Good morning, Broncos Country.
After two days of practices at the East-West Shrine week festivities, reports are coming in regarding the prospects the Denver Broncos are keeping a close eye on.
According to Walter Football and other sources, the Broncos have interviewed Purdue wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey and Toledo left tackle Storm Norton. Neither Yancey or Norton are considered candidates for an early selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, but given their performance and production in college, they should certainly warrant consideration on the third day of the draft in the fourth through seventh rounds.
To help familiarize yourself with two potential future Broncos, I've compiled a brief summary of them below.
DeAngelo Yancey, WR - Purdue
6'2, 205 pounds | Est. 40 yard dash: 4.44
Outside of a dip in production as a sophomore from his freshman year, Yancey improved in his junior and senior years with the Boilermakers and forged himself into one of the Big 10's top receivers in 2016, hauling in 49 catches for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns. His astounding 19.4 yards per catch was #1 in the Big Ten last year and helped prove he was one of college football's biggest playmakers.
It isn't just a penchant for reeling in the deep throws that inflates Yancey's yard per catch total to such astronomical heights. Not only is he fast, he accelerates quickly off the line of scrimmage and accumulates a lot of yards after the catch due to those traits. Most draft analysts have Yancey pegged as a Day 3 talent in this years' draft.
Yancey's skill set would certainly be beneficial for the Broncos, who are in desperate need of a wide receiver to produce at a high level behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. This years' crop of receivers in the draft is quite strong, so it's very possible that a player of Yancey's caliber could be available in the fifth or sixth rounds, which is where most tentative prognostications have him going.
Storm Norton, OT - Toledo
6'8, 311 pounds | Est. 40 yard dash: 5.07
Most of the respected draft gurus are labeling the 2017 NFL Draft's offensive line class as mediocre. There doesn't seem to be as much top-tier talent at either guard or tackle in comparison to years past, but there are handful of intriguing prospects who could become quality NFL starters on the second or third day of the draft.
On the surface, Toledo's Storm Norton appears to be one of those players. Norton was a two-year starter at left tackle for the Rockets, whose prowess in the trenches earned him back-to-back All-MAC first-team selections on the offensive line. He was widely regarded as one of the key reasons for their success on offense, where the team compiled historic numbers and production the past two years.
Two year starter at left tackle who earned All-MAC first-team honors in ’15 and ’16. Intriguing prospect for the #Broncos. https://t.co/5n0p1qk16s
— Christopher Hart (@topherhart) January 18, 2017
Pound for pound, Norton was one of the best players in the MAC in his final two seasons. He certainly has the potential to storm up draft boards by impressing teams and scouts the rest of the week in St. Petersburg along with a solid performance at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Norton is the kind of gritty and physical player newly hired Broncos offensive line coach Jeff Davidson likes in the trenches, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos use a mid-round selection on him come April.
If anyone has more information to provide on these two young players, feel free to talk about them or any other tidbits of news you have heard about the Broncos' in respect to the East-West Shrine events.
As always, thank you for reading and here is today's offering of Horse Tracks.
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