Horse Tracks: Hart's 2017 NFL Draft Predictions

Happy Wednesday, Broncos Country.

In just one day, the 2017 NFL Draft will take place live from Philadelphia, where the Denver Broncos hold ten selections and have a great chance at bolstering their franchise not only for the 2017 season, but for years beyond that.

It will be a roller coaster ride of emotions for players in attendance and at home who will anxiously be waiting by their phones to receive that special phone call. That phone call signifies the end of one journey, but the beginning of another. That precious moment reinforces to each player that their years of hard work and dedication to the game of football has finally paid off. It's a momentous occasion none of them will ever forget. I hope they all cherish it — after all, you only get drafted once.

With that said, here are some of my predictions for the 2017 NFL Draft.

Hart's 2017 NFL Draft Predictions

The Denver Broncos don't select an offensive tackle in the first round

Conventional wisdom revolves around the Denver Broncos selecting an offensive tackle with their first round selection in this year's draft. I don't buy it and I'm not sure the team's top executives, scouts and coaches do either. John Elway has always stated that the team stays true to their board and selects the best player available. In my opinion, it's unlikely that an offensive tackle will be the best player on the board by the time the team's selection in the first round comes around.

The Denver Broncos select a wide receiver in the second round

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are one of the league's best duos at wide receiver, but behind them the talent is ambiguous at best and the team could sure use another threat on their roster. Look for the Broncos to address that need with a speedy wide receiver capable of beating defenses deep, as well as being able to work the middle of the field from the slot.

Joe Mixon gets drafted in the Top 40 selections

There's no doubting Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon's talent. He is arguably the most explosive offensive playmaker in this year's draft, but his off-the-field incident caught on tape has put his overall draft stock in jeopardy. However, all it takes is one team to believe in him and know his mind is right and set on dedicating his life to football. I believe a team in the Top 40 selections will forgive him for what he had done and opt to select him very early.

Eastern Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones is a first round selection

Throughout the draft process, Clemson's Mike Williams, Western Michigan's Corey Davis and Washington's John Ross have been the three wide receivers talked about going in the first round. When the first day of the NFL Draft comes to an end, I wouldn't be surprised to see Eastern Carolina's Zay Jones be the fourth of an impressive crop of receivers to be selected in the first round.

Malik McDowell slides out of the first round

Michigan State defensive lineman Malik McDowell has the chance to be a phenomenal player in the NFL, but some scouts have very serious concerns about the highly-talented Spartans product. When he is on, he is as good as any player in this draft, but his lack of maturity, issues with consistency and poor interviews throughout the draft process have left many teams questioning whether or not they should pick him early.

Feel free to join in on the conversation and give some of your bold 2017 NFL Draft predictions in the comments section!

As always, thank you for reading and here is today's offering of Horse Tracks.

Horse Tracks

Brandon Marshall talks the toll his protest took, defends Colin Kaepernick
"I feel like I created change; and at the end of the day, I lay my head in that pillow at night, and I was able to be comfortable with myself as a man."

Former Broncos coach Dan Reeves reminisces about someone he selected 20th overall
The Broncos currently hold the 20th selection in the draft. It's a spot where they have struck gold before. In 1989, the team took a safety out of Arkansas.

Denver Broncos' Joseph on Siemian vs. Lynch: 'Going to be long battle'
Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch both entered minicamp confident, and coach Vance Joseph will let the quarterback battle play out.

The good, bad and ugly from 40 years of trying to replace Hall of Fame QBs
From Jim Druckenmiller to Aaron Rodgers, here's how teams have fared replacing Canton-bound QBs over the past 40 years.

Browns, Seahawks could make sense as first-round trade partners
With a lot of needs, the Seahawks could use more picks. The Browns have 11 picks, including three of the first 31, to nab a QB. Will the teams deal?

Adrian Peterson, Saints finalize two-year contract
Adrian Peterson and the New Orleans Saints have finalized a two-year deal worth $7 million, Ian Rapoport reports. Is the former Vikings running back a good fit for the Saints?

Mitch Trubisky, John Ross lead 2017 NFL All-Draft Team
NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt gives his 2017 NFL All-Draft Team.

Browns discussed trading up with three teams in top 8
It was long suggested that Cleveland might use its bounty of early-round selections to move up to hand-select its quarterback of the future. Now there is tangible proof of those efforts.

Agent: Jay Cutler isn't retiring, 'wants to play football'
Jay Cutler isn't done with the NFL yet. That's the word from Cutler's agent, Bus Cook, who did his best to swat down retirement rumors with a statement to ESPN on Tuesday.