Shanahan Draft History and 2008

[Shiz]

Bronco Country I need your help!

Since Free Agency is all but interesting anymore and the draft is still over 3 weeks away, I thought this could be fun. There are so many threads about who we should pick in the first and so on. I thought it could be interesting, and alot of work, if all of us analyzed and listed who Shanahan has selected in the 1st and 2nd rounds, maybe 3rd, since he has been the head coach of our Broncos, what are main needs were that year and what free agents we picked up and lost that year. It could be cool to see if there are any patterns as to needs and when we may have selected those positions (rounds) and when we went ahead and actually picked best available. Perhaps it would give us an indication of what we may do this year.

Could be fun and interesting, don't know, but let's see what we come up with!

[Shiz]

2007

1 17 Jarvis Moss DE Florida
2 56 Tim Crowder DE Texas
3 70 Ryan Harris OT Notre Dame

2006

1 11 Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
2 61 Tony Scheffler TE Western Michigan

2005

2 56 Darrent Williams CB Oklahoma State
3 76 Karl Paymah DB Washington State
3 97 Domonique Foxworth CB Maryland
3 101 Maurice Clarett -- Ohio State

2004

1 17 D.J. Williams OLB Miami (Fla.)
2 41 Tatum Bell RB Oklahoma State
2 54 Darius Watts WR Marshall
3 85 Jeremy LeSueur CB Michigan

2003

1 20 George Foster T Georgia
2 51 Terry Pierce LB Kansas State

2002

1 19 Ashley Lelie WR Hawaii
2 51 Clinton Portis RB Miami (Fla.)
3 96 Dorsett Davis DT Mississippi State



2001

1 24 Willie Middlebrooks CB Minnesota
2 51 Paul Toviessi DE Marshall
3 87 Reggie Hayward DE Iowa State

2000

1 15 Deltha O'Neal CB California
2 40 Ian Gold LB Michigan
2 45 Kenoy Kennedy SAF Arkansas
3 70 Chris Cole WR Texas A&M

1999

1 31 Al Wilson MLB Tennessee
2 58 Montae Reagor DE Texas Tech
2 61 Lennie Friedman C Duke
3 67 Chris Watson CB Eastern Illinois
3 93 Travis McGriff WR Florida


1998

1 30 Marcus Nash WR Tennessee
2 61 Eric Brown SS Mississippi State
3 91 Brian Griese QB Michigan

1997

1 28 Trevor Pryce DT Clemson
3 67 Dan Neil G Texas

1996

1 15 John Mobley OLB Kutztown
2 44 Tory James DB Louisiana State
3 65 Detron Smith RB Texas A&M
3 78 Mark Campbell DT Florida

1995

No selections in first 3 rounds

[Shiz]

No OL's and no RB's in the first during the Shanahan era...besides Foster.

[Doheenz]

I think they're have been some really solid drafts by us, esp. as of late

[Humberg]

We are a NEED drafting team

I think you can look back at past drafts, but the only indication you'll get is that Shanahan gets it into his head what he needs, and goes after it. Especially in the first, we have a tendency to draft NEED NEED NEED even if the value of what we're drafting doesn't necessarily match where we're drafting. Hence all the moves and trades and deals to try and match need with draft position.

Whether it be trading up to get Moss last year (not based on value, but based on a fear all of our top 3 choices for d-lineman would be gone), trading up to get Cutler, trading a second for Javon, going all in on DB with DWil (RIP), Foxy and Paymah, or even the blunders like Foster, Nash, Middlebrooks etc. We've always kind of been a draft need kind of team.

So coming to this draft, I don't think we'll draft best available necessarily. I think we'll continue to go with Shanahan and Co's perceived need. This year I see a lot of signs pointing to offensive line.

Fact #1 - Cutler, Henry, Young and Hall were getting killed in the backfield by our makeshift o-line as the season wore on

Fact #2 - Shanahan had talked with reporters late in the season and was noted to be drooling over the offensive lines of the Patriots and Cowboys

Fact #3 - In today's DP, he makes the comment

""We know how good San Diego is," Shanahan said. "San Diego, per player, is probably as good as anybody in the National Football League. Personnel-wise, I would say they're right at the top, No. 1, and that's saying a lot. Anybody who plays San Diego, your offensive line better be pretty good or else you're in for a long day."
(http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_8805021)

So I think we're going to be going O-line in the first, whether that be Clady (if available), Williams, or if trading down Otah.

I think in the 2nd and 4th rounds, we focus on some other needs like D-line (Laws, Moore etc), perhaps receiver, but I'd bet we also pick up another offensive lineman late as well.

I think its pretty clear though that Shanahan thinks our offensive line is in great need of some talent to make it solid (in addition to returning the play of Hamilton, Nalen and hoping Harris pans out). It goes without saying that our d-line continues to be a need as well, but I think Shanahan believes some of this can be overcome with scheme (hence Slowik).

[AC1]

I think you can look back at past drafts, but the only indication you'll get is that Shanahan gets it into his head what he needs, and goes after it. Especially in the first, we have a tendency to draft NEED NEED NEED even if the value of what we're drafting doesn't necessarily match where we're drafting. Hence all the moves and trades and deals to try and match need with draft position.

Whether it be trading up to get Moss last year (not based on value, but based on a fear all of our top 3 choices for d-lineman would be gone), trading up to get Cutler, trading a second for Javon, going all in on DB with DWil (RIP), Foxy and Paymah, or even the blunders like Foster, Nash, Middlebrooks etc. We've always kind of been a draft need kind of team.

So coming to this draft, I don't think we'll draft best available necessarily. I think we'll continue to go with Shanahan and Co's perceived need. This year I see a lot of signs pointing to offensive line.

Fact #1 - Cutler, Henry, Young and Hall were getting killed in the backfield by our makeshift o-line as the season wore on

Fact #2 - Shanahan had talked with reporters late in the season and was noted to be drooling over the offensive lines of the Patriots and Cowboys

Fact #3 - In today's DP, he makes the comment

""We know how good San Diego is," Shanahan said. "San Diego, per player, is probably as good as anybody in the National Football League. Personnel-wise, I would say they're right at the top, No. 1, and that's saying a lot. Anybody who plays San Diego, your offensive line better be pretty good or else you're in for a long day."
(http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_8805021)

So I think we're going to be going O-line in the first, whether that be Clady (if available), Williams, or if trading down Otah.

I think in the 2nd and 4th rounds, we focus on some other needs like D-line (Laws, Moore etc), perhaps receiver, but I'd bet we also pick up another offensive lineman late as well.

I think its pretty clear though that Shanahan thinks our offensive line is in great need of some talent to make it solid (in addition to returning the play of Hamilton, Nalen and hoping Harris pans out). It goes without saying that our d-line continues to be a need as well, but I think Shanahan believes some of this can be overcome with scheme (hence Slowik).

Shanahan has stated many times that he believes you draft the best player when you're picking in the top 15, and then you draft for need thereafter.

Hopefully this means that atleast our first-rounder will be the BPA, and hopefully we hit our needs in the subsequent rounds.