I'm picking who I think the Denver Broncos are going to draft over the next few days. Currently they have picks in rounds 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and hold No. 11, No. 43, and No. 45. For this, I'm hoping the Broncos trade the 11 pick down to the 16 pick and get another 2 pick for it.
So this is who I hope they draft:
1: Maurkice Pouncy, C, Florida
2: Sean Lee, ILB, Penn State
2: Mike Johnson, G, Alabama
2: Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU (Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame or Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois would also be good here, but I think both would be gone by this point.)
3: Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama (If available. Secondary choices would be Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss, Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson, Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan, or Darryl Sharpton, ILB, Miami (FL))
4: If none of 3's secondary choices are possible, George Selvie, DE, South Florida (or Joique Bell, RB, Wayne State)
6: Shelley Smith, G, Colorado State
7: Riar Geer, TE, Colorado
Idiotic management causes some of these needs, but hopefully the draft goes something like this.
Also, here are my Top 5 players at each position:
QB:
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
3. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
4. Tim Tebow, Florida
5. Colt McCoy, Texas
A deep class I think. There's 4 potential NFL starters here. Likely is the top two become starters, and one of the next two do.
RB:
1. C.J. Spiller, Clemson
2. LaGarrette Blount, Oregon
3. Toby Gerhart, Stanford
4. Ryan Mathews, Fresno State
5. Joique Bell, Wayne State
I know I didn't include Jonathon Dwyer. A injury prone guy with no catching skills? I think he still might be a good pro, but I think you'd get a lot more value from anyone else up there. I love LaGarrette Blount and Toby Gerhart. Blount would be a top 20 pick if he didn't punch that guy, and while Gerhart had too many college carries, he'll be a good one.
WR:
1. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
2. Golden Tate, Notre Dame
3. Brandon LaFell, LSU
4. Arrelious Benn, Illinois
5. Damien Williams, USC
This is a deep, deep receiver class. While Dez tops the list because of his talent, I wouldn't draft him simply because of all the other great picks you could get in the second round. Golden Tate is a little small, but I like him, he's a guy who will do great. Brandon LaFell is ranked so high because I think he might be the next Brandon Marshall, but I admit he's a bit of a gamble. Arrelious Benn is going to be a solid pro, and Damien Williams is a hoss, and is going to be a great value pick considering how well he did with a freshman QB.
TE:
1. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
2. Jermain Gresham, Oklahoma
3. Jimmy Graham, Miami (FL)
4. Anthony McCoy, USC
5. Dennis Pitta, BYU
The top two are going to be all pros. The 3rd guy could be, but could also be a bust, and Anthony McCoy could be decent, and Dennis Pitta get the 5th spot because there's no one else to take it, and he's the only one left with any potential.
T:
1. Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
2. Trent Williams, Oklahoma
3. Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale
4. Adam Valtoski, Texas
5. Charles Brown, USC
Is it just me, or a franchise left tackles becoming a lot more common? I also love Bryan Bulaga from Iowa, but didn't include him on the list because of his thyroid issue. He could make it in the pros, but that's some serious shit.
G:
1. Mike Iupati, Iowa
2. Mike Johnson, Alabama
3. Jon Asamoah, Illinois
4. Brendon Carter, Texas Tech
5. Rodger Saffold, Indiana
Everyone after the first two are a risk, but do have potential to start.
C:
1. Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
2. Jeff Byers, USC
3. Justin Walton, Baylor
4. Matt Tennant, Boston College
5. Eric Olsen, Norte Dame
The top spot is the only lock, although there's some decent talent below, they all have some flaws.
DE:
1. Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
2. Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
3. Carlos Dunlap, Florida
4. Ricky Sapp, Clemson
5. Everson Griffen, USC
1 is the most talent with the least risk. I love the 2 spot. 3 has so much talent I had to include him, even though I wouldn't draft him. Dude was driving drunk two days before the biggest game of his life. Couldn't he just wait? 4 is a safe bet to be decent. 5 is boom/bust pick. I really don't feel too safe with any of the picks though. Huge numbers of DEs have been busts recently.
DT:
1. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. Dan Williams, Tennessee
4. Lamarr Houston, Texas
5. Terrence Cody, Alabama.
Many more than these 5 are good. I like Jared Odrick, Penn State too. I'm going to stop with these comments because I need to finish this before class. I just want to point out how many players are from either Alabama or Oklahoma/Oklahoma State. It's crazy. The rest of the list:
ILB:
1. Rolando McClain, Alabama
2. Brandon Spikes, Florida
3. Sean Lee, Penn State
4. Pat Angerer, Iowa (Awesome name)
5. Darryl Sharpton, Miami (FL)
OLB:
1. Sean Weatherspoon
2. Navarro Bowman, Penn State
3. Sergio Kindle, Texas
4. Daryl Washington, TCU
5. Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
CB:
1. Joe Haden, Florida (the next Champ Baily I think)
2. Patrick Robinson, Florida State (boom/bust)
3. Kareem Jackson, Alabama
4. Kyle Wilson, Boise State
5. Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
S:
1. Eric Berry, Tennessee
2. Earl Thomas, Texas
3. Taylor Mays, USC
4. Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
5. Chad Jones, LSU
Fro
Man, if the Broncos ended up with Golden Tate, I would be a very happy man.
TheSongSalad
For sure. I'm hoping they trade down. If Josh McDaniels drafts Dez Bryant I will officially lose faith in him.