Finally got a chance to post one of my mock drafts, so have at it Mile High.

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With the NFL draft only a few days away, I figured I'd post my first mock draft. This is about the 40th or so draft I've done after research, players visiting the Broncos,and some of my own hopeful picks More after the jump.

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Going into the beginning of the 2009 season, the Denver Broncoswere a mystery to the NFL and to their fan base. No one knew what to expect. The Broncos had fired long time head coach Mike Shanahan, and brought in offensive genius Josh McDaniels to take over. Then, the biggest move of the NFL off season struck the heart of all Denver Bronco fans. McDaniels, dealing with an unhappy Jay Cutler amid trade rumors with the Patriots, dealt him to the Chicago Bears in the infamous Kyle Ortondeal. However, the deal went better than fans expected. Orton actually outperformed Cutler, but the Broncos yet again collapsed at the end of the season, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Now, going into the 2010 offseason, the quarterback position still remains in question for the Denver Broncos. Kyle Orton will be back, and he will start again. Orton's the answer at quarterback for now, but the Broncos need a quarterback for the future, and they have a couple of options in this year's draft. Some argue that Tom Brandstater is our quarterback of the future, but I have my doubts and there's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. So without further ado, I present the top three options the Broncos have for their franchise quarterback in this year's draft.

 

Tony Pike-Cincinnati

Tony Pike is in my opinion the best option the Broncos have in this years' draft. Pike played in a pass-heavy scheme similar to McDaniels at Cincinnati and was having an excellent year for the Bearcats before going down with shoulder injury. Pike is option one because while he's not spectacular, he's a solid starting quarterback. There are a few concerns about Pike, particularly his size and his arm strength. Pike is 6'6"225 pounds, which is a  positive in this case as he will have no problem with seeing over the O-line even when McDaniels adds some extra size to it. However, there are concerns that he lacks the bulk to withstand the hit he'll take in the NFL. The biggest concern teams have is his arm strength. Many scouts and draftniks don't believe that Pike has an NFL-caliber arm, and I respectfully disagree. Pike has an average, if not slightly above average arm, and he can make all the NFL throws. He puts good velocity behind his throws and can hit all the routes McDaniels' offense requires. Arm strength is not a huge component of McDaniels' offense; most of his passing plays focus on short to intermediate throws that lead to yards after the catch and require a smart accurate quarterback to man the helm. Tony Pike has all the tools to excel in McDaniels' offense, and the Broncos would be wise to take himif he's available in the 3rd round.

Round: 3-4

 

John Skelton-Fordham

John Skelton is one of the more intriguing quarterback prospects in this year's draft. Skelton played Division II at Fordham University in the Bronx. For reasons unknown, Skelton received few scholarships coming out of high school, and Division I schools are kicking themselves over it. Skelton is the real deal. He's a big quarterback at 6'5", 243 pounds, and has all the physical intangibles to be a NFL quarterback. The biggest incentive for Skelton is that he has a cannon of an arm. Not quite Jay Cutler style of arm, but not far behind. The most impressive display of his arm was against Cornell, where, backed up on his own two yard line, Skelton hit a receiver almost 60 yards down field, in stride, for a Patriot League record 98-yard touchdown pass. Also, Skelton is very mobile, being able to throw on the run and pick up the first down with his legs. The concern with Skelton is that he played Division II, so teams are going to view him as a project, as well as his weight. We don't know if that size is a product of the weight room or if he just has problems keeping his weight down. Just something to keep an eye on.  Skelton has all the physical skill to excel in the NFL, but it will take time, which is what puts him behind Pike.

Projected Round: 4-5

 

Sean Canfield-Oregon State

Sean Canfield is third in my rankings for no other reason than that Pike and Skelton are better options than him at quarterback. Canfield is a reliable, but unspectacular quarterback. However, at 6'4" 223, size is one thing we won't have to worry about. Out of the three quarterbacks I've talked about he has the weakest arm and a decent number of concerns. Canfield had a solid senior year, passing for 21 touchdowns to only seven interceptions with a 67.9% completion percentage. However, he struggled at the Senior Bowl and continues to struggle at the NFL Combine this week; his stock is dropping quickly. Sean Canfield is a southpaw reincarnation of our own Kyle Orton, but may be the most NFL ready prospect out of the three I've talked about. He played in an offense that wasn't far off from your average NFL offense, as Oregon State ran a very balanced pass-run attack. Canfield's comfortable under center, and at the very least would make a solid backup for the team that drafts him.

Projected Round: 6

 

 

Notable Snubs

 

Colt McCoy-Texas

Longhorn fans, I'm sorry, but your golden boy is most likely going to fail as an NFL quarterback. McCoy is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play college football, but he won't pan out for three reasons: offense transition, arm strength, and durability. The Texas offense is exclusively out of the shotgun. McCoy has never had to read a defense in his college career and doesn't have a lot of experience under center.  There were aleady concerns over McCoy's weak arm, and after having suffered nerve damage in his throwing arm in the National Championship against Alabama, those concerns just got bigger. McCoy will probably end up being a career backup, but I would take Sean Canfield before I took Colt McCoy.

 

Tim Tebow-Florida

I don’t doubt that Tebow could make it in the NFL, I'm just not sure if it will be at quarterback. Tebow is a second round project quarterback who may eventually have to switch to a different position because of his physical ability and whether or not he gains the skills to be an NFL quarterback. It wouldn't be smart for the Broncos to use a high draft pick on a project who might not even be a quarterback in the NFL. John Skelton, or even Matt Nichols, another Division II prospect out of Eastern Washington, would be the wiser and more economical choice than Tim Tebow.

 

Now, none of these guy are true franchise quarterbacks, they are just prospects who I believe have the potential and ability to be franchise quarterbacks. I may be right, I may be wrong, only time will tell.

 

 

 

Poll

Who out of these three do you want the Broncos to draft?

12%

Tony Pike

12 votes

75%

John Skelton

74 votes

0%

Sean Canfield

0 votes

12%

Other (State in Comments)

12 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed