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After the first six games of the season, here is my look at the Broncos, and where they could go in the 2010 draft based upon where they stand.
1.) First round pick. This pick, of course, is from Chicago, so I am hoping they stub their toe, manage to go 9-7, and miss the playoffs giving us a Top 20 selection. So far, so good, as New Orleans, the NY Giants, Minnesota and Arizona lead their Divisions, with Atlanta now having the tie-breaker with them for one wild card spot. That leaves the Bears in a fistfight with Philly, San Francisco, Dallas and Green Bay for the last NFC wild card slot.
Give me the Eagles, and the Broncos end up selecting #19 with Chicago's pick.
The good thing about a good team drafting in this spot is that the Broncos can literally go in any direction they choose.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the candidates:
a.) D-Line: While the Broncos have done exceptionally well with players like NT Ronald Fields and DE Kenny Peterson, and the fact the 3-4 defense is really about the LB's anyway, still, the Broncos so rarely get a chance to draft a legit D-Line prospect that you could argue the Broncos HAVE to go that way regardless.
Players like Syracuse DE Arthur Jones (6'4"-296) would make sense, as would Penn St DE Jared Odrick (6'5"-309).
On the other hand, there is such depth for 3-4 style D-linemen that you could go a different direction in round one and still have a shot at players in later rounds such as Alabama DE Brandon Deaderick (6'4"-296) and Duke DE/DT Vince Oghobaase (6'5"-308).
If you look at the status of the D-limemen, Fields is entrenched at NT, and I really feel Kenny Peterson is as well at RDE. I expect LeKevin Smith will eventually beat out Ryan McBean. I expect Vonnie Holliday to be re-signed,
and Marcus Thomas and Ryan McBean will restricted free agents after this season, so the Broncos will have decisions to make about them long term.
I expect Chris Baker to continue to develop and replace Thomas after next season as the backup NT, and who knows, maybe by then Baker has become a beast and is the starter.
So, in my mind, you are drafting for a strong-side 5-technique DE to compete with Smith and McBean if you go D-line in the first round.
I would not complain about either Jones or Odrick getting the call.
Alternatives?
b.) I have said before, will say here, and will say again, I can almost guarantee you our interior O-line is grating on McD's nerves. We have had consistent problems in short yardage situations this season, from the opener in Cincy, to getting stuffed on the goal-line in both the Oakland and Dallas games, to the problems they had Monday night.
With that in mind...
Will the real Mike Pouncey please stand up?
I have seen this guy rated everywhere from an elite talent if he comes out, to MUG rating him #61 in his top 64.
Pouncey is almost guaranteed to go Pro after this season, and coming from the Florida program, is it possible to come better schooled in the spread pass protections schemes?...and oh-by-the-way, he's an athletic 6'5"-320 guy that should be a force inside. He is a winner and is a dominant player on the best team in college football...what's not to like?
So that's the question, what kind of prospect is Mike Pouncey?
Alabama OLG Mike Johnson (6'6"-307) would be someone to keep in mind for a possible second or third round selection if the Broncos don't go O-line in the first.
c.) Beyond that, there is age in the secondary, but there doesn't appear to be a great Corner or Safety prospect in the 18-23 range of the first round....unless a Junior sneaks into the discussion.
I think you really have to be optimistic to think Champ and Dawkins will still be playing in our secondary after next season. One, maybe, but not both.....and you don't want to replace them with rookies in 2011.
Does a young player like Florida's Major Wright, LSU's Chad Jones, or Georgia Tech's Morgan Burnett or North Carolina's Deunta Williams sneak into the first round?
I like Darcel McBath, but he reminds me more of a continuation of what Renaldo Hill is. Look at what happened to our defense when John Lynch couldn't play, and we suddenly lost his leadership when some suggested he should be replaced by Hamza Abdullah....we have to be careful that does not happen again, because the same thing will happen to Brian Dawkins, and sooner rather than later. He is going to get old in a hury when he does, so the question is, do we develop his replacement now?....and please don't suggest developing David Bruton and/or Josh Barrett, as they are backup safties at best that earn their keep on special teams.
The safety in today's NFL game is imparative, IMO.....and I do admit, drafting a stud for our backline for the next decade or so as we once did with Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith would not bother me.
Nor would drafting an elite Corner.
The secondary is playing brilliantly, but when it goes, it will be gone, so is it best to put the talent there now?
So, do the Broncos still have to draft to fill holes, or can they take the player that can give them the best bang for the buck?
Discuss.
1.) First round pick. This pick, of course, is from Chicago, so I am hoping they stub their toe, manage to go 9-7, and miss the playoffs giving us a Top 20 selection. So far, so good, as New Orleans, the NY Giants, Minnesota and Arizona lead their Divisions, with Atlanta now having the tie-breaker with them for one wild card spot. That leaves the Bears in a fistfight with Philly, San Francisco, Dallas and Green Bay for the last NFC wild card slot.
Give me the Eagles, and the Broncos end up selecting #19 with Chicago's pick.
The good thing about a good team drafting in this spot is that the Broncos can literally go in any direction they choose.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the candidates:
a.) D-Line: While the Broncos have done exceptionally well with players like NT Ronald Fields and DE Kenny Peterson, and the fact the 3-4 defense is really about the LB's anyway, still, the Broncos so rarely get a chance to draft a legit D-Line prospect that you could argue the Broncos HAVE to go that way regardless.
Players like Syracuse DE Arthur Jones (6'4"-296) would make sense, as would Penn St DE Jared Odrick (6'5"-309).
On the other hand, there is such depth for 3-4 style D-linemen that you could go a different direction in round one and still have a shot at players in later rounds such as Alabama DE Brandon Deaderick (6'4"-296) and Duke DE/DT Vince Oghobaase (6'5"-308).
If you look at the status of the D-limemen, Fields is entrenched at NT, and I really feel Kenny Peterson is as well at RDE. I expect LeKevin Smith will eventually beat out Ryan McBean. I expect Vonnie Holliday to be re-signed,
and Marcus Thomas and Ryan McBean will restricted free agents after this season, so the Broncos will have decisions to make about them long term.
I expect Chris Baker to continue to develop and replace Thomas after next season as the backup NT, and who knows, maybe by then Baker has become a beast and is the starter.
So, in my mind, you are drafting for a strong-side 5-technique DE to compete with Smith and McBean if you go D-line in the first round.
I would not complain about either Jones or Odrick getting the call.
Alternatives?
b.) I have said before, will say here, and will say again, I can almost guarantee you our interior O-line is grating on McD's nerves. We have had consistent problems in short yardage situations this season, from the opener in Cincy, to getting stuffed on the goal-line in both the Oakland and Dallas games, to the problems they had Monday night.
With that in mind...
Will the real Mike Pouncey please stand up?
I have seen this guy rated everywhere from an elite talent if he comes out, to MUG rating him #61 in his top 64.
Pouncey is almost guaranteed to go Pro after this season, and coming from the Florida program, is it possible to come better schooled in the spread pass protections schemes?...and oh-by-the-way, he's an athletic 6'5"-320 guy that should be a force inside. He is a winner and is a dominant player on the best team in college football...what's not to like?
So that's the question, what kind of prospect is Mike Pouncey?
Alabama OLG Mike Johnson (6'6"-307) would be someone to keep in mind for a possible second or third round selection if the Broncos don't go O-line in the first.
c.) Beyond that, there is age in the secondary, but there doesn't appear to be a great Corner or Safety prospect in the 18-23 range of the first round....unless a Junior sneaks into the discussion.
I think you really have to be optimistic to think Champ and Dawkins will still be playing in our secondary after next season. One, maybe, but not both.....and you don't want to replace them with rookies in 2011.
Does a young player like Florida's Major Wright, LSU's Chad Jones, or Georgia Tech's Morgan Burnett or North Carolina's Deunta Williams sneak into the first round?
I like Darcel McBath, but he reminds me more of a continuation of what Renaldo Hill is. Look at what happened to our defense when John Lynch couldn't play, and we suddenly lost his leadership when some suggested he should be replaced by Hamza Abdullah....we have to be careful that does not happen again, because the same thing will happen to Brian Dawkins, and sooner rather than later. He is going to get old in a hury when he does, so the question is, do we develop his replacement now?....and please don't suggest developing David Bruton and/or Josh Barrett, as they are backup safties at best that earn their keep on special teams.
The safety in today's NFL game is imparative, IMO.....and I do admit, drafting a stud for our backline for the next decade or so as we once did with Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith would not bother me.
Nor would drafting an elite Corner.
The secondary is playing brilliantly, but when it goes, it will be gone, so is it best to put the talent there now?
So, do the Broncos still have to draft to fill holes, or can they take the player that can give them the best bang for the buck?
Discuss.
Secondary talent seems to be very top heavy with Mays and Berry and not very many WOW guys after that. Dawkins will soon have to retire (2-3 years tops) and I don't see anybody on our team that can replace his immense physicality and leadership at the safety position. It's hard to expect a rookie to become an instant defensive leader, so we're going to need somebody ON the team to take an immense leadership role. I wish DJ Williams would step up to the plate in those regards, but he hasn't done it in his long time here. 
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