Official NFL draft thread

[Broncosr0k]

I don't see how that's a need. Because of one bad game in the Super Bowl suddenly our offense can't move the ball? Newsflash: a lot of teams struggled to do much of anything against the Seahawks defense. They happen to be really, really good.

1. We had trouble against several defenses. Our receivers opted to look for flags instead of fighting for the ball when the other team's secondary played aggressive.
2. Any time the opposing team had a pass rush, Manning had issues which led to the offense having issues.
3. We play 4 teams with really good defenses next year and likely have to face one of them again in the SB (provided we get there). I don't think you can so casually dismiss the offensive woes as a good seahawks defense, when we will still need to overcome that defense.

I don't think we have needs but there are areas on offense and defense where a little depth will help.

 

[xBxtxDx]

Simply summarizing what was in the piece. I'll let you experts decide where to play him!

You know damn well I am no expert.

 

[xBxtxDx]

1. We had trouble against several defenses. Our receivers opted to look for flags instead of fighting for the ball when the other team's secondary played aggressive.
2. Any time the opposing team had a pass rush, Manning had issues which led to the offense having issues.
3. We play 4 teams with really good defenses next year and likely have to face one of them again in the SB (provided we get there). I don't think you can so casually dismiss the offensive woes as a good seahawks defense, when we will still need to overcome that defense.

I don't think we have needs but there are areas on offense and defense where a little depth will help.

All of this is very true, but as Elway said, the depth this year is on the offensive side of the football. There will be some really good WR's and OL left come our 3rd and 4th round picks, especially if we are just looking for depth at this point.

About our WR's looking for flags all of the time was the main reason I was not that sorry to see Decker go, just like Royal, I thought he could improve his game if he concentrated on getting open and catching the ball more than worrying about flags, he would have even better than he was and maybe worth the price he commanded.

 

[cdumler7]

For what it's worth (which probably isn't much), this 2nd round mock doesn't even have Van Noye going in this round.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mock-draft-second-round-picks-131425761--nfl.html

The only way Van Noy falls like that is if teams have trouble figuring out where to play him on the defense. He is one of those guys that could start at about 4 different positions on the defense and do pretty well. He is just a good football player. So yeah I could see him fall to the middle of the round but I doubt all the way to our 2nd round pick.

 

[cdumler7]

I disagree that we need a starter this year for MLB, Irving can man it for downs 1 and 2 and started showing vast improvements in coverage over the course of the year and I like the idea of Ward playing the 2nd LB in Nickel coverage at times, but I would love to nab Van Noy, I have always liked him. If they also jumped back into the top of the second and grabbed either Richburg or Yankey, I would declare the draft won and be a happy, content fan with a haul of Roby, Van Noy, and Richburg/Yankey. TBH, I would be good with trading next years first rounder to be able to accomplish just that.

That is why I said "Somewhat starter" as I agree Irving can man the middle for the 1st 2 downs. Elway has even said that we don't need a MLB but a coverage linebacker as he says Irving can handle the run game part of it. Now having said that ideally you find somebody who doesn't have to come off the field during certain downs and distances and to me Van Noy is one of the few guys left that fits that bill for the MLB position as he is good against the run and pass. If we don't get him though I won't be disappointed as there are still plenty of good coverage linebackers left in this draft that can come in on those 3rd downs.

 

[Broncos6482]

1. We had trouble against several defenses. Our receivers opted to look for flags instead of fighting for the ball when the other team's secondary played aggressive.

Who did we really struggle with? The Colts? Our line was really beat up that game, and we still managed to put up 33 points. We pretty much had our way with the Chiefs twice (and they were supposed to be a great defense until we exposed them). Manning struggled against the Patriots, but I attribute that more to the cold and wind then their defense, and we did manage to run for about 250 on them. The Chargers? Sure, but first game without Welker and on a short week against an extremely desperate team fighting for their playoff lives. I just don't see a lot of concern.

As for looking for flags, to me that seemed to be mostly a Decker thing. I didn't see too many other guys doing that.

2. Any time the opposing team had a pass rush, Manning had issues which led to the offense having issues.

Name me a quarterback that doesn't struggle when faced against a good pass rush. For the most part though, we protected Manning really well, and that should only get better with Clady back and Beadles (who I believe was our worst lineman) gone.

3. We play 4 teams with really good defenses next year and likely have to face one of them again in the SB (provided we get there). I don't think you can so casually dismiss the offensive woes as a good seahawks defense, when we will still need to overcome that defense.

I'm not casually dismissing it, I'm just saying that calling it our "REAL need" is an overstatement. Our real need was to get better on defense and special teams. I understand we're playing some really good defenses next year, but I think we should be excited about that. It will give our offense an opportunity to prove itself against some really great defenses, a trial by fire. I think part of the problem last year is that we never really faced that great defense until the Super Bowl, and when they punched us in the mouth we didn't know how to respond.

I don't think we have needs but there are areas on offense and defense where a little depth will help.

I'm all for adding depth, especially on the offensive line. Again, my main beef was calling it the Broncos "REAL need." I think that's a huge overstatement that puts too much emphasis on what happened in the Super Bowl and too little emphasis on what happened the rest of the season.

 

[Broncos6482]

The only way Van Noy falls like that is if teams have trouble figuring out where to play him on the defense. He is one of those guys that could start at about 4 different positions on the defense and do pretty well. He is just a good football player. So yeah I could see him fall to the middle of the round but I doubt all the way to our 2nd round pick.

Question for you then: if you're the Broncos and he's still there at 50, would you call up the Dolphins and move up to get him?

 

[xBxtxDx]

That is why I said "Somewhat starter" as I agree Irving can man the middle for the 1st 2 downs. Elway has even said that we don't need a MLB but a coverage linebacker as he says Irving can handle the run game part of it. Now having said that ideally you find somebody who doesn't have to come off the field during certain downs and distances and to me Van Noy is one of the few guys left that fits that bill for the MLB position as he is good against the run and pass. If we don't get him though I won't be disappointed as there are still plenty of good coverage linebackers left in this draft that can come in on those 3rd downs.

As I said though, Irving actually came out of 2013 with a positive grade in coverage after having started the year with a piss poor grade. I think Irving's problems more lay in him calling the defenses and making the changes that need to occur once the offense shows their hand. He now no longer has to worry about that because Trevathan handles that responsibility.

Having said that, getting someone that is a better coverage LB would not break my heart either which is why I would not mind seeing them move up to grab Van Noy or someone else later on.

 

[xBxtxDx]

Question for you then: if you're the Broncos and he's still there at 50, would you call up the Dolphins and move up to get him?

Absolutely

 

[crush7k]

I like the Bradley Roby pick. For a sec, I thought the team was going to move back to the 2nd round, but I like how they stuck to their draft board and took their highest rated player left, which happen to also address a need.

Many people have compared Roby's situation/falling draft stock to Janoris Jenkins from the 2012 draft. Jenkins also had 1st round talent, but fell to the 2nd round to Jeff Fisher & the Rams and has had a pretty good stat line over 2 years (113 tackles, 1 sack, 21 PD's, 5 INT's, & 3 Def TD's).

I can see Roby also producing, especially with the leaders the defense now has in Ware, Ward, Miller, and even Talib, as he's come full circle from earlier in his career. It seemed for a while there that Champ was the only leader on the defense, but now it seems a lot different to me.

 

[xBxtxDx]

That is why I said "Somewhat starter" as I agree Irving can man the middle for the 1st 2 downs. Elway has even said that we don't need a MLB but a coverage linebacker as he says Irving can handle the run game part of it. Now having said that ideally you find somebody who doesn't have to come off the field during certain downs and distances and to me Van Noy is one of the few guys left that fits that bill for the MLB position as he is good against the run and pass. If we don't get him though I won't be disappointed as there are still plenty of good coverage linebackers left in this draft that can come in on those 3rd downs.

As another point, we are also very likely to see a "Big Dime" package this year also. Elway hinted to putting Ward as the 2nd LB in one of the interviews prior to the draft and TBH, I love the idea. Then again, I love hard hitting safeties and most of my all time favorite Broncos are safeties.

 

[cdumler7]

Question for you then: if you're the Broncos and he's still there at 50, would you call up the Dolphins and move up to get him?

In a heart beat. We are looking at next year having 4 Comp picks for the Free Agents we lost (thank you to all those teams that decided to sign our players to big contracts even though they didn't deserve them!). So we have some extra fire power to be able to move up. I would be more willing to give up next year's picks than this years because of the depth of the draft but say we give up our 2nd this year and 3rd next year (most likely get a comp pick that will only be a few behind that pick anyway next year). That would be just about fair value for both teams and we would get the player we want.

 

[crush7k]

Welker will probably not be back next year, but I still think we can lose him and be fine. I doubt the Broncos let DT or JT get away. Besides, if we do lose one of those guys, we can always pick up depth next year in the draft.

I guess I just look at last years draft and how none of the rookie receivers we brought in (either in the draft or as rookie free agents) are on the team anymore, and I think we have a similar glut at receiver this year. It just seems like it would be a waste of a pick to me.

I agree, Welker probably won't be back next season. I think that's where the WR need label is coming from, and the fact that Decker was a high-end no. 2. However, I do think E. Sanders will fill in nicely as a no. 2 receiver and will add more speed.

I did see some mocks having the Broncos draft a future slot player in the later rounds to replace Welker, but obviously easier said than done. They mentions Michael Campanaro out of Wake Forest (5'9 192 4.45). Who knows?

Hopefully, Gerrell Robinson is still developing.

 

[cdumler7]

As another point, we are also very likely to see a "Big Dime" package this year also. Elway hinted to putting Ward as the 2nd LB in one of the interviews prior to the draft and TBH, I love the idea. Then again, I love hard hitting safeties and most of my all time favorite Broncos are safeties.

Understandable...it is why again if we miss out on Van Noy or whoever I am not going to be upset one bit. Roby filled one of the bigger holes that I saw left on the team so really the team can just take BPA and fill in the rest of the depth chart with potential starters down the road. I like Irving and actually expect big things from him this season so if he is starting week 1 I will be excited to see what he brings to the table. I actually remember watching some of his college tape and thinking "this kid is actually very good in coverage." So maybe he can truly be our 3-down MLB that we have been hoping for the last few years.

Right now I honestly could see the Broncos go a lot of different positions here in the 2nd round. I wouldn't even mind if they went back to back Corners as I do not want to see Tony Carter anywhere near the field. I'm hoping if they do though they get a guy that falls into that hybrid category that can also play safety such as Dontae Johnson I think his name is or say Keith McGill who played both in college.

 

[xBxtxDx]

I agree, Welker probably won't be back next season. I think that's where the WR need label is coming from, and the fact that Decker was a high-end no. 2. However, I do think E. Sanders will fill in nicely as a no. 2 receiver and will add more speed.

I did see some mocks having the Broncos draft a future slot player in the later rounds to replace Welker, but obviously easier said than done. They mentions Michael Campanaro out of Wake Forest (5'9 192 4.45). Who knows?

Hopefully, Gerrell Robinson is still developing.

Unless Welker has more concussion problems, I see no reason why he would not be around. I think a lot of people are overvaluing Welker, come next year he will be 34 and not have the price tag he used to. He probably could be retained for somewhere around $3M and plus, Manning is used to him.

 

[WalkerBoh]

Who did we really struggle with? The Colts? Our line was really beat up that game, and we still managed to put up 33 points. We pretty much had our way with the Chiefs twice (and they were supposed to be a great defense until we exposed them). Manning struggled against the Patriots, but I attribute that more to the cold and wind then their defense, and we did manage to run for about 250 on them. The Chargers? Sure, but first game without Welker and on a short week against an extremely desperate team fighting for their playoff lives. I just don't see a lot of concern.

As for looking for flags, to me that seemed to be mostly a Decker thing. I didn't see too many other guys doing that.



Name me a quarterback that doesn't struggle when faced against a good pass rush. For the most part though, we protected Manning really well, and that should only get better with Clady back and Beadles (who I believe was our worst lineman) gone.



I'm not casually dismissing it, I'm just saying that calling it our "REAL need" is an overstatement. Our real need was to get better on defense and special teams. I understand we're playing some really good defenses next year, but I think we should be excited about that. It will give our offense an opportunity to prove itself against some really great defenses, a trial by fire. I think part of the problem last year is that we never really faced that great defense until the Super Bowl, and when they punched us in the mouth we didn't know how to respond.



I'm all for adding depth, especially on the offensive line. Again, my main beef was calling it the Broncos "REAL need." I think that's a huge overstatement that puts too much emphasis on what happened in the Super Bowl and too little emphasis on what happened the rest of the season.

Well, out of the past 5 times we played either the 49ers or the Seahawks, we scored 8, 10, 10, 10, and 24 points. We also won only one of those games. Sure, most were preseason games, but that's also a testament to the depth of those defenses. So, I happen to think that it's a real need, if we want to hoist the SB trophy. But that's just my opinion.

Now, does that mean we have to focus only on this via draft? No, but I'd still like to see one pick that's designed to help us gain tough yards when we need them. I think we'll need more than 10 points against these two to have a shot at the Lombardi.

I like the fact we're making our defense more physical. Can only help the long-term health of the ballclub. I'd just like to see us have a more physical offense to go along with it. Creates a very good championship formula.

 

[Morpheus]

Name me a quarterback that doesn't struggle when faced against a good pass rush. For the most part though, we protected Manning really well, and that should only get better with Clady back and Beadles (who I believe was our worst lineman) gone.

I agree. Broncos were best in the league with allowing only 20 sacks last year. Some of that is Manning getting rid of the ball quickly, the other some decent production from our O-line at times. However they did struggle occasionally. (SUPERBOWL)

Getting Clady back vastly improves the O-line, but we could still use depth there. Mostly Center,Right Tackle. I think Franklin moving to LG is a good move. I think Clark can play RT. But we could use Depth at either and especially at Center.

There are no glaring holes at any position IMO. We have the luxury of taking best available and I would say the priority is O-line, MLB, WR and maybe a RB in the late rounds.

The offense will be fine. There are questions on how will certain players step up, Montee Ball mainly and is Clady 100%.

The defense is the bigger question. Will Miller & Harris return from injury at close to 100%?

Will Talib, Ward and Ware give us the production and aggressiveness the defense has been lacking? Will Nate Irving step into that MLB role and dominate?

Who is the defensive leader on this team? That is a huge questions.

 

[DownSetHutch]

I'm glad we picked up a talented CB. I just hope he can reach his potential in the NFL. Roby has a lot of upside, but it sounds like he will need some time and coaching to develop into a starter for us. That's ok, as long as he develops. As for his "character issues", I think they're overblown.

With our next pick (or two), I hope we can find a C/G and or DE/DT with good value. There are several left who have late-first and second round grades. Marcus Martin would be my first choice, but we may have to trade up to get him. Stephon Tuitt would also be a good choice IMO. I'm not a big fan of the next few highest ranked ILBs, because of their lack of speed and coverage ability, although MLB still remains our biggest area of need. Again, IMO.

 

[DownSetHutch]

Morph, I agree with you that our defense needs a leader. That would have been addressed beautifully if we were able to get CJ Mosley, but he was just a little bit out of our reach. I think the defensive leader should ideally come from a LB or Safety position, particularly MLB, but I don't know if we have anyone currently who can/will step into that role effectively. TJ Ward maybe?

 

[cdumler7]

Morph, I agree with you that our defense needs a leader. That would have been addressed beautifully if we were able to get CJ Mosley, but he was just a little bit out of our reach. I think the defensive leader should ideally come from a LB or Safety position, particularly MLB, but I don't know if we have anyone currently who can/will step into that role effectively. TJ Ward maybe?

From what I understand the cost for Mosley at 16 was 2 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, and a 6th round pick. That is some major value considering last year San Fran just traded their 1st and 3rd round pick to move up almost to the same spot. There are still some great leaders in this draft and I still think our team has great leadership at every level. Ware on the DL should whip all those boys into shape. Trevathon from what I understand really stepped up as a leader and is actually now the guy who calls all the plays on the field and gets everybody lined up. In the Secondary really all of the guys have some leadership ability. This is why Elway loves getting guys with past experience as a Captain.