If you’ve followed my Monday Mock series the past few weeks, you’ve probably noticed that I got away from The Draft Network’s Mock Machine.

I’ve done a handful of live mocks. One where I traded way down to pick up a 2020 first round pick and another where I collected as much 2019 ammo as I could.

Last week played around with what I would do as a GM for ever team.

This Monday I got back to the TDN Machine...and I think I broke it.

10. Devin White - LINEBACKER

There were no other choices. Oliver went 9, White slid. I ran and grabbed him.

If you haven’t read my GIF Horse pieces on Devin White, I talked about him at length here and here. Simply put, he’s the second-best player on my adjusted Broncos board. (There is no feasible way Quinnen Williams slides, after all.) I had this to say after my first time studying him:

Long term the defense is going to prioritize linebackers that look a lot like White. They’re the key component of the Fangio system and elite athletes at the position make everything easier. He uses them as Swiss Army knives. Sometimes they’ll blitz, sometimes they’ll cover, but they need to be able to shred anything that makes it to them.

If White is there at 10, you grab him, throw him next to Todd Davis between Von Miller and Bradley Chubb and grin ear to ear as the defense takes a jump to another level in 2019. His speed would immediately cover for a lot of the weaknesses Davis has. His ability to cover and spy would be assets in the AFC West with Hunter Henry, Travis Kelce, and potentially Kyler Murray on the schedule.

41. Jerry Tillery - DEFENSIVE LINE

Somehow Jeffery Simmons was there and I thought long and hard about it, but Tillery can practice in his first camp, can play 16 games year 1 and on a 4-year contract that matters.

Tillery was a bit late on my radar, but he took no time making an impression. I have him as a first-round talent and he’d be a hand-in-glove fit along the Vic Fangio defensive line. On base running downs he’s ideally a 5-technique but slides into the B-gap shooting role in Nickel personnel.

There are a few questions about effort, but it all came together his senior season at Notre Dame, and I expect him to thrive with Bill Kollar coaching him. Tillery next to Shelby Harris gives the Denver D a scary interior pass rush for the next half decade.

71. Chris Lindstrom - OFFENSIVE LINE

31 teams fell asleep at the wheel. There’s no other way.

Lindstrom is kind of the “guard who isn’t Dalton Risner” to most of Broncos Country, but not this guy. I see a special athlete and perfect fit in the Shanahan-style run game. He started four years at Boston College; he’s played both right tackle and guard; he’s equally adept in pass protection as he is run blocking. He’s a Day 1 starter and should solve one spot for a decade or more.

125. Josh Oliver - TIGHT END

It came down to Will Grier, Stanley Morgan Jr. or Oliver, but we need a tight end.

I was tempted by Grier as I’m probably higher on him than you are. Instead I went for one of the last tight ends where it isn’t a complete disaster if he’s forced to start early.

I don’t think “the other Oliver” will ever blow you away, but he’s good enough to get the job done as both a blocker and receiver.

He’s started four years at San Diego State and comes to the NFL as a bit of a “jack of all trades” type. Rumors have the Broncos as very interested, so this makes a ton of sense.

148. Jalen Hurd - RECEIVER/RUNNING BACK

If you want to grill me for taking a flier on Jalen Hurd, I get it. He’s a bit of a project at this point, and there was definitely talent on the board, but I see a guy who had 69 catches for 946 yards and 7 touchdowns his first year at a position. I see a guy who ran for 2,638 yards and 26 touchdowns in the SEC his first three years in college.

In summary, I see a freaky athlete who’s new to the position and brings a ton of promise as a YAC receiver with coaching. A guy who could pinch hit as a runner if you need one. A guy who is 6-foot-4, 226 pounds.

156. Foster Moreau - TIGHT END

I considered Michael Jackson and Gary Jennings Jr. but decided to double down at tight end.

There’s a big part of me that wonders if Moreau will ever look as good in pads as he did in Indianapolis. He tested as an elite athlete but has yet to look like that kind of player. That said, he gives us more depth at a position of need and is both a decent blocker and receiver. He’ll need work on his footwork and route running to see the field on offense, but the tools are there.

182. Brett Rypien - QUARTERBACK

It was Chris Slayton or the Bronco, and if Flacco gets hurt, I’d rather not start Kevin Hogan.

My QB4 behind the big 3. I had this to say about Rypien last week:

If you’re looking for a spot starter who can do everything a backup needs to do, Rypien’s your guy. He’s a rhythm passer you can do things with. His limitations are clear, and he’ll probably always be the guy coaches are looking to upgrade on, but he does all the mental aspects of the position well and isn’t gun shy in the face of pressure.

I’ll consider that valuable in round five. Injuries happen, may as well prepare for them.

237. Yosuah Nijman - OFFENSIVE LINE

It was Jimmy Moreland or Nijman.

Do you believe in Munchak? Yosuah is the kind of athletic tackle prospect who needs a coach to rebuild his technique and instill the right mindset. If Munchak can do it, the Broncos may have a starting caliber tackle or guard, which is why we’re taking the flier here.

Final Thoughts

If I have any regrets with this class, it’s that I never had decent value to grab edge depth. I believe in Jeff Holland, but that is still pretty worrisome. I would have also liked to do more for the secondary, but the board just didn’t really fall that way.

What do you think, Broncos Country?