Broncos Offseason (My Thoughts)

[BroncosTX77]

Week 11 has passed us by and there is one certainty about Denver that everyone can agree on.......Inconsistency reigns. This here is my thoughts on how Denver will finish season and their main FA target and a Mock Draft. Enjoy and critique.

Everyone knows I am real high on Kenny Phillips S Miami. But, Kenny Phillips will be a Redskin next year. :salute: Tragic circumstances, would love to see him in a Broncos uniform, but after today he wont get passed them.

As for the Broncos, there really is many priorities in the Offseason.

DT
LB
S
KR/PR
OL

Free Agency I am a firm Believer that Shanahan will pursue Lance Briggs ( I know MUG will disagree) and a DT. OL depth will be addressed also via Free Agency.

And now I am an unfortunate believer in Denver getting another RB. These Undrafted Rookies seem to be too fragile. Guess they make good change of pace/3rd down backs but they cannot carry the load. Mike Bell is gone after his debacle, Selvin Young bangs up a knee after his 2nd start, and Andre Hall bangs up an ankle after his first start. Denver may literally have to sign someone off the street to run the ball against the porous Raider Defense. I had to amend my board because of this development. I am assuming that TH will be suspended. If he is not then I will amend once again.

================================================== ========

After research on next year's draft and Denver's picks this is what I came up with.

* Minnesota has a 3rd from Denver (2007 draft trade/ DT Marcus Thomas)

* St. Louis has a 6th from Denver (DT Jimmy Kennedy)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Denver has a 4th from Washington (WR Ashley Lelie as part of deal with Atlanta)

* Denver has a conditional 5th from Oakland (DT Gerald Warren)

* Denver has a conditional pick from Tampa Bay (QB Jake Plummer) - not sure about this one though. giving it a 7th round tender for now.


Finally Denver as of now has the 16th pick. With Denver's inconsistent play I am giving them an 8-8 season. That means it will most likely give them a 15-20th 1st round pick.

Without further adieu here is my 2008 Denver Broncos Mock Draft.

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..
...
....
.....

1st Round - Dan Connor ILB Penn State~

For Denver's needs this is the best available player to draft. Has great range in pass coverage and comes up to fill the hole with reckless abandon. He has very strong hands and when he gets a hold of the ball carrier he rarely misses a tackle. This pick will allow DJ to move back to OLB. With the addition of Lance Briggs Denver will again have the most potent LB corp in the game.

**I believe Okam DT will be a huge reach here. I have seen a few recent (as of last week) draft boards and Okam ranges from very bottom of round 1 to 4th round.

2nd Round - Kevin Smith RB Central Florida~

Wow. That describes this runner out of Central Florida. He leads NCAA in rushing. Smith is a strong, physical runner who can take over a game. He's got tremendous quickness, vision, and strength. He's patient and allows his blockers to set up in front of him, finds the open running lane, and quickly hits it. He flashes soft hands and is a receiving threat out of the backfield.

4th Round - Quintin Demps FS/KR UTEP~

Demps is an aggressive free safety that can support the run and play man coverage. He has a nose for the football and is always around the ball. Better yet he has great KR/PR skills. Denver could use some youth at safety as well as a premier return man.

4th Round - Craig Steltz SS LSU~

Safety will be the position Shanny stocks up on this draft. Craig Steltz's nose for the ball makes him a constant threat for a turnover. Steltz is a big hitter but can also cover. 73.5 tackles 6 INT 3 FF and 7 PD and 6 tackles for loss. A big hitter in the Atwater/Kennedy/Lynch Mold. Again depth for safety and young talent to replace older vets.

5th Round - Frank Morton DT Tulane~

Denver needs that NT who can stuff the run and take up blockers well here is my pick. Morton is a huge defensive tackle with a lot of promise. At 6 foot 2, 331 pounds, Morton has the ideal size to be a dominant run stuffer. He has flashes of dominance, plays low, gains leverage, gets a quick initial push and gets good penetration.

5th Round - Jacob Hester FB LSU~

Reminds me of Mike Alstott. He can play FB and block or catch passes out of the backfield. He is fast enough and powerful enough to play RB and pound the ball. He would be a great addition as a FB and that red zone threat Denver needs so bad.

7th Round - Kerry Brown OL Appalachian State~

Brown has very good size, flashes a nasty streak to finish his blocks and can move well downfield. He is versatile and can play Guard or Tackle.

7th Round - Alexis Serna K Oregon State~

It is inevitable. Elam is not getting any younger. He has been hampered by injuries most of the season. Alexis Serna has been winning awards for Best Place kicker in college since 2005. Has big leg makes 50+ yd fg consistelntly throughout career. Very accurate and a pressure kicker.

[Mat'hir Uth Gan]

That seems realistic to me.


Now, I don't disagree that Shanahan will go after Briggs, Shanahan does all kinds of stupid crap in Free Agency every year, so anything is possible. I just disagree that Lance Briggs is worth the money someone will pay him. I think he's better then Ian Gold for sure, but I dont think he's 5 million dollars per year + bonus better then Ian Gold.


As for Dan Connor, I think he's a future OLB. I really don't think we will be moving DJ Williams from MIKE, he has been excellent there as of late, and is putting up a monster season. What people seem to forget is that DJ Williams sucked ass at WILL. He was terrible. He put up a lot of tackles, but he lacked the ability to blitz off the edge effectively and he's very limited in coverage due to stiff change of direction.

You get all these people that say Ian Gold sucks and that statistics don't matter, but those same people base their opinion that DJ was great at WILL solely on his tackle statistics. It's mind-boggling.

DJ is a natural MIKE, it's where he should have played the moment he was drafted, though we had Wilson at the time, which is why he was played outside.

Anyway, Dan Connor is without a doubt an option for us in the 1st or 2nd round, more likely the 1st. However, I'd place a 1st round LB (in this deep draft) tied with RB (which is about 4th on our list) for first round needs.



In this draft, especially where we will be picking (as it looks now), OLB will be the best value and deepest position well into the 2nd round. I would easily pass over a mid 1st round LB for a mid 2nd round LB this draft. The dropoff is minimal. So, obviously, I think ANY LB in the 1st round, outside of Laurenitis, is poor value for this particular draft.


I would also mention that I dont think Quintin Demps gets out of the 2nd round. He is going to compete with Heffney and Griffin to be the top safety taken (unless the 2 juniors come out).


As for the rest of the draft, I haven't really delved into some of those guys yet. DT Frank Morton though is probably a 7th round pick at best.

[broncobuss]

Denvers biggest need is LB and offensive line. DL is not a need, everyone wants that pass rushing DT, but that is not what our defense is about, they clog up the middle and alow others to make plays, So with our young guys on the line i think we are in good shape. As for the O-line, although it is a need we have the advantage of being able to get our top ranked guys in the later rounds because we are the only ones that want the kind of guys that fit our system, so to me that leaves the LB in the 1st round, and I think Dan conner will be an great pick.
The one thing I would try to do though is try to get Mcfadden anyway possible, and then if that doesnt work, pick a Linebacker. Mcfadden is the one game changer in this draft, ala adrian peterson this year.

[MindField]

Week 11 has passed us by and there is one certainty about Denver that everyone can agree on.......Inconsistency reigns. This here is my thoughts on how Denver will finish season and their main FA target and a Mock Draft. Enjoy and critique.

Everyone knows I am real high on Kenny Phillips S Miami. But, Kenny Phillips will be a Redskin next year. :salute: Tragic circumstances, would love to see him in a Broncos uniform, but after today he wont get passed them.

As for the Broncos, there really is many priorities in the Offseason.

DT
LB
S
KR/PR
OL

Free Agency I am a firm Believer that Shanahan will pursue Lance Briggs ( I know MUG will disagree) and a DT. OL depth will be addressed also via Free Agency.

And now I am an unfortunate believer in Denver getting another RB. These Undrafted Rookies seem to be too fragile. Guess they make good change of pace/3rd down backs but they cannot carry the load. Mike Bell is gone after his debacle, Selvin Young bangs up a knee after his 2nd start, and Andre Hall bangs up an ankle after his first start. Denver may literally have to sign someone off the street to run the ball against the porous Raider Defense. I had to amend my board because of this development. I am assuming that TH will be suspended. If he is not then I will amend once again.

================================================== ========

After research on next year's draft and Denver's picks this is what I came up with.

* Minnesota has a 3rd from Denver (2007 draft trade/ DT Marcus Thomas)

* St. Louis has a 6th from Denver (DT Jimmy Kennedy)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Denver has a 4th from Washington (WR Ashley Lelie as part of deal with Atlanta)

* Denver has a conditional 5th from Oakland (DT Gerald Warren)

* Denver has a conditional pick from Tampa Bay (QB Jake Plummer) - not sure about this one though. giving it a 7th round tender for now.


Finally Denver as of now has the 16th pick. With Denver's inconsistent play I am giving them an 8-8 season. That means it will most likely give them a 15-20th 1st round pick.

Without further adieu here is my 2008 Denver Broncos Mock Draft.

.
..
...
....
.....

1st Round - Dan Connor ILB Penn State~

For Denver's needs this is the best available player to draft. Has great range in pass coverage and comes up to fill the hole with reckless abandon. He has very strong hands and when he gets a hold of the ball carrier he rarely misses a tackle. This pick will allow DJ to move back to OLB. With the addition of Lance Briggs Denver will again have the most potent LB corp in the game.

**I believe Okam DT will be a huge reach here. I have seen a few recent (as of last week) draft boards and Okam ranges from very bottom of round 1 to 4th round.

2nd Round - Kevin Smith RB Central Florida~

Wow. That describes this runner out of Central Florida. He leads NCAA in rushing. Smith is a strong, physical runner who can take over a game. He's got tremendous quickness, vision, and strength. He's patient and allows his blockers to set up in front of him, finds the open running lane, and quickly hits it. He flashes soft hands and is a receiving threat out of the backfield.

4th Round - Quintin Demps FS/KR UTEP~

Demps is an aggressive free safety that can support the run and play man coverage. He has a nose for the football and is always around the ball. Better yet he has great KR/PR skills. Denver could use some youth at safety as well as a premier return man.

4th Round - Craig Steltz SS LSU~

Safety will be the position Shanny stocks up on this draft. Craig Steltz's nose for the ball makes him a constant threat for a turnover. Steltz is a big hitter but can also cover. 73.5 tackles 6 INT 3 FF and 7 PD and 6 tackles for loss. A big hitter in the Atwater/Kennedy/Lynch Mold. Again depth for safety and young talent to replace older vets.

5th Round - Frank Morton DT Tulane~

Denver needs that NT who can stuff the run and take up blockers well here is my pick. Morton is a huge defensive tackle with a lot of promise. At 6 foot 2, 331 pounds, Morton has the ideal size to be a dominant run stuffer. He has flashes of dominance, plays low, gains leverage, gets a quick initial push and gets good penetration.

5th Round - Jacob Hester FB LSU~

Reminds me of Mike Alstott. He can play FB and block or catch passes out of the backfield. He is fast enough and powerful enough to play RB and pound the ball. He would be a great addition as a FB and that red zone threat Denver needs so bad.

7th Round - Kerry Brown OL Appalachian State~

Brown has very good size, flashes a nasty streak to finish his blocks and can move well downfield. He is versatile and can play Guard or Tackle.

7th Round - Alexis Serna K Oregon State~

It is inevitable. Elam is not getting any younger. He has been hampered by injuries most of the season. Alexis Serna has been winning awards for Best Place kicker in college since 2005. Has big leg makes 50+ yd fg consistelntly throughout career. Very accurate and a pressure kicker.

I like Connor, and I could live with him....but I have to agree with MUG. Frank Okam (for now) is the pick, and just hope he proves to be a player.

Vince Wilfork slid in the Draft for reasons similar to what you will hear about Okam, and he turned out OK.

Okam is talented, but I don't want him thinking too much. We don't need any Robert Smith-types on this team. I want a barbarian, and I am not sure he is one....if in fact he proves NOT to be, I go in a different direction.

I would also look hard at Boise St. OLT Ryan Clady, who I expect to skyrocket back in to the first round at the 17,18, 19 area of the Draft....which should be in our neighborhood.

I agree, it would be a twist of fate that I don't believe will happen to Draft Kenny Phillips; after all, Ed Reed SHOULD be our starting FS right now, but he's not.

I do disagree with MUG in one sense, which is I don't think you can ever have too many DE's, especially with Jarvis Moss' leg injury. Dallas had DeMarcus Ware, but Drafted Anthony Spencer, so to add another very good DE to the mix would be another solid direction, and there are a few interesting guys that will be hanging in the 17-20 range.

So I think the priority list has to go this way: 1) DT, 2) DE, 3) OLT, 4) WR

The best D-Lines have a varietry of players that can attack an Offensive in a variety of ways...

New England has Rooselvelt Colvin, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, Richard Seymour, Vince Woolfork, Ty Warren and Javon Green in their front seven.

Dallas has DeMarcus Ware, Greg Ellis, Marcus Spears, Tank Johnson, Anthony Spencer, Brady James and Chris Canty in their front seven.

If you are loking to the future, the Broncos have Elvis Dumervil, Marcus Thomas, Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss, Kenny Peterson, John Engelberger, Alvin McKinley, Josh Mallard, Stephen Harris and maybe a returning Ebeneezer Ekuban to try and make a front seven with. Those aren't bad pieces, but we are in dyer need of DT's.

I though Mallard and Peterson played with alot of hustle last Sunday, and will be interesting to watch going forward.

[PhillyBronco89]

idk bout the defense anymore...when trotter was let go in philly, i think broncos should have took a chance at him this season because of the prensence he has in the middle and we need an upgrade at the corner spot. I am a huge fan of Champ Bailey n Dre Bly and at the beginning of the season i saw the depth chart and i was saying this will be the best secondary in the league. But the past few weeks i saw lots of inconsistency in Bailey, whether its giving up on a play or just looking lost. Bailey was burnt down the sideline agianst green bay and chicago and thats just 2 plays that i can name off the bat. Dre Bly i think came over over rated but still i think isn't that bad and can make that game changing play. I really dont know whats going on with john lynch whether its injuries or just because he is getting old but our whole secondary needs and upgrade. Some Free Agents out there is Mike Doss i can see in a Broncos Uniform and Marcus Trufant might hit the market and be pretty cool to see him Land in Denver

[THE303]

I am glad someone else thinks DJ is doing great at Mike, I was beginning to think I was the only one. Lets take into consideration that this is his 3rd year, his 3rd position, and his 2nd scheme to learn. I do not envy the guy in that regard. Currently he is 6th in the league in tackles, and with Oakland coming up this week and their new dedication to running the ball I expect him to have a big game. I am surprised that nobody is mentioning Hall or Abidi from Va Tech. Both are amazing outside guys, and would fit well here. Everything I am reading says that this draft is DEEP in LBs, so going safety with the first pick is not a bad idea. I really like Kenny Phillips, I thought he was better than Merriweather, and I am a big Miami fan.

All this DT talk is somewhat comical. The DTs in Jim Bates scheme are to be HUGE, powerful, eat up blockers, and clog the middle of the line. I do not think we need to go wasting our top picks on players in a position that is expected to do the dirty work. Glenn Dorsey would not fit into the system. We have had problems all season finding guys who fit the system (look at the release of Warren), so I think we need to concentrate on S, and LB, but if one of the marquee DEs is available I would not be mad if that was our pick. TO bring Calais Campell back to Colorado (He grew up here) and have a 6'7 280lb DE who can get around the corner as well as stop the run would be nice. He is the next Julius Peppers. Shanahan needs to take the best player available at S, LB, or DE when our pick comes up. In the later rds we need to find a RETURN GUY. Someone who is proven to be able to return kicks. I have not heard but is Jackson from Cal coming out this year?


THE303

[THE303]

We are questioning Champ Bailey now? Apparently you do not understand the corner position. Lets get something clear though, Champ is playing hurt right now, his quad is not 100%. I love it how whenver Champ gives up ONE big play everyone talks like he is slipping. Here is some food for though. Last year he was thrown at 37 times, he got 10 picks. Do the math. Champ is the best in the game, he is the best ever, and just because he gives up a play or two every year does not mean we need to look at drafting a corner. Also, Karl Paymah (who is the fastest Bronco on the team, and players on the team have told me that) is quickly becoming a good corner, Fox would start on most other teams, and we have already discussed Dre and Champ. LOL at saying we need to draft a corner. We are 4 deep with two of the best in the game, one of which is the best ever, and two other guys who could start for most other teams. We need to draft S, LB, and DL early, and OL late.

[Mat'hir Uth Gan]

I am glad someone else thinks DJ is doing great at Mike, I was beginning to think I was the only one. Lets take into consideration that this is his 3rd year, his 3rd position, and his 2nd scheme to learn. I do not envy the guy in that regard. Currently he is 6th in the league in tackles, and with Oakland coming up this week and their new dedication to running the ball I expect him to have a big game. I am surprised that nobody is mentioning Hall or Abidi from Va Tech. Both are amazing outside guys, and would fit well here. Everything I am reading says that this draft is DEEP in LBs, so going safety with the first pick is not a bad idea. I really like Kenny Phillips, I thought he was better than Merriweather, and I am a big Miami fan.

All this DT talk is somewhat comical. The DTs in Jim Bates scheme are to be HUGE, powerful, eat up blockers, and clog the middle of the line. I do not think we need to go wasting our top picks on players in a position that is expected to do the dirty work. Glenn Dorsey would not fit into the system. We have had problems all season finding guys who fit the system (look at the release of Warren), so I think we need to concentrate on S, and LB, but if one of the marquee DEs is available I would not be mad if that was our pick. TO bring Calais Campell back to Colorado (He grew up here) and have a 6'7 280lb DE who can get around the corner as well as stop the run would be nice. He is the next Julius Peppers. Shanahan needs to take the best player available at S, LB, or DE when our pick comes up. In the later rds we need to find a RETURN GUY. Someone who is proven to be able to return kicks. I have not heard but is Jackson from Cal coming out this year?


THE303


Nice post. You definitely are in touch with reality to a large degree, which is nice.

Anyhow, let me touch on a few points...


1) Obviously, I agree about DJ at MIKE, and I absolutely think all 3 of our LBs are in for big games, especially DJ, against the run-oriented Raiders, especially if JaMarcus sees time.

2) There are ALOT of OLBs that we might pick up in this draft, it's ridiculously deep. Just the top-end guys alone are super talented and numerous. Which is why I, at least, haven't zoned in on one guy, though I do like Ezra Butler's size/speed/production quite a bit. But check this out:

Keith Rivers, USC
Ali Highsmith, LSU
Dan Connor, Penn State
Ezra Butler, Nevada
Shawn Crable, Michigan
Phillip Wheeler, GT
Xavier Adibi, VT

All of these guys are considered elite prospects that would typically go in the 1st round/High 2nd in a normal draft, and they certainly won't this draft since they are all in it together. Some of these guys will likely be available into the late 2nd, and then we start on the tier 2 LBs, which are also very talented. I think you can probably get an OLB in this draft in Round 4, that would normally be a 2nd rounder in most drafts. It's so deep at that position, which is why for value purposes, I hope we go another direction with our 1st round pick, and probably our 2nd as well. Knowing Shanahan, we'll trade some picks to get into the 3rd round, and a great OLB prospect should definitely be there for the taking.


3) Therefore, I again, agree with you concerning targeting Kenny Phillips in the 1st round. I also like Nic Harris if he comes out, I even like him more then Phillips as he's a better Free Safety in terms of coverage and ball skills. Either of those guys would be great.


4) You mentioned DeSean Jackson, he's almost a lock to come out since his QB position is so in flux, he'd likely lose value if he stays in school. DeSean Jackson is a better WR prospect then Ted Ginn, but is purely limited to a slot role due to his size limitations. He is however the closest thing to Devin Hester you can get without being Devin Hester. And I salivate at having that type of game changer on special teams. But...if Ginn was a Top 10 pick (albeit a shocking reach by Miami), I would guess Jackson will be a Top 15 pick easily, especially with Hester continually reminding teams how important special teams is. If he's on the board though, I'd probably take him over either of the junior safeties if they come out.


5) Which brings me to DT, our #1 need. We don't know what is going on with Sam Adams, and we don't have ANY other true Nose Tackles on our team. Marcus Thomas and Alvin Mckinley give us some solid multiple gap play and limited pass rush ability, which is a good combo, but they need to be paired with a true nose to be most effective, as do our LBs, our safeties, and our DEs. A true NT, or two for that matter, would open up our entire defense. We've all seen what an Albert Haynesworth or Vince Wilfork does singlehandedly. And there is one, and I mean ONE, elite Nose Tackle prospect in this draft and that's Frank Okam. And regardless, of what anyone is reporting now, he's going to go in the 1st round unless he foregoes football for law school, which I doubt he will do. I think he has to be our target since there are not likely to be any good Nose Tackle prospects available in Free Agency this year....or ever, with their importance in the NFL and rarity. If we miss out on Okam, we have to go for Red Bryant in the 2nd round. He's boom or bust, but after him and possibly Dre Moore, the Nose Tackle position is non-existant.


6) Defensive End. I don't think Campbell comes out. From all reports, he had kind of an off year, though his talent is unmistakable. Even if he came out, or we were in position to draft another elite DE, I can't imagine we would. We took 2 last draft early, and are about to invest a ton in keeping Dumervil. That's a lot of money for one D-line position. And with Ekuban coming back, and hoping we cut Engleberger, we'll be 4 deep with front line starters, with adequate backups for development. I see no need, or financial ability, to invest so much in another DE with other holes on the team.


7) Cornerback. I agree that at first glance we appear set, but Foxworth is coming up on his last season in Denver most likely. He wants to start and it's unlikely Bly and Bailey are going anywhere, anytime in the next 3 seasons. Right now, Foxworth is playing out of position at Safety. I doubt he appreciates that. I think he'll be gone in two years, Paymah will be resigned as the nickel back, and we'll need to develop a dime back/ depth at CB in case of injuries. So, while I can't really see a high pick at CB (unless it's McKelvin, whom is a dynamite KR/PR in his own right), I absolutely see us drafting one at some point to develop slowly for when/if Foxworth leaves for more money and a starter opportunity.



Anyway, those are my thoughts.

[Cgantz20]

The broncos should Draft Vince Hall LB or Xavier Adibi from Virginia Tech!
they are fast, hard working,brick wall defenders
My uncle is VT trainer and my aunt is Amy Wetzel so i have been to many VT games and he is awesome!

[AllEyezOnZach27]

What people seem to forget is that DJ Williams sucked ass at WILL. He was terrible.

I'm not sure what you are talking about but I believe DJ finished second in the defensive rookie of the year playing WLB. He was all over the field making plays. I was soooo angry when we brought Gold back because it forced DJ to SLB and off the field on passing downs. I do agree though that we will keep him at MLB and draft either a WLB to replace Gold, as his play doesn't warrant keeping him around. Or draft a SLB to replace Webster and look for a possible project WLB later in the draft. :salute:

[Cutler2007]

DJ Williams - If he is moved back to WSLB or not is obviously up to the coaches. I do not think saying he is playing a better MLB than he did a WSLB is relevant because he was a rookie last time he played WSLB, so I would hope after 3 years experience he is better.

DT - I expect us to into the FA market to fill this hole or even trade. DTs take a few years to become good space eaters, and I do not think Shanny has that kind of patience at this point.

LB - I still see us taking two. I agree with MUG that this is a deep draft for them and really not worth taking one in the 1st round, but I could see us moving down/out of the first round to get extra picks. The thing with LBs is they also make the best ST players.

OL - Is it just me or is Pears a much better LT than RT. When he stepped in for Lepsis last year he seemed to be more of a factor. I am not counting on Hamilton or Nalen returning next year, so I see us maybe grabbing another OL guy via FA.

RB - If Henry wins his case this is aa non factor, but even if he doesn't win I can see something being worked out to keep him and get him back next year week 12. Shanny either believes in him or not, and I can not see him saying he believes in him and then going after signing bonus (not good for locker room).

[SDSU#1]

Week 11 has passed us by and there is one certainty about Denver that everyone can agree on.......Inconsistency reigns. This here is my thoughts on how Denver will finish season and their main FA target and a Mock Draft. Enjoy and critique.

Everyone knows I am real high on Kenny Phillips S Miami. But, Kenny Phillips will be a Redskin next year. :salute: Tragic circumstances, would love to see him in a Broncos uniform, but after today he wont get passed them.

As for the Broncos, there really is many priorities in the Offseason.

DT
LB
S
KR/PR
OL

Free Agency I am a firm Believer that Shanahan will pursue Lance Briggs ( I know MUG will disagree) and a DT. OL depth will be addressed also via Free Agency.

And now I am an unfortunate believer in Denver getting another RB. These Undrafted Rookies seem to be too fragile. Guess they make good change of pace/3rd down backs but they cannot carry the load. Mike Bell is gone after his debacle, Selvin Young bangs up a knee after his 2nd start, and Andre Hall bangs up an ankle after his first start. Denver may literally have to sign someone off the street to run the ball against the porous Raider Defense. I had to amend my board because of this development. I am assuming that TH will be suspended. If he is not then I will amend once again.

================================================== ========

After research on next year's draft and Denver's picks this is what I came up with.

* Minnesota has a 3rd from Denver (2007 draft trade/ DT Marcus Thomas)

* St. Louis has a 6th from Denver (DT Jimmy Kennedy)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Denver has a 4th from Washington (WR Ashley Lelie as part of deal with Atlanta)

* Denver has a conditional 5th from Oakland (DT Gerald Warren)

* Denver has a conditional pick from Tampa Bay (QB Jake Plummer) - not sure about this one though. giving it a 7th round tender for now.


Finally Denver as of now has the 16th pick. With Denver's inconsistent play I am giving them an 8-8 season. That means it will most likely give them a 15-20th 1st round pick.

Without further adieu here is my 2008 Denver Broncos Mock Draft.

.
..
...
....
.....

1st Round - Dan Connor ILB Penn State~

For Denver's needs this is the best available player to draft. Has great range in pass coverage and comes up to fill the hole with reckless abandon. He has very strong hands and when he gets a hold of the ball carrier he rarely misses a tackle. This pick will allow DJ to move back to OLB. With the addition of Lance Briggs Denver will again have the most potent LB corp in the game.

**I believe Okam DT will be a huge reach here. I have seen a few recent (as of last week) draft boards and Okam ranges from very bottom of round 1 to 4th round.

2nd Round - Kevin Smith RB Central Florida~

Wow. That describes this runner out of Central Florida. He leads NCAA in rushing. Smith is a strong, physical runner who can take over a game. He's got tremendous quickness, vision, and strength. He's patient and allows his blockers to set up in front of him, finds the open running lane, and quickly hits it. He flashes soft hands and is a receiving threat out of the backfield.

4th Round - Quintin Demps FS/KR UTEP~

Demps is an aggressive free safety that can support the run and play man coverage. He has a nose for the football and is always around the ball. Better yet he has great KR/PR skills. Denver could use some youth at safety as well as a premier return man.

4th Round - Craig Steltz SS LSU~

Safety will be the position Shanny stocks up on this draft. Craig Steltz's nose for the ball makes him a constant threat for a turnover. Steltz is a big hitter but can also cover. 73.5 tackles 6 INT 3 FF and 7 PD and 6 tackles for loss. A big hitter in the Atwater/Kennedy/Lynch Mold. Again depth for safety and young talent to replace older vets.

5th Round - Frank Morton DT Tulane~

Denver needs that NT who can stuff the run and take up blockers well here is my pick. Morton is a huge defensive tackle with a lot of promise. At 6 foot 2, 331 pounds, Morton has the ideal size to be a dominant run stuffer. He has flashes of dominance, plays low, gains leverage, gets a quick initial push and gets good penetration.

5th Round - Jacob Hester FB LSU~

Reminds me of Mike Alstott. He can play FB and block or catch passes out of the backfield. He is fast enough and powerful enough to play RB and pound the ball. He would be a great addition as a FB and that red zone threat Denver needs so bad.

7th Round - Kerry Brown OL Appalachian State~

Brown has very good size, flashes a nasty streak to finish his blocks and can move well downfield. He is versatile and can play Guard or Tackle.

7th Round - Alexis Serna K Oregon State~

It is inevitable. Elam is not getting any younger. He has been hampered by injuries most of the season. Alexis Serna has been winning awards for Best Place kicker in college since 2005. Has big leg makes 50+ yd fg consistelntly throughout career. Very accurate and a pressure kicker.

I like the Dan Conner pick, but I do believe that DT might be a bit more important.

I love Kevin Smith, I think he would be great for us, but if he doesn't fall to us, the fact is we would make due without him and now that henry isn't a concern anymore it seems a bit out there to draft him. Would I be mad if we took him in the second....absolutely not, but I dont expect us to draft RB in the second round with Henry and Young around.

I am also a fan of Hester, he might not be a big playmaker but I think he could be a very good 3rd down back.

Good Mock although I think we should draft a DT sooner, but I do like the idea of a 330+lb road block

[BroncosTX77]

I like the Dan Conner pick, but I do believe that DT might be a bit more important.

I love Kevin Smith, I think he would be great for us, but if he doesn't fall to us, the fact is we would make due without him and now that henry isn't a concern anymore it seems a bit out there to draft him. Would I be mad if we took him in the second....absolutely not, but I dont expect us to draft RB in the second round with Henry and Young around.

I am also a fan of Hester, he might not be a big playmaker but I think he could be a very good 3rd down back.

Good Mock although I think we should draft a DT sooner, but I do like the idea of a 330+lb road block

As far as I can tell from plenty of research, in the first round Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis are the top 2 DT and Top 5-10 picks. Then DT drops off to bottom of first Round with Kentwan Balmer. So realistically Unless Denver has a Top 10 pick or miraculously wins rest of games and makes playoffs to get a late round draft pick DT won't happen.

I know plenty of people are on the Frank Okam bandwagon in the first round, but if things stay the way they are Denver could possibly pick him up in the second round.

I put Kevin Smith with the though of Travis Henry being suspended. I will adjust my mock accordingly.

MUG you win ;) I am backing off the Lance Briggs and jumping on the Albert Haynesworth bandwagon. Leave Ian Gold where he is till his contract runs out, just dip his arms in stickum for rest of this season and next and we should get by.

I'll post my new mock today since I am bored, started new class, and MMO servers are down, so nothing to do :smug:

[Warhawk]

As far as I can tell from plenty of research, in the first round Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis are the top 2 DT and Top 5-10 picks. Then DT drops off to bottom of first Round with Kentwan Balmer.

... and even then, Balmer isn't a lock for the first round. There are a bunch of guys like him who need something extra (solid bowl games, combine workouts) to make a case for the 1st round... if not, those same guys could end up going in the 3rd or 4th.

So realistically Unless Denver has a Top 10 pick or miraculously wins rest of games and makes playoffs to get a late round draft pick DT won't happen.

I think you're right about the first part (e.g. getting Ellis or Dorsey) but the possibility of a trade down is certainly there to get one of the other guys.

I know plenty of people are on the Frank Okam bandwagon in the first round, but if things stay the way they are Denver could possibly pick him up in the second round.

Definitely. There are enough concerns about his leverage and motor to push him down to the 2nd round or later. Opportunities like the Senior Bowl and the combine are really important for these big guys - teams want to be sure they can handle the beating they're going to take in the trenches. I'd say a good motor is almost a must from a scouting perspective, which is why a guy like Alan Branch slid so far last year.

[JoRo]

I will be the first one to say that sure it is possible for Phillips to go to the Redskins, but just cuz of the Taylor scenerio you can't peg them (I know that isn't in line with the rest of the thread... but dang it I remember last year how annoying it was hearing we would go after a corner just cuz Dwill passed.... so you can't say it will happen for sure cuz of that.)

[BroncosTX77]

I will be the first one to say that sure it is possible for Phillips to go to the Redskins, but just cuz of the Taylor scenerio you can't peg them (I know that isn't in line with the rest of the thread... but dang it I remember last year how annoying it was hearing we would go after a corner just cuz Dwill passed.... so you can't say it will happen for sure cuz of that.)

Key phrase was "he wont get passed them" The way Denver is playing they may be picking ahead of Washington :halo:

[Mat'hir Uth Gan]

As far as I can tell from plenty of research, in the first round Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis are the top 2 DT and Top 5-10 picks. Then DT drops off to bottom of first Round with Kentwan Balmer. So realistically Unless Denver has a Top 10 pick or miraculously wins rest of games and makes playoffs to get a late round draft pick DT won't happen.

I know plenty of people are on the Frank Okam bandwagon in the first round, but if things stay the way they are Denver could possibly pick him up in the second round.

I put Kevin Smith with the though of Travis Henry being suspended. I will adjust my mock accordingly.

MUG you win ;) I am backing off the Lance Briggs and jumping on the Albert Haynesworth bandwagon. Leave Ian Gold where he is till his contract runs out, just dip his arms in stickum for rest of this season and next and we should get by.

I'll post my new mock today since I am bored, started new class, and MMO servers are down, so nothing to do :smug:


Haynesworth would be ideal, but I can't imagine the Titans don't franchise him. I don't think he's an option. Randy Starks might be. I've seen others mention Isaac Sopoaga, but I don't think SF lets him get to FA, and their D-line is so terrible, that really says something if they do. Not alot of FA NTs that I can see worth a crap.


BTW, MMO's for teh win! Been playing 10+ years. EQ, Shadowbane, CoH, FFXI, WoW, EQ2, Vanguard. And now waiting for AoC.

[Mat'hir Uth Gan]

Definitely. There are enough concerns about his leverage and motor to push him down to the 2nd round or later. Opportunities like the Senior Bowl and the combine are really important for these big guys - teams want to be sure they can handle the beating they're going to take in the trenches. I'd say a good motor is almost a must from a scouting perspective, which is why a guy like Alan Branch slid so far last year.


I really don't think he gets outside the Top 20 picks. This isn't like Alan Branch or Gabe Watson where they were crappy their final years after dominating prior seasons. Okam put up stats I dont think either of those guys would get if you combined their entire collegiate seasons (probably an exaggeration), but the point is that Okam has improved every year he's played, with this being a dominant year. He's extremely intelligent, so he'll pick up schemes very quickly. And there is no baggage risk. No drugs, guns, criminal record, etc... The only risk is if he wants to play football or pursue law school, so there is that.

I also completely disagree he takes plays off. That was his knock his junior year, and I think he stepped it up majorly this season.

[BroncosTX77]

DAOC, COH/COV, Vanguard, SWG, MxO. I'm playing DAOC for now until I get bored and switch back to CoX. I am also waiting for Conan lol.