Ok, enter your final mock draft predictions here. Instead of a hundred different posts, maybe you can just use this one. Please keep comments to a minimum and focus on your mocks. Please specify what you would want and/or what you think the Broncos will actually do. In an effort to fill space, let me point out how bad the Denver Post has been. I am not one to constantly criticize the Denver Post but their lack of exclusivity has been shocking. I would probably get more scoops as the stadium parking lot attendant. How do these people justify their employment???

Here are some under the radar players that I wouldn't be shocked the Broncos go after in the first round:

Harrison Smith SS

Lavonte David WLB

Stephen Hill WR

Peter Konz C

Vinny Curry DE

Cordy Glenn OG

Brock Osweiler QB

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I can honestly say I have less of clue who we might pick in this draft than any in the last three years. There are some hints I think we have that might indicate where we won't pick. Here are a few:

WR - Bubba Caldwell, Jason Hill, Matt Willis, Brandon Stokley and retained Matt Willis

TE - Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme

Barring an unforeseen player falling to us in one of these two positions, I really don't think we will address TE and WR in the draft.

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The biggest question I face as I wonder about the direction for the Broncos in the upcoming draft is whether or not we add a few more weapons for Peyton Manning early in the draft, or do we continue to build a defense that will get him the ball back as much as possible? For this mock, I chose the latter. I also did not make any trades, which is rare for me.

My drafts weaknesses (among others) are: DB and LB

My drafts strengths are: DL, Running Game, Depth Pieces, Balanced

*Sorry, I was operating under the assumption that we had two 5th rounders. With the release of the official draft order today, it is obvious that we don't. Remove one of those two fifths. Who though?

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Jeremy LIn vs. Tim Tebow - One of the most annoying mantras during the Tim Tebow phenomenon was listening to people say "I doubt Tim Tebow would be as popular if he were a Muslim." Similarly, people are saying that Jeremy Lin would not be as popular if he were black. Most are saying these things with condemnation. I say they are right in their assertion and wrong in their condemnation. There is nothing wrong with liking a player you identify with.

I am secure enough in my beliefs to not be offended at Asian fans finding hope in Lin, or in Evangelicals finding a hero and role model in Tim Tebow. Similarly, I wouldn't be offended at a Muslim football player being a hero to Muslim youth, etc. Was it wrong for thousands of Latin American youth to idolize Roberto Clemente? Was it wrong for China to idolize Yao Ming? Was it wrong for Jewish fans to idolize Hank Greenberg? Of course it wasn't.

I am a gigantic fan of Jeremy Lin and I am rooting for his continued success, partially due to his race. Is that wrong?

Press Coverage and the NFL - Possibly the most worthless event in the NFL is a press conference. Coaches and players seldom say anything of relevance. You will get virtually zero information about injuries. More annoying than that is that players and coaches will almost never say anything bad about the opposing team. I miss the days when players and coaches said that they hated the other team and made fun of them with every opportunity.

The funniest thing is when players or coaches say something completely worthless, and the press and/or fans find hidden meaning in it. I will never forget when a member of the press asked Josh McDaniels what his draft strategy was. McD responded by saying that his strategy was "best player available at a position of need." I remember the media and fans responded to that statement by acting like it was a big "tell." In reality, the statement is inherently meaningless and gives you no new information.

Another example is John Elway saying that Tim Tebow is our starter going into training camp. The media and fans ran with this and thought it was an earth shattering statement. However, several days passed and people realized that this was also a meaningless statement. This statement really says nothing, while appearing to be breaking news.

Finally, my latest pet peeve is when teams say they are going to "build through the draft." This implies that other teams don't take the draft as seriously as those who consciously decided to "build through the draft." I have news for you, just because the Bears added a big free agent in Julius Peppers doesn't mean they decided to ignore the draft. A team that decides to add big free agents doesn't necessarily mean they will not emphasize the draft. Don't get me wrong, I think high-priced free agents are often the wrong way to build a team, long-term, but you can still build through the draft and acquire quality free agents at the same time.

Elvis Dumervil - I keep forgetting to mention something. The knock on Elvis was that he was always weak against the run. The last two years, Elvis has concentrated in the weight room and has obviously improved his strength. This season, I can say, with confidence, that he wasn't a major liability against the run. At worst, Elvis was average to good in his run stopping ability. I think he also made a concerted effort to improve gap discipline, which helped, and could be attributed to sound coaching. Whatever the cause, Elvis has shown great improvement against the run and I give him a thumbs up for that.

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Any faithful MHR reader also knows about it's red-headed stepchild, itsalloverfatman.com. I was banned from the site recently, and still don't have any idea as to why. Perhaps one of them might enlighten me one day. I'm not writing this post to go into an exhaustive history of IAOFM or to point out my many observations of their bias, over the months. I'm writing this post for two reasons. First, to point out their most recent examples of bias within the last 24 hours. Second, to sing the praises of MHR. Call me petty, but bias, inconsistency, and hypocrisy, no matter the scale, tend to bug me.

Bias Example #1 - IAOFM is notorious for pointing out every single thing Tim Tebow does. True to form, they point out every religious kook associated with Tebow, all the celebrity gossip about Tebow, and all the bad stories remotely tied to Tebow. Don't take my word for it. Peruse over their website, if you can stand it, and review the pages devoted to the mundane regarding Tim Tebow.

Rewind to yesterday and Tim Tebow winning the Never Say Die Award. MHR, and our own Sayre Bedinger, posted the story of this award at 3:59 PM PST. John Elway Tweeted at approximately the same time a congratulatory note to Tebow and Von Miller, for their winning of their respective off-season awards. IAOFM, who produces a story about Tim Tebow every time he scratches his rear, did not mention anything about the award, at all. It wasn't until today at approximately 8:00 AM PST, that the, "Daily Lard" has one brief blurb about the award, hidden inside the post.

I can predict what a response to this example will be. People will say that it wasn't a big award, or that Tim Tebow winning the award was a forgone conclusion, and posting news of the award would be anticlimactic. There are two reasons why these retorts are wrong. First, IAOFM consistently points out everything Tim Tebow does, why isn't winning a league-wide postseason award included in this? Second, Von Miller was expected to win DROY, so posting his receiving of the award, which they did, would be anticlimactic also, wouldn't it?

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The older I get and the more drafts I observe, the more I see the futility in a mock done in January / February. However, I can't resist the temptation! Instead of one per week, I might tone it down to one per month. This doesn't fill every need, but I think it puts us one step closer to contending. Maybe I am delusional, but I think every pick and acquisition, at this point in the offseason, is realistic. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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CORNERBACK PLAY - I am surprised that Chris Harris hasn't gotten more ink. The guy, from day one, has played like a first or second round draft pick. I won't beat the dead horse about him being undrafted and all that, you guys already know. The best word to describe Harris is "solid." I love a cornerback who can tackle, and Harris fits that mold. I see his ceiling as a starting #2 cornerback, possibly as early as next season. I feel he is just a little too slow to cover elite #1's. Harris is quicker than fast, good ball skills, great instincts, and a very good tackler.

I was dogging Andre Goodman at the beginning of the year because he was playing extremely poor. I'm not sure if it was a new defense he had to get used to or what but now he is playing much better. It certainly looks like Goodman and Bailey have another year or two in the tank and with the emergence of Chris Harris, maybe we should rethink our draft mantra of absolutely having to draft a first round CB. What say you? I definitely have backed away from it. We are not going to get a #1 CB, unless we are lucky, picking so late in the draft.

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The Problem: The popular narrative on MHR is that we must draft a CB at all costs, most likely in the first round. While I agree that CB might be a big defensive need in the near future, there is something that is even more pressing on the defensive side of the ball. When Brian Dawkins, who is old and past his prime, is off the field, our defense changes. I have noticed, as many others have, that our defense is not as cohesive when he is gone. Dawkins is a leader, vocally and physically. We have no leader on defense other than Dawk.

Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams, Elvis Dumervil, and Von Miller are all great players, but for various reasons, they are not on the same level of leadership that Dawkins is on. In Champs defense, it is really hard to be the vocal leader on defense when you are thirty yards away from a play chasing the opposing teams top WR.

Right or wrong, for better or worse, a team's defensive identity is usually formed around it's middle linebacker. Sure, teams can win without a strong middle linebacker (Packers among others), but it seems rare. I think our team needs a defender who will call the plays, put everyone where they need to be, and bring a cohesion between the front seven and back four by way of communication and clarity.

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Patting myself on the back: Are you people ready to admit defeat yet? No, I'm not talking about Tim Tebow. I'm talking about Robert Ayers. Some of the most vitriolic debates on MHR, (other than Tebow and McD) have centered around whether Robert Ayers was a bust. My position was that Ayers was way overdrafted. Others thought he was amazing at "setting the edge" or would be a "beast in a 4-3." Well, the bottom line is that he showed no quick twitch explosion in a 3-4 and there was no reason to believe he would show it in a 4-3. After all, the difference between a 3-4 OLB and a 4-3 DE is not the same thing as the difference between a CB and a DT. He is average. He is probably not cut-worthy, yet. I still hope that he can turn things around, after all, he was a late bloomer in college. However, there is no evidence to suggest that he will.

Whether Tim Tebow wins or loses does not prove or disprove the existence of God: It seems like a very annoying trend is developing, namely, that each Bronco game is supposed to have a higher purpose or a higher meaning. If Tebow wins, then the left is upset. If Tebow loses, then the right is upset. Here is the bottom line: Tim Tebow has not politicized himself, so you shouldn't either. Even if Tim Tebow decided to admit to everyone that he was a Republican (oh the horror!), aren't we all capable of putting on our big boy underwear and dealing with it? I am as right-wing as they come but I don't pray for Bronco victories with Tim Tebow. I pray that God would be glorified through Tim Tebow.

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1. My favorite part of Bronco wins these days is the collective silence that comes after conventional wisdom is turned on it's head (again and again). This silence usually lasts from the end of the game until Monday morning. By Monday morning, one writer musters the courage to come forward and take a position in the battle. Soon after that, other writers follow suit and are able to take a position (as tenuous as it may be). You see, when collective wisdom is proven wrong, nobody knows which talking points to use. They have to throw the old talking points out.

I love that you people who have foolishly put yourself into a box are constantly having to play defense, not offense. I love that you people who have foolishly put yourself into a box feel very awkward after a Bronco win. Let me throw you a lifeline. It is ok to come out of your box and admit defeat. It is ok to come out of your box and admit you were wrong, or at the very least you were premature. One of the signs of a strong person is the ability to change course. As it is now, you look similar to the man driving with his family that is too stubborn to ask for directions when he is lost. Don't be that guy.

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1. I never thought I would say this but it is now debatable over who is the better game manager, Tebow or Orton.  I have always thought of Kyle Orton as nothing more than a game manager but this season he began throwing picks.  The last few games, Tebow has protected the football by making careful passes, no interceptions, and not being fumble prone.  Maybe I am wrong, but I think Tebow is actually a better game manager than Orton.  

2. Von Miller, who was starting to look one-dimensional, has now taken over the last few games.  He is all over the field against the run and against the pass.  There is little doubt that he was the best player in the draft.  I have one request for you though, please don't lead with your helmet!  I want your career to be long and I want you to break records, not your spine.  Resist the urge to break the forearm of Mark Sanchez!  

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1. What will happen to the collective media narrative if Tim Tebow actually has a good game against the Raiders and we get a win?  My favorite pastime is watching collective wisdom being turned on it's head.  I'm not saying it's going to happen, I just think it is entirely possible.

2. I'm going to get TONS of criticism here but oh well.  I actually don't think Von Miller has changed our defense that much.  Yeah, I said it.  Obviously his numbers are good and he is still a rookie but I thought he would change the very nature of the defense.  Again, I know it is early and things will probably change.  I'm not an X's and O's type of fan so I can't get too technical with my argument.  I envisioned him being more than a non-factor in pass coverage.  I envisioned him collapsing the pocket and blowing things up more.  I envisioned opposing teams just being rattled by his playmaking.  Von, at times, has been dynamic and great, but he has been more one-dimensional than I thought.  Hopefully, this will change with time.  If I had to do the 2012 draft over again, I would probably still pick him but Dareus and Peterson would still be tempting.  

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There are few groups of people more fickle than sports fans.  One prominent member of MHR has a signature that reads something like: In today's generation, instant gratification is not fast enough.  I can't imagine the horror of having to live my life through the prism of the next minute, with no regard to the long-term.  I can't imagine the horror of having to live my life through the prism of having to please others at all costs, with no regard to what is right, wrong, expedient, indifferent, or temporarily painful.  

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Ok Bronco fans, I don't know about you guys but I am sick of all the talk, I want to play some ball.  What I'm going to ask is really the most important question asked in the last two seasons combined.  It is a franchise-defining question.  I'm not brilliant for asking it because I am just the messenger.  I am surprised this question has not been more prominently posed.  Here it is:

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1. Miami - Andrew Luck QB

2. Indianapolis - Matt Kalil OT

3. Jacksonville - Justin Blackmon WR

4. Kansas City - Matt Barkley QB

5. St. Louis - Alshon Jeffery WR

6. Arizona - Jonathan Martin OT

7. Denver - Trent Richardson RB

8. Minnesota - Quinton Coples DE

9. Cleveland - Morris Claiborne CB

10. Seattle - Landry Jones QB

11. Carolina - Dre Kirkpatrick CB

12. Philadelphia - Vontaze Burflict LB

13. Chicago - Riley Reiff OT

14. Cincinnati - Brandon Thompson DT

15. Cleveland (From Atlanta) - Michael Floyd WR

16. Dallas - Robert Griffin III QB 

17. Tennessee - David DeCastro OG

18. Oakland - Janoris Jenkins CB

19. New York Giants - Manti Te'o LB

20. Tampa Bay - Alfonzo Dennard CB

21. New York Jets - Cordy Glenn OG

22. Buffalo - Courtney Upshaw LB

23. Pittsburgh - Chase Minnifield CB

24. Detroit - Luke Kuechly LB

25. Washington - Nick Foles QB

26. Houston - Alameda Ta'amu DT

27. San Francisco - Stephon Gilmore CB

28. Baltimore - Vinny Curry LB

29. San Diego - Donta Hightower LB

30. New England (From New Orleans) - Zach Brown LB

31. New England - Jerel Worthy DT

32. Green Bay - Brandon Jenkins LB

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1. Are you people who criticized Tebow's performance yesterday smoking crack?  Anyone who is going to criticize his overall game, including his accuracy, are from a different planet than I am.  Do you even understand the game?  Here is what I mean:  

A. Tebow comes in, cold turkey, and starts throwing the ball down the field, no screen passes to even pop the cherry.

B. Tebow was probably getting very limited reps in practice and probably not many with the first team.  

C. Tebow was playing against one of the top defenses in the league, in fact, last year they were the #1 defense in the NFL.

Tebow's screen pass and two point conversion attempt to Brandon Lloyd were perfectly thrown balls.  He had a couple of passes that were off the mark but isn't that allowed?  

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1. Do you, as a fan, have a right to demand that Tim Tebow plays?  

2. After how many losses, if at all, would you want a fire sale to take place for players like Champ or D.J.?

3. Who is more likely to receive the franchise tag next year, Kyle Orton or Brandon Lloyd?

4. Through the first two games of the season, which is worse, our offensive line or our defensive line?

5. How sore is Willis Mcgahee's body after 20 plus carries yesterday?  

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1. This is several weeks old but I can't stand how I read that some fans were no longer going to watch football because they were so disappointed in the lockout.  I read, on many occasions, that some fans "lost their love for the game" or were permanently boycotting football.  This is about the most stupid thing I have ever read.  We didn't lose any games and the preseason schedule was not changed one bit.  In short, for the average fan like me, the lockout did not change one thing, it was just two groups of people trying to get more money.  Big deal.  Sounds like human nature.  You are a drama queen if you will permanently alter the level of your fandom based on an offseason labor dispute.  

2. Am I the only one who thinks preseason games suck?  Yes, it is fun to watch the rookies and some of the backup QB's play, but when the 3rd or 4th quarter rolls around, I feel like I am watching a CFL game.  It is painful.  

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1. Does anyone else hate "Bleacher Report?"  I can't stand Googling something and having to wade through 75% of the Bleacher Report replies that are mostly done by kids living in their Mom's basement.  Is there anyway to block that stupid thing so I never have to see it again?

2. One annoying topic I have read more than once has to do with Knowshon Moreno.  I keep reading how we have to acquire a running back that can "compliment" Knowshon.  Am I the only one that thinks that Knowshon has not shown enough to be considered a #1 running back?  Am I the only one who thinks that if we acquired Deangelo Williams, Knowshon would actually have to compliment him?

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1.  EFX let the board decide the player and not the player decide the board.  They should be commended for their discipline.  They obviously employed BPA, but we magically ended up drafting for need with each and every pick.  In the end, it was a healthy mixture of the two.  Admittedly, parts of this draft felt like the 2009 draft, I hope we don't have the same results.  After blindly supporting McD in the 2009 draft, I will delay my verdict for now and just assert that I am cautiously optimistic.  

2.  I am encouraged by the drafts of our AFC West rivals.  In my opinion, the Chiefs, as always, reached.  Unlike prior drafts though, they gambled and projected a little.  I think they reached with Baldwin, projected with Hudson, and gambled with Bailey.  The Raiders were the Raiders, nothing new, nothing big.  I feel like the Chargers caused as much head scratching as anyone in the league.  I can't picture Liuget being a good fit in their system and their second round pick could have been had in the fourth.  Somehow though, things turn out well for them.

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