Win some beers at the bar tonight with some random news and nuggets about the Broncos and the 2008 NFL Draft --
--Denver owns nine selections in the 2008 NFL Draft and will make its first pick of the day with the 12th overall selection, which marks the franchise’s 33rd first-round pick (common draft)...
--The club owns picks belonging to Washington (Rd. 4-119), Oakland (Rd. 5-139), Houston (Rd. 6-183) and Tampa Bay (Rd. 7-227) and is without its own third-rounder (K.C. via Minnesota, 73rd overall) and sixth-rounder (St. Louis, 180th overall)...
--With nine picks, Denver is set to make its most selections in a draft since 2004 (10)...
--The Broncos have taken only one player (USC T Marv Montgomery, 1971) at the No. 12 overall spot in the draft—Notable players in NFL history selected with the 12th overall pick include LB Shawne Merriman (S.D., 2005) and DT Warren Sapp (T.B., 1995)...
--Other prominent players who were drafted at the spots that Denver is slated to pick this year include C Randy Cross (S.F., 42nd, 2nd. Rd., ‘76), QB David Garrard (Jac., 108th, 4th Rd., ‘02), WR Brandon Marshall (Den., 119th, 4th Rd., ‘06), RB Bo Jackson (LAA, 183rd, 6th Rd., ‘87) and QB Brad Johnson (Min., 227th, 7th Rd., ‘92)...
--The Broncos have selected 102 players in the NFL Draft under Head Coach Mike Shanahan (1995-Pres.) with the club taking 56 offensive players, 43 defensive players and three specialists...
--Wide receiver (18 players) is the most common position drafted by Denver since 1995 while players from the SEC (24) represent the most Broncos picks during that time—The Broncos’ 24 SEC picks since 1995 tie for second in the NFL...
--Denver has taken more players from the University of Florida in club history (17) as well as since 1995 (6) than any other school...
--The Broncos have selected at least one offensive lineman in each of the last five drafts and in 13 of the 14 drafts since the seven round format was initiated in 1994...
--Denver has not selected a safety in the NFL Draft since 2002 (Sam Brandon), marking its longest drought drafting a particular position...
--The Broncos have made 11 trades during the NFL Draft since 2000, including four in the last two years, and have traded up in the first round during each of the last two years...
--Denver has selected 32 players in the NFL Draft who have gone on to earn a total of 98 Pro Bowl berths...
--The highest Denver has picked in a draft is No. 4 overall, which it used to take Nebraska LB Mike Croel in 1991 and Northwestern G Chris Hinton in 1983...
--The Broncos’ 2007 NFL Draft class was their second-smallest (4 players) in club history and combined to play 46 games (7 starts) last season...
--Denver’s current roster features 14 of its former draft choices, including three first-rounders, and a total of 45 draft choices, including seven first-rounders...
--Since the draft was shortened to seven rounds in 1994, the most selections the Broncos have made in a draft is 12 (1996 and ‘99) and the fewest is three (1997)...
--Since the inception of the common draft in 1967, the Broncos have selected multiple players from the same school in the same draft class 23 times (most recent: Florida DLs Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas in 2007)...
--Denver has selected 21 players from schools in the state of Colorado in club history, including a high of 14 from the University of Colorado—The club has not taken a CU Buffalo in the draft since 1980 (NT Laval Short, Rd. 5)...
--The last time the Broncos drafted a player from a Colorado school was 2004 (Colorado State QB Bradlee Van Pelt, Rd. 7)...
--The Broncos will be represented at the NFL Draft in New York by Executive Director
of Ticket Operations and Administration Kirk Dyer and Manager of Marketing Partnerships Derek Thomas.