Requiem
04-30-2006, 03:52 PM
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Broncos Draft Filled With Lineman, Receivers and a QB for the Future.
The Denver Broncos entered the 2006 Draft this weekend with perhaps the best flexibility of all 32 NFL teams. That flexibility showed, as Denver was able to make several moves that will have an impact on the franchise not only now, but for the future as well.
The NFL Draft shocks started early as the Houston Texans reached an agreement and signed North Carolina State DE Mario Williams to a contract Friday evening before the draft, the second came when Matt Leinart slid to Arizona, but perhaps the most surprising of all is Denver trading up to grab Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler. Denver sent the #15 and #68 selections, (used on Tye Hill and Claude Wroten) to the St. Louis Rams in order to get the blue-chip quarterback. Read into the selection what you will, but one thing we all know is that Jay Cutler is the future at quarterback for this franchise.
At #37, there were several attractive players on board, but Denver opted to trade the selection to the Green Bay Packers in return for disgruntled wide-out Javon Walker. It's reported that the Broncos and Walker have agreed to terms on a 6 year deal that will keep him in Denver for a long time. According to Denver doctors, he's progressing very well and is right on schedule. For some fans, they feel they gave up too much - but a healthy Javon Walker is better than a healthy Ashley Lelie, and he could very well be the piece missing in the Broncos championship puzzle.
Denver wasn't done with pass-catchers yet, they opted to select Western Michigan TE, Tony Scheffler with their 61st selection in the draft. Known for his speed, power and excellent hands, Scheffler can come in and compete right away for a starting job at the position, but according to him, he's willing to long-snap and even play special teams, anything that will help the team win. The selection of Scheffler ended Denver's first day, which by many analysts is one of the best overall.
Day Two began with many big name players aboard and most teams took advantage. Where most thought the Broncos may have been done with receivers with the addition of Javon Walker, they weren't. They selected Brandon Marshall out of UCF with the 119th pick. Marshall is known for his size, hands and how physical he is. Marshall even opted to switch to safety in the 2004 season to help his team win, which shows a true dedication to football and a willingness to do whatever it takes to improve not only himself, but a team.
At selection 126, the Broncos selected Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil, who recorded double-digit sacks the past two seasons and an impressive 20 in his senior campaign. Some question Dumervil's size, but nobody can question his leadership, work ethic and non-stop motor when on the football field. Where it may be a little premature to start comparing him to accomplished NFL players, his size and playing style is very similar to Robert Mathis, and if he turned out to be that kind of player for Denver, he would become a steal.
The Saga of Receivers continued as Denver selected Domenik Hixon with their 130th pick, which was a compensatory selection awarded for free agent losses last season. Hixon as well played safety in college, starting many games on both sides of the ball, but played very well at receiver and has the size and speed to become a dangerous option in the passing game, but according to him, he has very good skills in the return game and hopes to compete immediately in that department.
Last but not least, the Broncos used their final two selections to shore up the interior of the offensive line with the Chris Kuper, a guard out of Division II North Dakota and multi-award winning center Greg Eslinger out of Minnesota. Perhaps one of the steals of Day 2, Eslinger is similar in many ways to current Broncos LG Ben Hamilton, and after a couple years, could be the long-term solution to center after Tom "Nails" Nalen retires.
The Broncos left some issues unaddressed; as linebacker, safety, defensive tackle and even running back received no selections. However, this is just the beginning. Expect Denver to make contact with several rookies who went undrafted and to make some splashes in free agency after the June 1st cuts.
The draft cannot please everybody, but there's no doubt that the Broncos came up with some players who can contribute right away, and built a solid base for the future with their activity in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Now that the draft is over, we can turn our focus to training and mini-camps to see how these selections perform, and for draft guru's around the nation - we'll start planning for next year.
__________________________________________________ ________________________
PICK BY PICK REVIEW:
Jay Cutler - Although I felt the Broncos had bigger needs, any time you can move from #29 to #11 with three-mid round picks to grab a franchise prospect at the position, you have to do it. Cutler is favored by many to become the best quarterback out of this class, and if so, that's a good thing for the Broncos. GRADE: A
Javon Walker - The Broncos needed a receiver, and Walker when healthy is ten times better and will contribute much more than any rookie in this class. For a Pro-Bowl receiver, Denver received good value out of the pick and has a future #1 receiver to count on after Smith hangs them up. GRADE: A
Tony Scheffler - The Broncos needed a tight end, but passing up Leonard Pope could be a big mistake a few years down the road, but Scheffler is a good prospect with power, speed and solid hands and undoubtedly can be a upgrade over Jeb Putzier. GRADE: C+
Brandon Marshall - Marshall brings many aspect of past Broncos wide-outs that seem to be lacking now adays, size and physicality. Marshall was rising prior to the draft and many felt he had a decent shot at Day 1. He's not a steal, but a very solid prospect who could develop into a very reliable and solid option for the Broncos in the future, and could pay big dividends in the red zone. Some compare him to Terrell Owens, and on the field that's a good thing. GRADE: B
Elvis Dumervil - Dumervil is one of the best pure pass-rushers in this draft, but his size could limit his role for the team in the NFL - but you cannot deny his heart, his motor and dedication to the game. Some may have prefered Mark Anderson, but too bad, Elvis is in the building. GRADE: B+
Domenik Hixon - With Rod Smith, Javon Walker, Ashley Lelie and Brandon Marshall - the Broncos have a solid receiving corp. Hixon's value his rookie season will probably be in the return game and on special teams. With many good players on board, I would have liked us to go in another direction. Hixon isn't a bad prospect, but Denver had other needs to address and in my opinion, "wasted" a compensatory pick. GRADE: D+
Chris Kuper - The Broncos needed depth at OG, and Kuper fits our system well - but he wasn't even the best guard on the board and by far wasn't the best player available. GRADE: C
Greg Eslinger - In my opinion, the best center in the draft. Received many awards and honors from Minnesota, and a perfect fit for the Broncos. To me, this pick signals the heir-apparent to Tom Nalen. Early Day One talent who slipped down into the sixth round. An absolute steal. GRADE: A+
OVERALL: A solid draft, but some positions were not addressed. However, there is always free agency, the undrafted rookies and next year to address that.
B+
Broncos Draft Filled With Lineman, Receivers and a QB for the Future.
The Denver Broncos entered the 2006 Draft this weekend with perhaps the best flexibility of all 32 NFL teams. That flexibility showed, as Denver was able to make several moves that will have an impact on the franchise not only now, but for the future as well.
The NFL Draft shocks started early as the Houston Texans reached an agreement and signed North Carolina State DE Mario Williams to a contract Friday evening before the draft, the second came when Matt Leinart slid to Arizona, but perhaps the most surprising of all is Denver trading up to grab Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler. Denver sent the #15 and #68 selections, (used on Tye Hill and Claude Wroten) to the St. Louis Rams in order to get the blue-chip quarterback. Read into the selection what you will, but one thing we all know is that Jay Cutler is the future at quarterback for this franchise.
At #37, there were several attractive players on board, but Denver opted to trade the selection to the Green Bay Packers in return for disgruntled wide-out Javon Walker. It's reported that the Broncos and Walker have agreed to terms on a 6 year deal that will keep him in Denver for a long time. According to Denver doctors, he's progressing very well and is right on schedule. For some fans, they feel they gave up too much - but a healthy Javon Walker is better than a healthy Ashley Lelie, and he could very well be the piece missing in the Broncos championship puzzle.
Denver wasn't done with pass-catchers yet, they opted to select Western Michigan TE, Tony Scheffler with their 61st selection in the draft. Known for his speed, power and excellent hands, Scheffler can come in and compete right away for a starting job at the position, but according to him, he's willing to long-snap and even play special teams, anything that will help the team win. The selection of Scheffler ended Denver's first day, which by many analysts is one of the best overall.
Day Two began with many big name players aboard and most teams took advantage. Where most thought the Broncos may have been done with receivers with the addition of Javon Walker, they weren't. They selected Brandon Marshall out of UCF with the 119th pick. Marshall is known for his size, hands and how physical he is. Marshall even opted to switch to safety in the 2004 season to help his team win, which shows a true dedication to football and a willingness to do whatever it takes to improve not only himself, but a team.
At selection 126, the Broncos selected Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil, who recorded double-digit sacks the past two seasons and an impressive 20 in his senior campaign. Some question Dumervil's size, but nobody can question his leadership, work ethic and non-stop motor when on the football field. Where it may be a little premature to start comparing him to accomplished NFL players, his size and playing style is very similar to Robert Mathis, and if he turned out to be that kind of player for Denver, he would become a steal.
The Saga of Receivers continued as Denver selected Domenik Hixon with their 130th pick, which was a compensatory selection awarded for free agent losses last season. Hixon as well played safety in college, starting many games on both sides of the ball, but played very well at receiver and has the size and speed to become a dangerous option in the passing game, but according to him, he has very good skills in the return game and hopes to compete immediately in that department.
Last but not least, the Broncos used their final two selections to shore up the interior of the offensive line with the Chris Kuper, a guard out of Division II North Dakota and multi-award winning center Greg Eslinger out of Minnesota. Perhaps one of the steals of Day 2, Eslinger is similar in many ways to current Broncos LG Ben Hamilton, and after a couple years, could be the long-term solution to center after Tom "Nails" Nalen retires.
The Broncos left some issues unaddressed; as linebacker, safety, defensive tackle and even running back received no selections. However, this is just the beginning. Expect Denver to make contact with several rookies who went undrafted and to make some splashes in free agency after the June 1st cuts.
The draft cannot please everybody, but there's no doubt that the Broncos came up with some players who can contribute right away, and built a solid base for the future with their activity in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Now that the draft is over, we can turn our focus to training and mini-camps to see how these selections perform, and for draft guru's around the nation - we'll start planning for next year.
__________________________________________________ ________________________
PICK BY PICK REVIEW:
Jay Cutler - Although I felt the Broncos had bigger needs, any time you can move from #29 to #11 with three-mid round picks to grab a franchise prospect at the position, you have to do it. Cutler is favored by many to become the best quarterback out of this class, and if so, that's a good thing for the Broncos. GRADE: A
Javon Walker - The Broncos needed a receiver, and Walker when healthy is ten times better and will contribute much more than any rookie in this class. For a Pro-Bowl receiver, Denver received good value out of the pick and has a future #1 receiver to count on after Smith hangs them up. GRADE: A
Tony Scheffler - The Broncos needed a tight end, but passing up Leonard Pope could be a big mistake a few years down the road, but Scheffler is a good prospect with power, speed and solid hands and undoubtedly can be a upgrade over Jeb Putzier. GRADE: C+
Brandon Marshall - Marshall brings many aspect of past Broncos wide-outs that seem to be lacking now adays, size and physicality. Marshall was rising prior to the draft and many felt he had a decent shot at Day 1. He's not a steal, but a very solid prospect who could develop into a very reliable and solid option for the Broncos in the future, and could pay big dividends in the red zone. Some compare him to Terrell Owens, and on the field that's a good thing. GRADE: B
Elvis Dumervil - Dumervil is one of the best pure pass-rushers in this draft, but his size could limit his role for the team in the NFL - but you cannot deny his heart, his motor and dedication to the game. Some may have prefered Mark Anderson, but too bad, Elvis is in the building. GRADE: B+
Domenik Hixon - With Rod Smith, Javon Walker, Ashley Lelie and Brandon Marshall - the Broncos have a solid receiving corp. Hixon's value his rookie season will probably be in the return game and on special teams. With many good players on board, I would have liked us to go in another direction. Hixon isn't a bad prospect, but Denver had other needs to address and in my opinion, "wasted" a compensatory pick. GRADE: D+
Chris Kuper - The Broncos needed depth at OG, and Kuper fits our system well - but he wasn't even the best guard on the board and by far wasn't the best player available. GRADE: C
Greg Eslinger - In my opinion, the best center in the draft. Received many awards and honors from Minnesota, and a perfect fit for the Broncos. To me, this pick signals the heir-apparent to Tom Nalen. Early Day One talent who slipped down into the sixth round. An absolute steal. GRADE: A+
OVERALL: A solid draft, but some positions were not addressed. However, there is always free agency, the undrafted rookies and next year to address that.
B+