Unfortunately for the first time in a number of years I was not able to watch the draft as I was visiting friends in France. With no access to any WiFi and the extortionate prices my phone provider charges I had to wait until Monday coming back to the UK to find how the draft had played out. The excitement I had as I turned on my phone after coming out of the Eurotunnel soon disappeared and an underwhelming feeling emerged as I scrolled through the 6 rounds. Such a feeling is often the case as your own views on draft picks are not often matched or indeed possible in the real world of the NFL but this seemed more so than usual. After a few days of reflection and discussions about the draft I wanted to put together my thoughts on the players drafted and the draft as a whole.

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This a mock I have submitted to the Walter Football mock competition. The picks have been made in relation to the rules of the competition which is to predict where a player will be picked in the draft not necessarily which team will pick them. I found it interesting to do it that way rather than always focus on the teams as it gives you an idea of where teams may trade up and trade down and where there might be a run on different positions. I have posted this on Mocking the Draft but was hoping this might generate a different kind of discussion over here as there are a number of players who have been discussed as potential Broncos picks off the board by the 25th pick and a number of those players discussed still on the board. As a Broncos GM if the draft played out like this what would you want to do?

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This is a mock which I have submitted to the competition on the Walter Football site. The picks have been made in relation to the rules of the competition which is to predict where a player will be picked in the draft not necessarily which team will pick them. I found it interesting to do it that way rather than always focus on the teams as it gives you an idea of where teams may trade up and trade down and where there might be a run on different positions. Would appreciate any comments.

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In recent off seasons it seems there have been three guarantees, the Raiders will draft a guy based on his 40 time, Brett Favre will be linked with any team needing a Quarterback and the Broncos' number one need is a DT. However, this off season, it has been very quiet on the Favre front and the Raiders seem to have a front office who wants to do things sensibly but the Broncos still need that elusive DT. Many draftniks have the Broncos resolving this issue, as they have done in the past few off seasons, and many members of this site are calling for the Broncos to draft the best DT on the board yet I am becoming more and more convinced that this will not happen. The reason for this is that I think there are only two DTs who deserve to be drafted in the first round and by the 25th pick will both be off the board.

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Free Agency this year looks as though it is going to be an exciting time, not just for Bronco fans, but for NFL fans as a whole, as a number of young top tier talent and experienced veterans hit the open market. Whilst building through the draft has proved to be the most prudent way to develop your roster the Broncos huge cap space and a number of excellent players in positions of need provides them with a golden opportunity to make a number of key moves this March. There have been a number of good posts and an excellent series from Kaptain Kirk on this topic but I hope I can contribute to those discussions with this post by taking a look at every position on the roster and assess which players the Broncos should move on, taking into consideration the required skills sets, salaries, future cap space and experience. This may not result in popular decisions but I think it could be the best way for the Broncos to move forward.

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1. St Louis Rams - Sam Bradford QB

2. Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh DT

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy DT

4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung OT

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Berry S

6. Seattle Seahawks - CJ Spiller RB

7. Cleveland Browns - Jimmy Clausen QB

8. Oakland Raiders - Mike Iupati G/OT

9. Buffalo Bills - Dan Williams DT

10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Tim Tebow QB

11. Denver Broncos - Dez Bryant WR

12. Miami Dolphins - Sergio Kindle OLB

13. San Francisco 49ers - Joe Haden CB

14. Seattle Seahawks - Charles Brown OT

15. New York Giants - Rolando McLain ILB

16. Tennessee Titans - Derrick Morgan DE

17. San Francisco 49ers - Bryan Bulaga OT

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Maurkice Pouncey C

19. Atlanta Falcons - Everson Griffen - DE

20. Houston Texans - Kyle Wilson - CB

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham TE

22. New England Patriots - Brandon Graham - OLB

23. Green Bay Packers - Trent Williams OT

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Earl Thomas S

25. Baltimore Ravens - Jared Odrick - DT

26. Arizona Cardinals - Demaryius Thomas  WR

27. Dallas Cowboys - Anthony Davis OT

28. San Diego Chargers - Terrence Cody NT

29. New York Jets - Jerry Hughes OLB

30. Minnesota Vikings - Kareem Jackson CB

31. Indianapolis Colts - Rodger Saffold OT

32. New Orleans Saints - Sean Weatherspoon OLB

Sean Weatherspoon seems to be one of the most popular players in the upcoming draft amongst many of the guys posting on MHR. I have to admit what I have seen of this guy has been limited to videos put together on the net and what I have read about the guy mainly prompted by his popularity on this site.

swg777 recently posed the question whether he was strong enough to shed blocks as an ILB and so I went to CBS to see what they said about him regarding his defense against the run.

“Run defense: Very good chase defender who comes downhill in a hurry, especially if the play goes east-west. Scrapes down the line and finds the opening to attack the running back. Physical but tries to avoid linemen in traffic, picking his way through to the ball. Spies the quarterback to prevent long runs on scrambles, and will beat them to the corner from the middle. Usually takes the right chase angle, but is quick enough to recover if the ballcarrier cuts back. Will take on fullback and lineman blocks inside, but does not have the size or punch needed to regularly disengage. Also has troubles getting off run blocks from larger receivers.”

This is the main point that concerned me and coupled with what I have seen along with his physical measurables he sounds like he would more likely fit into the mould of that of Weak ILB rather than a Strong ILB. The impact of that then raises a number of questions regarding whether he could play with DJ Williams.

Are DJ and Spoon too similar to play as the two ILB for the Broncos? For both of them to be effective do they need to play with a physically bigger and stronger LB? or Can one of them play the Strong ILB?

If they are the same and Spon is picked would this mean that DJ's future with the Broncos is coming to an end? or would he be looked to help develop Spoon? or would he be moved to yet another place in the LB corps? or would it be easy for them to fit into the same system as each other?

I fully accept that this could show up my lack of knowledge on the ILB position and would be happy to be fully corrected on the matter but any responses either way would be much appreciated.

Mike Mayock has suggested during the State of the Broncos piece on the NFL Network that the Broncos should consider taking Earl Thomas with the 11th pick. This is someone that has not appeared on any mocks or in any discussions regarding who should be taken with the 11th pick and so prompted me to have a look more at him. Mayock's opinion on Thomas is well publicised, he rates him as the best safety and the 7th best player in the draft commenting that Thomas is "the most instinctive free safety in the last 7 or 8 years coming out of college".

Walter Football who rates Thomas as the 2nd best safety lists the following about Thomas:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

NFL Draft Scout who rates Thomas as the 19th best player and 2nd best Corner Back says

Read & React: Recognizes what's coming quickly and has the speed to get to the spot to make a play. As a safety, he was a bit overaggressive, biting on play-action and underneath routes which leaves cornerbacks on an island.

Man Coverage: Needs technique work before making the move to cornerback. Backpedal is high and slow, and lags in recovery on double moves and catching up to receivers running quick outs or square-ins. Has the speed to turn and run with receivers.

Zone Coverage: Attacks throws in front of him and has good range as a safety. Can make the interception or a big hit to separate the man from the ball. Makes quarterbacks pay for late throws over the middle, baiting them into making poor decisions. Excellent hand-eye coordination.

Closing/Recovery: Very good burst and closing speed to the ball. Wins most battles for the ball in the air. Slow to plant and drive in coverage but can close when the play is in front of him. Recovers from false steps to get back to receivers.

Run Support: Willing to support the run. Flies into the action at full speed, pounding backs in the open field. Will overpursue and fail to break down, missing tackles. Will struggle to get off receiver or lineman blocks.

Tackling: Inconsistent as a tackler in space despite good statistics. Larger receivers and tough running backs run through his tackles in space. Ends up riding big receivers for a few yards before bringing them down. A special teams force in college and will be used there in the pros.

Intangibles: Heady, hard-working player on the practice field and in the weight room. Directs secondary and knows teammates' assignments. Father Earl Thomas, Sr., is a pastor.

The main upside of his play seems to be his ball hawking capabilities. Although the Broncos improved from 6 interceptions (ranked 31st) to 17 interceptions (ranked 13th) last season, during the last 3 regular seasons I dont believe the team has returned any of their picks for a Touchdown.

So should Thomas be considered as the 11th pick? Is he the type of playmaker that could help take this defence to a new level? Is he too good a player to turn down where other DTs, ILBs, OL could be taken later on the in the draft? In an ageing secondary should the such a player be picked to learn under the experienced guys as Dawkins and Bailey?

Or

Should McBath and Bruton be given time to prove themselves? If Thomas is considered a corner in the pros is this too high a pick for a guy in transition? Is this a waste of a high pick when there are other areas of need? Is Thomas too much of a reach at 11?

It wouldn't surprise me to see McDaniels to take someone like Thomas with the 11th pick and I would not be too upset if he did so but he would still be low on my wish list unless the Broncos began to stockpile more picks in the 1st 3 rounds of the draft to allow them to get other players in positions of real need.

There seem to be a lot of Mocks on the site which see the Broncos trade down in order to get either Iupati or Pouncey. I like this idea in order to get more picks and draft a player in a position of need. However how easy would it be to trade down in this draft? Are there the type of players that are significantly better than others in the same position within this draft that could fall out of the top 10 and warrant a team to draft up? Also I just wonder why the other 10 teams picking ahead of the Broncos would not want to do the same and prevent any suitors for the 11th pick?

I am looking forward to upcoming combine and wondered if you guys could answer some questions I have regarding it?

I have seen that Tim Tebow and Dan LeFevour have chosen not to throw at the combine. Is this something that will likely affect their draft stock or will their Pro Days be enough for them to show that they have the necessary abilities? With these guys not throwing and Clausen and Bradford both injured does this open the door for another QB to showcase his talent and improve his draft stock and if so who would say has the best chance to shine?

Which players do you think will benefit most from the combine and which players might lose out from the combine? I have seen many talk about Taylor Mays and would be interested to know how the combine may affect his position in the draft if he runs a fast 40 is this just expected and he stays as he is or does it shoot him up the boards? and if he doesn't run  a quick 40 does he slide big time?

With regards to the Broncos are there any guys that they will be keeping their eyes close on and looking for a big showing? and are there any potential targets that, with a great performance, could either put themselves out of the Broncos reach at 10/11 or make it a good value pick at 10/11?

There seems to be some real support for the performances of the players who played on our defensive line this season and yet many also seem to be suggesting that players on the defensive line need to be acquired in free agency and with high picks in the draft. With McDaniels suggesting that both sets of linemen need to get bigger will we see a huge movement by the Broncos in FA or the draft or indeed both?

The last depth chart was listed as:

DE - Ryan McBean, Le Kevin Smith

NT - Ronald Fields, Marcus Thomas, Chris Baker

DE - Kenny Peterson, Vonnie Holliday

With J'Vonne Parker, Carlton Powell and Everette Pedescleaux either on injury lists or within the practice squad.

The majority of these players have been signed or resigned under McDaniels coaching tenure and only 3 of them weigh in under 300 lbs so will the majority of these players still be on the roster come the start of next season.

I would really like to know what people think will happen this off season to these players and how many players will be brought in. Will Holliday and Smith be resigned? Are the young players in the squad got the potential to be as good as those within the draft? Does FA provide an opportunity to improve this area? If there is the opportunity to upgrade which players will be surplus to requirements?

Any views would be much appreciated.

I have recently posted this mock draft on MHR as part of a look at the Broncos off season. I have had some interesting feedback and wanted to see what other teams fans had to say on it. I will add that I am a fan from the UK and have limited viewing of college football and far from consider myself an expert but wanted to get some feedback on my thoughts with the combine looming.

1. St Louis Rams - Sam Bradford QB - Suh is a beast and Spagnuolo would love someone of this calibre in his team but the league is dominated by teams who have franchise QBs and if you are going to pay number one money for any player then it has to be for a QB. It also means the Rams get a face for their organisation.

2. Detroit Lions - Russell Okung OT - Another team who needs help on the defensive side of the ball but what is the point in having invested all that money on Stafford when he is going to spend half the time picking himself up of the turf. Passing on Oher at 20 last year looks dumber with every game Oher plays.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ndamukong Suh DT - The Bucs need a real upgrade on the defensive line and Suh can become a major part of their defense for the next decade.

4. Washington Redskins - Anthony Davis OT - The Redskins need a tackle to replace Samuels.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga OT - The Chiefs really need to upgrade their offensive line and allow Albert to go back to his college position of guard.

6. Arizona Cardinals - Jimmy Clausen QB - There has been talk of Arizona trading up to get a QB and with the Browns, Seattle and the Bills also not stable at the QB position the Cardinals move up to take the Seahawk’s first pick with a trade sees Carroll reunite with Leinhart and also get the Arizona Cardinals 1st round pick

7. Cleveland Browns - Eric Berry FS - Nearly every Mock Draft see the Browns take Haden of the board but if Berry was still available would they be able to leave him so I have gone with the ball hawking safety to improve their defense.

8. Oakland Raiders – Gerald McCoy- I am not necessarily saying that McCoy will fall this far but I think there is a possibility that he could and if he does then surely the Raiders aren’t dumb enough to pass on him!

9. Buffalo Bills - Bruce Campbell OT - The Bills have not replaced Jason Peters and with no top QBs left for them to pick they finally try and replace Peters.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Morgan- I seriously considered Tim Tebow but how much would he add to a franchise that might be in LA in a couple of years. They need a DE and pick the one who is regarded by many to be the best on the board.

11. Denver Broncos - Rolando McClain ILB - The Broncos need to sort out their defense against the run and McClain can be the leader of the defense within a couple of years. I have seen more of this guy than most in the draft and think he will be a star.

12. Miami Dolphins - Dez Bryant WR - The Dolphins need a threat wide out and their apparent interest in Jackson shows this.

13. New Orleans Saints - Carlos Dunlap DE - The 49ers make a trade for Jamaal Brown and part of the deal sees them receive this pick. The Saints need help with the pass rush and they select the athletic Dunlap.

14. Seattle Seahawks - Joe Haden CB - Although there are other areas of need the Seahawks cannot let the best player left on the board slide any further.

15. New York Giants - Dan Williams DT - The Giants need help at defensive tackle and draft the next best DT on the board.

16. San Francisco 49ers - Mike Iupati G - The 49ers need help across the offensive line and pick the best guard in the draft who could also cover the tackle positions.

17. Tennessee Titans - Everson Griffin DE - The Titans aren’t getting any younger at the end position and Griffin provide them with help in the pass rush.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Taylor Mays S - The Steelers need help at safety with Ryan Clark a free agent and Polamalu injuries.

19. Atlanta Falcons - Jason Pierre Paul DE - The Falcons draft at a position of need.

20. Houston Texans - Brian Price DT - Mario Williams needs help on the defensive line and Price gives them extra help.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Golden Tate WR - With the sad loss of Henry the Bengals draft another weapon for Carson Palmer.

22. New England Patriots - Brandon Graham OLB - The Patriots are in need of help in the pass rush and Graham's Senior Bowl performance makes him a great fit.

23. Green Bay Packers - Trent Williams OT - The Packers had some horror shows on the line this season and Williams will give them the upgrade they need.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Earl Thomas S - Thomas can come in and upgrade their secondary.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Brandon LaFell WR - The Ravens draft a much needed number one receiver for Flacco.

26. Seattle Seahawks - CJ Spiller RB - The Seahawks have a stack of needs but cant turn down a RB with such speed.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Brandon Spikes ILB - The Cowboys draft a defensive leader and in a position where they need to get younger.

28. San Diego Chargers - Jonathan Dwyer RB - Dwyer has a physical make up which will compliment Darren Sproles

29. New York Jets - Ricky Sapp OLB - Rex Ryan gets some needed pass rush help and hope he is more successful than Gholston.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Kyle Wilson CB - Vikings need to get younger in the Secondary.

31. Indianapolis Colts - Shaun Weatherspoon LB - The Colts have a strong squad so draft one of the best players still on the board.

32. New Orleans Saints - Jared Odrick DT - The Saints draft Odrick to help Ellis on the line.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

I am a fan of the Broncos from the UK and have followed the NFL for the past 20 years. In the last few years the coverage of the off season events has increased and I have found myself becoming really interested in the developments on and off the field. I found this site only recently and have to say it is the best site have seen so far as a Broncos fan and one that has taught me a lot more about the NFL and the draft. I have seen some of the college players available in the draft but the coverage we have is very limited and I have had to resort to youtube and reading articles to find more about players. I have never done a Mock Draft but thought it would be fun to do so. Having read and heard a lot about this years free agency and draft and wanting to hear some opinions on this I thought I would do my own Mock as well as look at potential dealings in free agency. Some of my selections are deliberately different to some of the selections on this site just so that I could hear views on a different approach. I realise there maybe some mistakes and am not trying to claim I know everything about the sport but I would really appreciate any feedback on my picks and help me find out a bit more about players, where the Broncos might go with things and about the NFL as a whole.

Free Agency

Resign

Elvis Dumervil

Kyle Orton

Matt Prater

Ryan McBean

Vonnie Holliday

Ross Hochstein

Free Agents Signed

Vince Wilfork – he may well get the franchise tag but if he does not I would have thought McDaniels would be high on him.

Deuce Lutui – I think McDaniels will make a run at Logan Mankins but as he is a RFA this could see him receive some kind of tag.

Dwan Edwards

Trade

Brandon Marshall to the Bucaneers for the 35th pick in the draft.

I feel that Marshall has to be worth more than a 1st round pick but there seems to be a lot of talk on other sites about Marshall only fetching a 2nd round pick and as it does not seem to have been discussed on this site much I wanted to explore the possibility of this happening and have thought that the Bucs would seem to be a likely spot for Marshall as they need weapons for Freeman and that they will still have a pick in the 2nd round.

Chris Kuper to the Texans for the 51st pick in the draft.

McDaniels has talked about getting bigger on both lines and Kuper seems to be a better fit in a zonal blocking system as employed by the Texans.

Tony Scheffler to the Redskins for for the 100th pick in the draft.

I see there has been a lot of debate on how much Scheffler is worth with ranges from a 3rd round pick to a 6th round pick. Shanahan seemed to like this guy and thought there could be the potential that one of the places he way land would be at the Redskins and that as the Redskins I dont believe have a 3rd round pick their 4th may be the best offer the Broncos get.

Draft

1st Round

1. St Louis Rams - Sam Bradford QB - Suh is a beast and Spagnuolo would love someone of this calibre in his team but the league is dominated by teams who have franchise QBs and if you are going to pay number one money for any player then it has to be for a QB. It also means the Rams get a face for their organisation.

2. Detroit Lions - Russell Okung OT - Another team who needs help on the defensive side of the ball but what is the point in having invested all that money on Stafford when he is going to spend half the time picking himself up of the turf. Passing on Oher at 20 last year looks dumber with every game Oher plays.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ndamukong Suh DT - The Bucs need a real upgrade on the defensive line and Suh can become a major part of their defense for the next decade.

4. Washington Redskins - Anthony Davis OT - The Redskins need a tackle to replace Samuels.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga OT - The Chiefs really need to upgrade their offensive line and allow Albert to go back to his college position of guard.

6. Arizona Cardinals - Jimmy Clausen QB - There has been talk on this site of Arizona trading up to get a QB and I thought I would go with a trade that allows the Cardinals to move up in the draft and sees Seattle get Leinhart and the Arizona Cardinals 1st round pick.

7. Cleveland Browns - Eric Berry FS - Nearly every Mock Draft see the Browns take Haden of the board but if Berry was still available would they be able to leave him so I have gone with the ball hawking safety to improve their defense.

8. Oakland Raiders – Gerald McCoy- I am not necessarily saying that McCoy will fall this far but I think there is a possibility that he could and if he does then surely the Raiders aren’t dumb enough to pass on him!

9. Buffalo Bills - Bruce Campbell OT - The Bills have not replaced Jason Peters and with no top QBs left for them to pick they finally try and replace Peters.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Morgan- I seriously considered Tim Tebow but how much would he add to a franchise that might be in LA in a couple of years. They need a DE and pick the one who is regarded by many to be the best on the board.

11. Denver Broncos - Rolando McClain ILB - The Broncos need to sort out their defense against the run and McClain can be the leader of the defense within a couple of years. I have seen more of this guy than most in the draft and think he will be a star.

12. Miami Dolphins - Dez Bryant WR - The Dolphins need a threat wide out and their apparent interest in Jackson shows this.

13. New Orleans Saints - Carlos Dunlap DE - The 49ers make a trade for Jamaal Brown and part of the deal sees them receive this pick. The Saints need help with the pass rush and they select the athletic Dunlap.

14. Seattle Seahawks - Joe Haden CB - Although there are other areas of need the Seahawks cannot let the best player left on the board slide any further.

15. New York Giants - Dan Williams DT - The Giants need help at defensive tackle and draft the next best DT on the board.

16. San Francisco 49ers - Mike Iupati G - The 49ers need help across the offensive line and pick the best guard in the draft who could also cover the tackle positions.

17. Tennessee Titans - Everson Griffin DE - The Titans aren’t getting any younger at the end position and Griffin provide them with help in the pass rush.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Taylor Mays S - The Steelers need help at safety with Ryan Clark a free agent and Polamalu injuries.

19. Atlanta Falcons - Jason Pierre Paul DE - The Falcons draft at a position of need.

20. Houston Texans - Brian Price DT - Mario Williams needs help on the defensive line and Price gives them extra help.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Golden Tate WR - With the sad loss of Henry the Bengals draft another weapon for Carson Palmer.

22. New England Patriots - Brandon Graham OLB - The Patriots are in need of help in the pass rush and Graham's Senior Bowl performance makes him a great fit.

23. Green Bay Packers - Trent Williams OT - The Packers had some horror shows on the line this season and Williams will give them the upgrade they need.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Earl Thomas S - Thomas can come in and upgrade their secondary.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Brandon LaFell WR - The Ravens draft a much needed number one receiver for Flacco.

26. Seattle Seahawks - CJ Spiller RB - The Seahawks have a stack of needs but cant turn down a RB with such speed.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Brandon Spikes ILB - The Cowboys draft a defensive leader and in a position where they need to get younger.

28. San Diego Chargers - Jonathan Dwyer RB - Dwyer has a physical make up which will compliment Darren Sproles

29. New York Jets - Ricky Sapp OLB - Rex Ryan gets some needed pass rush help.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Kyle Wilson CB - Vikings need to get younger in the Secondary.

31. Indianapolis Colts - Shaun Weatherspoon LB - The Colts draft one of the best players still on the board.

32. New Orleans Saints - Jared Odrick DT - The Saints draft Odrick to help Ellis on the line

2nd round

Denver Broncos - Maurkice Pouncey C - Could start on the O-line immediately.

Denver Broncos - Arrelious Benn WR - He has the size to be a number one receiver and replace Marshall. I considered Cam Thomas but with Wilfork on the roster and Chris Baker as a work in progress there is no need to draft another NT.

Denver Broncos – Demariyus Thomas WR – Regardless of whether Marshall leaves or not there is a need for more depth at WR and he gets the nod over LaMarr Houston.

3rd round

Denver Broncos - John Jerry G - He is part of the process of making the Broncos bigger on the line.

4th round

Denver Broncos - John Skelton QB - Skelton gives McDaniels another project at QB.

Denver Broncos - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah  CB - A big guy who can develop under Bailey and Goodman

6th round

Denver Broncos - Colin Peek TE - A good blocker who can make the catch and give depth at TE.

7th round

Denver Broncos – Dennis Landolt OT – The Broncos need depth across the O-line and bring in a guy from a good organisation.