the draft with you all!