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This time around I decided to do something different. I’ve seen a lot of mocks and even Andrew Mason making the case for a Day 1 tight end. This is kind of what that scenario could look like.
10. T.J. Hockenson, TE
I had my pick of the Iowa boys but decided on Hockenson. His game seems like the cleaner fit to the offense I expect Rich Scangarello to run. He isn’t quite the athlete Fant is, but he’s plenty quick. He’s also a capable blocker and should have no problem starting from day 1.
41. Erik McCoy, OL
Most of his time in school came at center, so he’d be a good addition to take over for the departed Matt Paradis. That would slide Connor McGovern and push Elijah Wilkinson to a backup role. Chances are good McCoy will be ready to start day 1, so this pick was a no brainer.
71. Juan Thornhill, S
There are a couple of things that really stood out to me about Thornhill. He’s a former cornerback and a true ballhawk, notching 13 interceptions the last 3 seasons. Imagine what he could blossom into under Donatell and Fangio’s tutelage. Look at those athletic numbers.
Juan Thornhill posted a #RAS that will contend for the best ever at the #2019NFLCombine at cornerback, with great size, speed, and explosion. He did not complete agility drills.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2019
*Splits Projected*
I've also posted him as a Safety, Where he comes in top 10. pic.twitter.com/HP4ZcaE1qv
Obviously the agility drills are something that bears monitoring, but he’s an exciting prospect this far down the board.
125. Tyree Jackson, QB
I’ll admit I had Mase’s tweet in mind as I made this pick:
If the Broncos and other NFL teams were able to allocate players to the AAF next year — and the Broncos sent a Day 3 QB they picked in this year’s draft to go get starts and reps in the AAF’s 2020 season — would you watch?
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 18, 2019
There may not be a more talented arm in this class. Jackson can straight up throw it through a wall, if he can hit it. He’ll need to be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up as his mechanics are a mess. I’m a bit concerned that he’ll never really get it all together, but if the Broncos pass on a QB at the top, a developmental guy farther down the draft makes some sense.
148. Justin Hollins, Edge
Was looking at receivers here. I had my eyes on Darius Slayton from Auburn, but the Eagles grabbed him out from under me. After that no one jumped at me as a good fit here a long term replacement for Emmanuel Sanders.
Justin Hollins led qualified Pac-12 Edge defenders with his 16.8 percent pass-rush win percentage this season. He totaled 41 QB pressures on only 327 pass-rush snaps. pic.twitter.com/0jMSmPDE7n
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 18, 2019
At that point, I looked at BPA and settled on Hollins as a potential swing guy behind Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. There are times the Duck will leave you wanting more, but perhaps he just needs the right coach to light his fire.
156. Ben Burr-Kirven, LB -
It’s debatable if he’ll ever be able to grow into a full fledged starter, but the Washington product is the kind of scrappy and athletic prospect that teams should keep an eye on. If he falls this far the Broncos would be lucky to grab him.
#UW LB Ben Burr-Kirven (@benbk25) is undersized but extremely athletic. He's also very instinctive in zone coverage and has graded high over the last two years as a result, per @PFF_College.
— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) March 10, 2019
BBK's Colorado tape is awesome; this is a great break and INT to seal the win. pic.twitter.com/62hVdZFfcr
182. Isaiah Prince, OL
He’s the kind of low floor, high ceiling flier that could really blossom under Munchak’s tutelage. All reports suggest he’ll need significant work to refine his hand punch as he enters the league, but the tools are there for him to become a potential starter down the road.
237. Jalen Hurd, WR
A talented project, Hurd was once a 5-star running back recruit who wound up switching to receiver after a transfer. He’s raw and will need to learn routes at the NFL level but provides some intrigue to a creative coach.
Jalen Hurd running a Blaze Outpic.twitter.com/1B091Bm6m5
— Receiver Life (@ReceiverLife_) March 15, 2019