Grade our day 1 picks

[kdissette]

I dont know about you but this was a lack luster day 1 for me. Let me know what you think.

[dreasher54]

I think it was a good day.

[theAPAOps5]

I give the team an A.

I think they addressed the LT with one of the top guys. And Shanny finally addressed ST with a true return man who might also prove to be awesome at stretching the field now that Javon is gone.

Can't wait for the rest of the picks tomorrow.

[MechanicalBull]

I think it was a productive day 1. Protect your franchise QB and get a very good return man that will help tremendously on special teams and can also become a decent slot wr.

[SureShot]

I am filled with contentment

[Doggcow]

I like it, Royal might be a diamond for us.

I reserve my actual grade until tomorrow night. I think they have a plan, I want to see it.

[MechanicalBull]

I give the team an B.

Clady will be a good LT and we finally draft a true KR/PR in Royal. Only a B because we gave up our 3rd and can't get another 1st day pick.

Day 1 is only rounds 1 and 2 now so if we had a 3rd Clady and Royal would still be our only day 1 picks.

[theAPAOps5]

Ah I forgot all about that.

[wolf754life]

Clady solid B, midget wr F -

[Los Broncos]

I'm happy with our picks, I was hoping for a good LT.

The second pick came as a surprise, but we need a decent KR.

[Broncos4Life]

B+

[Killericon]

Clady was supreme, Royal is alright, I suppose, but I wanted Connor. B-

[Spider]

I give it an F- just to be different

[rovolution]

i was dissappointed b/c i know Clady is a guy who needs to refine some parts of his game and really work hard when he gets here, but 2-3 years from now, i believe he can be a franchise type LT. I know a lot of people here will disagree, but I still have lingering concerns about his Wonderlic score.

Royal was a pick I was thrilled with. Hes seems like a team player and he addresses an immediate need, returner. An impact guy from day 1.

Not bad at all. wish we could have had another second but hey, thats life.

Cant wait for tommorow's selections. Day 2 in 2006 we got players like Elvis, Brandon, and Kuper. I believe those Day 2 picks are the ones that are going to be great players for the Broncos.

[lex]

B

We should have taken Branden Albert or Chris Williams...I give Clady a C.

Im giving the Royal pick an A. I dont think it was the best pick but if we're going to take a WR, it was smart to take it when we did. Definitely not a horrible pick even if it wasnt my preference.

[Blueflame]

Clady: A (didn't even expect him to still be available at #12)

Royal: C ("I" think he was a reach; plus we really need help in the trenches)

[bronco militia]

the broncos needed a OL and kick returner, but they drafted guys i didn't care for

b-

surprised to see Dizon and Wheatley go in the 2nd round. had them 4-5 range.

[snowspot66]

I'm content, it's at least a B, maybe an A-.

I think this day had something everybody could be happy with. We addressed needs with guys who have serious potential to make things happen. The biggest grumbles I'm seeing today mostly are people who have reservations on the player, not the position drafted. I'm optimistic at this point.

[baja]

Here's what I think of the draft - Where the hell was Mock.......

[Goobzilla]

A-

Got someone to watch Cutler's back for the next decade. Didn't know much about Royal but after a little research on my part he seems like a good fit here.

[eddie mac]

A+

Yeah that's right.

Clady: Excellent pick. Will be protecting Cutler's blindside for the next 10 years. For a change the Broncos got the first guy on their board and didn't have to trade up. Mayock rates Ryan as the best LT in this draft (including Jake Long) if given time to blossom and coming from the same guy who almost nailed every 1st rd pick today plus his glowing admiration for Jay Cutler prior to that draft it's more than good enough for me.

Mike was also spot on here not trading down given the run on OT after we picked. So much so that the Texans drafted Duane Brown at 26.


Royal: Good pick. Addressed a huge need on this team. Watch our field position ranking change overnight from bottom in the league to top 10. This kid will also have some value in the slot. Avery started the run of speed WR in the 2nd rd and Shanny was right to stay put and take Royal given the fact 3 more speedsters followed in DeSean, Simpson and then Dexter Jackson in the 2nd, who'd have thought that???

More of the same tomorrow please with some depth acquired at MLB, DT, OL, RB, DB and possible starters at K and P.

[Bronco Billy]

I'll give it a B- right now.

Clady was, IMO, the 2nd best OT in the draft behind Long. So, an A- on him. I'll give Royal a C , because of the unknown, which is a lot higher than what I would have given him earlier. He could be a great surprise, but, it's a huge gamble knowing that Trevor Laws, Conner, and at least five higher ranked WRs were on the board.

[Cito Pelon]

C. Maybe a B. I guess this Royal kid has some skills that can translate to the NFL as a return guy, god knows Denver has to get better field position for the O to start with. Clady I guess can be a solid starter. Give me a little time to warm up to these guys. Royal I see his scouting report has phrases like "mercurial speed", "can make defenders look foolish with his ability to change directions and acceleration".

[NW Bolt Fan]

Clady was a great no brainer- falling in your lap. I was hoping you guys would take one of the RBs some were hoping for here... But who the HELL is Royal?? Uhhhmm. :loopy:

[stoxman]

Albert > Clady (It all starts in the trenches--we just picked wrong guy--another development type (Foster) whereas Albert starts right away or at worst mid year for our divisional rivals)
Desean Jackson > Royal (if we wanted speed/returner)

Typical Shanahan. C+.

[Momof2littlebroncos]

I like Clady..iffy about Royal...needed someone to protect cutler...think there was some potential for better when we took royal although we do need help on st

[watermock]

c+ considering Thomas

[Cito Pelon]

A+

Yeah that's right.

Clady: Excellent pick. Will be protecting Cutler's blindside for the next 10 years. For a change the Broncos got the first guy on their board and didn't have to trade up. Mayock rates Ryan as the best LT in this draft (including Jake Long) if given time to blossom and coming from the same guy who almost nailed every 1st rd pick today plus his glowing admiration for Jay Cutler prior to that draft it's more than good enough for me.

Mike was also spot on here not trading down given the run on OT after we picked. So much so that the Texans drafted Duane Brown at 26.


Royal: Good pick. Addressed a huge need on this team. Watch our field position ranking change overnight from bottom in the league to top 10. This kid will also have some value in the slot. Avery started the run of speed WR in the 2nd rd and Shanny was right to stay put and take Royal given the fact 3 more speedsters followed in DeSean, Simpson and then Dexter Jackson in the 2nd, who'd have thought that???

More of the same tomorrow please with some depth acquired at MLB, DT, OL, RB, DB and possible starters at K and P.

Clady I didn't think before the draft was the best option at OT, and I have to stand by that now. If I'm wrong, it won't be the first time. Clady seems a little soft. The Royal kid, I'm warming up to him. A fast, strong kid with TD-making skills is fine with me.

[SureShot]

Albert > Clady (It all starts in the trenches--we just picked wrong guy--another development type (Foster) whereas Albert starts right away or at worst mid year for our divisional rivals)
Desean Jackson > Royal (if we wanted speed/returner)

Typical Shanahan. C+.

Albert is a good player, but we will see if he can make the transition to tackle. As far as rather having Desean, well you sir are a lover of Flava Clowns.

[theAPAOps5]

Albert > Clady (It all starts in the trenches--we just picked wrong guy--another development type (Foster) whereas Albert starts right away or at worst mid year for our divisional rivals)
Desean Jackson > Royal (if we wanted speed/returner)

Typical Shanahan. C+.

Well Albert is a guard and Clady is a true Left tackle so you comparison is bogus. I doubt Clady could convert to Guard and vice versa and be the same great player. If we needed guard and took Albert I would give them your grade. But thats not what was needed.

[Tombstone RJ]

Clady A
Royal B

Overall grade A-/B+ Area.

I can't argue with Clady. He dropped, the Broncos got him, and he's gonna help in the trenches where the Broncos need help. Ultimately, with Clady and Harris, I think we've got the tackle position alot better for Cutler.

I don't know much about Royal, but STs has sucked for a long time for the Broncos and if Royal gets the Broncos an extra 10 yards on punt returns, yah, good job, that alone goes a long, long ways in scoring points when playing the field position game. Moreover, if Royal can be a decent WR, great, give Cutler another weapon.

[Drek]

B.

We took what was given and made good value from it. We got a franchise cornerstone LT and we got a multi-talented and also fundamentally skilled WR in Royal who might not be a prototypical #1 or #2 WR but addresses or immediate needs for a return man and deep threat.

No risks and therefore no large gains that would be needed to earn an A, but a solid B. Added two guys who should contribute for a long time to this organization, and thats of top priority.

[NFLBRONCO]

Needs: A

Grade: C

In time I think it could be an A we'll see.

[wolf754life]

how come no one ever mentions that special teams is about 11 men on the field being coordinated and on the same page???

beuhler.................? beuhler................? Shannahan has been terrible at hiring special teams coaches, and now one guy that is fast is suddenly going to fix EVERYTHING????

Give me a break, you guys could sell ice to Eskimos............

Orangemane, home of the biggest and best homers the NFL has to offer........

UGH

[Northman]

I give the team an A.

I think they addressed the LT with one of the top guys. And Shanny finally addressed ST with a true return man who might also prove to be awesome at stretching the field now that Javon is gone.

Can't wait for the rest of the picks tomorrow.


Yep. Great ****ing day. :thumbsup:

[SureShot]

how come no one ever mentions that special teams is about 11 men on the field being coordinated and on the same page???

beuhler.................? beuhler................? Shannahan has been terrible at hiring special teams coaches, and now one guy that is fast is suddenly going to fix EVERYTHING????

Give me a break, you guys could sell ice to Eskimos............

Orangemane, home of the biggest and best homers the NFL has to offer........

UGH

I think you should quit torturing yourself by coming here.

[Northman]

I think you should quit torturing yourself by coming here.


Ive never seen anyone who likes the kind of abuse he gets besides bob. He's like the outcast who never gets to play with the big kids. lmao

[KipCorrington25]

C because our drafts can't be trusted and the law of averages says at least one will be a colossal bust.

[bronco610]

Ive never seen anyone who likes the kind of abuse he gets besides bob. He's like the outcast who never gets to play with the big kids. lmao

Say, You dont suppose..........

[Popps]

C+

Nice first pick and a silly 2nd.

[Kaylore]

Ryan Clady: Second best tackle in the draft. Considered in some circles as a top five pick. Great feet, long arms, sturdy frame. Played in a system similar to Denver's which allows for easier transition. Needs to use his hands better and focus more to avoid mistakes. A huge need for us and an immediate upgrade. Linemen are the lowest bust potential of any position and has more upside than Jake Long. Grade: A+

Eddie Royal: Combine beast that tore it up in all categories (fastest receiver in the 10 and 20 yard). A short, speedy player that plays stronger than you would anticipate. A huge return specialist. Very good in the slot. Incredible athletic ability and home run hitter. Was never "the guy" at his school and offense production was minimal. A need for us, but surprising considering the other prospects on the board. A bit of a reach but a great prospect to learn under Stokely. Grade: B

[TexanBob]

I'd rate this a B+ or possibly A- depending on how Royal develops.

Clady was simply the right pick in the right slot. All LTs struggle to adjust to the pro game so he'll need a season to grow but, after that, he ought to make us forget Lepsis.

Royal's bio sounds a lot like Rod Smith except he's shorter, faster and needs to work on running routes. I can see him used the way the Chiefs used to use Dante Hall and eventually use him to make defenses pay for watching too much Brandon Marshall. What I liked reading was that he's an enthusiastic run blocker even for his short size and you *know* how much the Broncos value WRs who can block.

[titan]

I give the day a B+. I really like the Clady pick. I was listening to CU coach Dan Hawkins talk about Clady - Hawkins said Clady is still raw (he didn't play oline in high school) but has tremendous potential. Great feet and long arms. I like that he has most of his football ahead of him. Reminds me of another Bronco pick in a past time and a different position - Louie Wright. Wright wasn't as polished as Neal Colzie coming out of college but had the innate athletic ability to excel (and Wright turned out to be a much better pro than Colzie).

I am warming up to Eddie Royal, however I think Shanahan has been looking for an impact returner for years (with several wasted draft picks). If Royal is just a returner, a #2 pick is too early IMO. I am liking what I am reading about Royal's receiving ability so this pick may turn out ok.

I think this draft is deep in running backs - hope Mike Hart is available in round 4.

[Cito Pelon]

I don't know what to say about Clady now, seeings how I ragged on him pre-draft. Dude has obvious skills pass-blocking, I doubt he'll attack in the running game.

[Rabb]

I am happy, I would say an overall A

I really think Clady will do well and Royal is just what we need on special teams although (and please chime in) why him over DeSean?

[baja]

In both cases it looks like shanny got the guy he wanted all along unlike other drafts when his guy was taken by another team just ahead of Bronco's turn.

I'm riding with shanny on this one and giving day 1 an A+

[Darkhawk24]

I'd say a solid B. I liked the Clady pick and think he will fit in with our Line perfectly. I liked Royal and with the run of Wide Outs he may have not lasted to the third. However I do think on paper it was a little early for him. Overall I'm happy with the draft so far.

[Willynowei]

B+

For all the complaining about the checkered pasts of last years selections and FA signings, where's the praise for two supposed high character guys? Royal is a gym rat and Clady is mentioned in nearly every scouting report as someone with an impressive knowledge of his position. So if the guy knows football, and his wonderlic really shows his mental aptitude, then this says one thing - he's got a great work ethic.

I wouldn't grade the day out as an "A" because I believe we had more dire positions of need to be drafted with a high 2nd than KR/PR, I believe you have to build up good blocking across your special teams unit before you go looking for that game breaking returner, and I'm doubtful about the impact that Royal woudl have if we don't improve our blocking on that front.

An alternate scenario I think would've been if we grabbed the best linebacker or safety available who can also contribute in KR/PR coverage and blocking. Royal though, has the most important trait for a receiver in the NFL - work ethic, just ask Jerry Rice. If he can beat bump and gets his route running coached up, i don't see why he can't be the next Wes Welker or Santana Moss. He's fast enough, athletic enough and has shown good ball skills. Everything else comes with work, yes, amazing hands come with work. I really like him as a #2 down the road. Speedy Wideouts are not any more disadvantaged than large wideouts after they beat bump due to the new rules, provided - your QB is accurate. So really, I'm more banking on Cutlers development than nething else.

Overall, in the presser shanny said he had targeted these two guys so, you've gotta be comfortable that the FO did their homework.

[lex]

We just missed out on all of the upper echelon running backs. My grade just went down to a D-.

Not only that but the Chiefs just blew right by us in personnel.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

We just missed out on all of the upper echelon running backs. My grade just went down to a D-.

Not only that but the Chiefs just blew right by us in personnel.

What a ****ing drama queen. Yeah, a team that a bad Broncos team destroyed at Invesco and handled with relative ease at Arrowhead was just passed up in personnel by a team who traded their best player this offseason. Dorsey and Albert were very nice picks, but they didn't close the gap with Broncos. Maybe with another couple years of Top 10 picks they'll pass up the Broncos, but it sure as hell didn't happen this year.

Tuck it back again and try to sound more intelligent next time.

[Willynowei]

We just missed out on all of the upper echelon running backs. My grade just went down to a D-.

Not only that but the Chiefs just blew right by us in personnel.

like we do every year?

I remember the last time there was an amazing runningback crop, lead by Stephen Jackson, Kevin Jones, Julious Jones, Tatum Bell, i think you had 10 or so "great" runners. That has turned out to be the worst RB class without a single performer outside of the midly impressive Jackson.

There are some positions that Shanny's not particularly good at drafting but runningback is definitely not one of them. Shanahan's got a near perfect track record on backers both on offense and defense (every linebacker shanahan's taken in the 1st round has had probowl appearances except for DJ).

[Sassy]

What a ****ing drama queen. Yeah, a team that a bad Broncos team destroyed at Invesco and handled with relative ease at Arrowhead was just passed up in personnel by a team who traded their best player this offseason. Dorsey and Albert were very nice picks, but they didn't close the gap with Broncos. Maybe with another couple years of Top 10 picks they'll pass up the Broncos, but it sure as hell didn't happen this year.

Tuck it back again and try to sound more intelligent next time.

...and they still don't have a QB ;D

What year was it that we drafted a bunch of RB's and everyone complained then (Just like they are doing with the WR situation) and our RB's went down with injuries...It seemed to workout fine then.

[wolf754life]

I called royal and F- pick

for that I should be bitch slapped................

wolf754life = owned

[SureShot]

Clady solid B, midget wr F -

Silly wolf.ROFL!

[wolf754life]

Silly wolf.ROFL!

indeed, pie on my face...............

i hated the pick, tonight i stand FIRMLY corrected.:notworthy