Wes Bunting Says the Broncos Are Leaning Towards Da’Quan Bowers With 2nd Pick

Wes Bunting tweeted today that he has heard the Denver Broncos are leaning toward taking Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers with the second overall pick come April’s draft. In other news, the Denver Nuggets are close to trading Carmelo Anthony to Spain.

In all seriousness, the fact that Bunting connected the Broncos and Bowers combined with his reputation for being one of the most reliable draft analysts out there, this statement holds a bit more weight among draft circles than many other rumors out there.

The strange thing about this news is the timing. Bowers just had arthroscopic surgery, but what’s incredible to me is that he played most of the season with a partially torn meniscus, and still led the nation with 15.5 sacks. Bowers’ production in his junior season is even more incredible than it seems on paper.

The fact that he is being considered a one year wonder doesn’t concern me personally. The Broncos have no pass rush, and adding Elvis Dumervil and Da’Quan Bowers could certainly go a long way in solving that issue.

So why should a prospective team not be concerned about Bowers’ one year wonder status?

Bowers improved each of his first two years at Clemson after being the number one recruit coming out of high school. Obviously, what he did in his junior season was what was expected of him immediately, but you have to also consider what it was like for Bowers off the field.

In the same year, Bowers lost his father and his mentor, former Chicago Bears and Clemson star Gaines Adams. When those two men passed on, something seemed to click for Bowers, and he got his act together. The timing of his breakout season makes it seem like he was playing simply for the money, but the fact that he did it on a partially torn meniscus is incredible to me.

The major thing here for the Broncos is that they are going to have to see Bowers only in the interview rooms at the Combine, as it’s likely with his surgery that he will not be able to participate in any of the drills. Where a guy like Patrick Peterson or Nick Fairley could gain a lot from the Combine process this year being that the prospects have such a thin margin between them. The Combine could have really been a huge benefit for Bowers, but he will have to wait for Clemson’s pro day to impress scouts, and he may not even be ready by then.

Time will tell, but if the Broncos are leaning on taking Da’Quan Bowers, what the Panthers decide to do with the top pick now has even more of an impact on what Denver decides to do.