AFC West Mock Draft: Denver Broncos Style

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Greetings NFL Draftonians. This week, NFL Mocks took on the challenge of analyzing each team and addressing their needs via a mock draft. In the coming days/weeks, I will be analyzing the entire AFC West. In case you didn’t know, the AFC West teams are the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers. Since I am going in alphabetical order, I am starting with Broncos.

The Denver Broncos were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season. The team went 4-12 and had the leagues worst defense. The head coach of the Broncos, Josh McDaniels, was fired mid way through the year. This was largely due to several big losses to AFC West opponents, and questionable personnel decisions. Veteran coach John Fox is now tasked with rebuilding the Broncos and making them competitive once again. There are a number of questions that he is going to have to answer.
1. How does he fix the defense? The Broncos ranked 32nd in points allowed, 31st in run defense and 25th in pass defense. He will likely move the Broncos from the 3-4 to the 4-3.
2. How will he fix the Broncos running game? The Mike Shannahan led Broncos were known for making 1,000 yard rushers out of any guy. Under Josh McDaniels, the Broncos running game stalled. 3rd year running back Knowshon Moreno has proven himself a dangerous weapon, collecting 1,000 all purpose yard in both of his first 2 years. However, he has yet to run 1,000 yards in 1 year. Will he finally hit that goal with the run-heavy Fox coming to town?
3. Is Tim Tebow the starting quarterback? This is the big question for Bronco fans. Tebow took over for Kyle Orton late in the year and did better then most would have expected. He led a come from behind victory against Houston and nearly upset San Diego in the season finale. Will Tebow be the starter in 2011, or will Fox stick to his mold of using more proven veteran players (Kyle Orton)?

Team needs and mock after the page break.

Team Needs

Defensive Tackle
With the Broncos likely moving towards a 4-3 front, they are left very weak at the Defensive Tackle position. Justin Bannan will be an adequate starter, but he is likely the only one. Jamal Williams is a 3-4 nose and will likely be cut, Kevin Vickerson was cut in Tennessee because he struggled in the 4-3, and Marcus Thomas is a free agent. Thankfully for the Broncos, the defensive tackles in this years draft class are very good and very deep.

Linebacker
The Broncos linebacker corps has been made for the 3-4. Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers were the teams starting OLB. They will now switch to 4-3 DE’s. DJ Williams and Mario Haggan were the teams middle linebackers. They both will try to find spots in the new 4-3 system. The rest of the linebackers on roster will have to prove themselves as none of them are sure things. Unfortunately for the Broncos, the linebackers in this class are not very good.

Cornerback
Champ Bailey is a free agent. He could be resigned or franchised, but it will be difficult for them to come to an agreement before the March 4th deadline. If he is not retained, the Broncos will have to rely on veteran Andre Goodman, Perrish Cox, Nate Jones, and Syd’Quan Thompson. Additionally, Perrish Cox has legal problems and could face jail time or a suspension from the league. The cornerbacks in this class are very good, particularly at the top end of the draft. Look for them to target one even if they can resign Champ Bailey.

Safety
Brian Dawkins had an injury filled year and was a shade of his former self when he did play. Renaldo Hill is in his mid 30’s. The Broncos drafted 2 safeties in 09, Darcel McBath and David Bruton, but neither have shown the ability to be a long term solution. The safety class is not great, but there are some quality guys who will be appealing in day 2.

Right Tackle
Ryan Harris is a free agent and it doesn’t look likely that he will be back. Denver desperately needs to find a new right tackle. Do not forget that Tim Tebow is a lefty so finding a blind side protector for Tebow will be near the top of the list in Denver’s off-season to do list. Denver has a high 2nd rounder and could pick up a talent that falls out of the 1st round.

Mock Draft

1st Round #2 overall
Patrick Peterson, CB from LSU

Denver would love to get its hands on Nick Fairley, but he is a strong favorite to go to Carolina. So instead, the Broncos will take arguably the best player in the draft. Patrick Peterson is an elite talent. He’s got a safety’s frame standing at 6 ft 1, 222 pounds and sub 4.4 speed. He is a playmaker in every sense of the word. He has some work to do in his footwork, but he has all the makings of a shut down corner. He will ease the loss of Champ Bailey.

2nd Round #36 overall
Stephen Paea, DT from Oregon St
Paea had some tough luck when he tore his lateral meniscus. He has begun to fall down draft boards. He is going to be a steal for some team if he falls to the 2nd. Paea is a very strong player. Despite his 6 ft 1, 295 pound frame, he plays bigger. He was a disruptive force for the Beavers. He displays a great punch and is a penetrator. He is an athletic guy who explodes off the snap. He is a guy who can be a real force. He is going to be quite the find for someone.

2nd Round #46 overall
Mason Foster, LB from Washington
Foster generated some buzz at the Senior Bowl. He had a very strong week in Alabama. He displayed good instincts, quick hands, and the athleticism to drop into coverage. He is probably the 2nd best 4-3 linebacker in this class behind Von Miller. He was a tackling machine at Washington and can contribute immediately for the Broncos.

3rd Round #67 overall
Marcus Gilbert, T from Florida
Like I said before, the Broncos need to find a blind side protector for Tim Tebow. Who better then the guy who did it in college? Gilbert is a very big 6 ft 6, 320 pound man. He’s got a nice initial burst and strong hands. His footwork is sufficient, but could use some work. Plays well in the run game as he is able to drive defenders away. Tebow needs a blind side protector and Gilbert is a guy he is familiar with. It’s a match made in heaven.

6th Round #184 overall
Jordan Cameron, TE from USC
The Broncos might have one of the worst TE corps in the NFL. Daniel Graham is a blocking only tight end who might be cut because he is being overpaid. 2009 2nd round draft pick Richard Quinn has done little in his short NFL career. Dan Gronkowski is a raw player who hasn’t offered a lot in the pass game. Tim Tebow excelled at throwing to tight ends at Florida and Denver would be wise to pick up a big target for him. Jordan Cameron is a very raw player, but he is very athletic. He has displayed the ability to go up and get the ball. He is a project, but the upside is definitely there.

7th Round, #194
Owen Marecic, FB from Stanford
Fullbacks are very under appreciated. The highest drafted ones that I could find were all in the 6th round. Marecic had a terrific career at Stanford. He played both fullback and linebacker for the Cardinals. He is a nasty lead blocker who reads and reacts well. He demonstrates a good pop and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. John Fox likes to use fullbacks in his running attack. Marecic can be a starting fullback in the NFL for a long time.

This completes my first AFC West Mock Draft: Denver Broncos style. A little recap on how the mock went:

1st round- Patrick Peterson, CB
2nd round- Stephen Paea, DT
2nd round- Mason Foster, LB
3rd round- Marcus Gilbert, OT
6th round- Jordan Cameron, TE
7th round- Owen Marecic, FB

This draft addresses a lot of the key needs for the Broncos. They are in a rebuild right now and this draft gives them a nice first step in that rebuild. Next up in our AFC West Mock Draft: Kansas City Chiefs.