Insider: Kiper's 2008 BIG BOARD

[lex]

I dont follow college ball so I really dont know who these guys are but I was surprised not to see any running backs listed either

I think only seniors are on Mels list. The "best" RBs will likely be juniors who declare, namely Darren McFadden and Steve Slaton.

[goblue8888]

Crable is the biggest and fastest LB in michigan history. My dream picks next year are calais cambell who is what 6 ft 8 or something or jake long who does 48 reps at 225.

[D3N7ER 8r0I\I<05]

Crable is the biggest and fastest LB in michigan history. My dream picks next year are calais cambell who is what 6 ft 8 or something or jake long who does 48 reps at 225.

Broncos don't need Campbell; they have enough fine young DE's prospects. Long is also not necessary and will be well out of reach anyway.

[silkamilkamonic]

I think only seniors are on Mels list. The "best" RBs will likely be juniors who declare, namely Darren McFadden and Steve Slaton.

You're right, seniors are always only on his big board list.

I think Slaton will probably end up coming out, but I don't think he will be a very good pro. RB's have starred at WV in that system, and then gone on to do nothing in the NFL.

Slaton is very fast, but there are so many questions on if he can take a pounding, considering he doesn't take many big hits in the spread offense at WV, and it doesn't give him any oppurtunity to run inside and take hit after hit throughout the course of the game.

[D3N7ER 8r0I\I<05]

Chad Henne should be higher on the list

No he shouldn't. He's highly inconsistent.

[Broncosinindy]

well with our needs being LB WR and OL net year looks like shanny will get to draft yet another linebacker this time i fully support it

[D3N7ER 8r0I\I<05]

well with our needs being LB WR and OL net year looks like shanny will get to draft yet another linebacker this time i fully support it

Don't forget safety.

[Dream]

The thing about it is, sure - a safety prospect could emerge, but do you want that safety prospect to be a "one year wonder" and us spend a first-rounder on him? I don't see a lot of these guys coming out (besides a few) having a whole lot of upside, and I'm not seeing a lot of great fits for what we're going to want to do with our safeties. (There will be a lot of Cover 2 assignments.) We'll see though, hopefully someone emerges, but the guys who will get picked the highest at safety will be the ones who declare early.

[The Hamburgler]

I still think that if Earl Bennett Declares, WE HAVE TO GET HIM. What he did with Jay Cutler a couple of years ago was AMAZING

[stnzed]

Broncos don't need Campbell; they have enough fine young DE's prospects. Long is also not necessary and will be well out of reach anyway.

That's not necessarily true at all! Moss and Crowder wouldn't be the first DE's the Broncos drafted that didn't pan out.

And besides....those two, along with Dumervil (Who is a pass rush specialist only), only give Denver 3 DE's with any kind of a future with the team.

Also! If, god forbid, the Broncos are drafting anywhere near where Campbell is going to go in the draft, I'm going to assume they need all the help they can get.

Plus he's home-grown.

I'm just not going to take a leap of faith with the pass rush. I'll keep an open mind til we have a better idea of what Denver has....

[D3N7ER 8r0I\I<05]

That's not necessarily true at all! Moss and Crowder wouldn't be the first DE's the Broncos drafted that didn't pan out.

And besides....those two, along with Dumervil (Who is a pass rush specialist only), only give Denver 3 DE's with any kind of a future with the team.

Also! If, god forbid, the Broncos are drafting anywhere near where Campbell is going to go in the draft, I'm going to assume they need all the help they can get.

Plus he's home-grown.

I'm just not going to take a leap of faith with the pass rush. I'll keep an open mind til we have a better idea of what Denver has....

I said we don't need Campbell, which I think is pretty safe to say. If we need another DE or two, we can look to the later rounds or FA. Campbell is likely a top 10 pick. Not worth it.

If Denver is drafting anywhere near that range, they should go after Phillips instead (if he declares).

[stnzed]

I said we don't need Campbell, which I think is pretty safe to say. If we need another DE or two, we can look to the later rounds or FA. Campbell is likely a top 10 pick. Not worth it.

If Denver is drafting anywhere near that range, they should go after Phillips instead (if he declares).

It's too soon to say what Denver would need of they were drafting that high. And like I said, it wouldn't be the first time Shanahan drafted a bust DE. If either of these two DE's don't work out, the pass rush is STILL the biggest need on the team.

And a safety cannot fix that! I guess I'll just never get the Safety Fetish so many here have. If there is a position you can fill in the later rounds it's...Safety. It is a weak class for safeties, though!


So it isn't really safe to say that Denver doesn't need a DE like Campbell. Not yet...

[TXBRONC]

It's too soon to say what Denver would need of they were drafting that high. And like I said, it wouldn't be the first time Shanahan drafted a bust DE. If either of these two DE's don't work out, the pass rush is STILL the biggest need on the team.

And a safety cannot fix that! I guess I'll just never get the Safety Fetish so many here have. If there is a position you can fill in the later rounds it's...Safety. It is a weak class for safeties, though!


So it isn't really safe to say that Denver doesn't need a DE like Campbell. Not yet...

Lang and Ekuban are both "long in the tooth" I can see your point. However, if Ekuban and Lang are gone after this season for whatever reason Shanahan might look in free agency to replace them before drafting one.

[JetterIsBetter]

Chad Henne should be higher on the list

He is not that good. He is like the second coming of brian griese

[D3N7ER 8r0I\I<05]

It's too soon to say what Denver would need of they were drafting that high. And like I said, it wouldn't be the first time Shanahan drafted a bust DE. If either of these two DE's don't work out, the pass rush is STILL the biggest need on the team.

And a safety cannot fix that! I guess I'll just never get the Safety Fetish so many here have. If there is a position you can fill in the later rounds it's...Safety. It is a weak class for safeties, though!


So it isn't really safe to say that Denver doesn't need a DE like Campbell. Not yet...

Actually, a good cover safety would help the pass rush by helping out in coverage to give the lineman more time to pressure the QB.

Why the safety fetish? John Lynch - 37 years old, Nick Ferguson - 34 years old. Although Lynch is decent, he is also very close to retirement. Can Ferguson stay healthy? Could Sam Brandon be an effective full-time starter? Are Hamza Abdullah/Curome Cox/Roderick Rogers worth waiting for (to develop)? Lot of questions at the safety position, to say the least.