Senior Bowl 2012: Positions, Players Denver Broncos Should Target

Preparation for the continued shaping a molding of the Denver Broncos is in full swing for John Elway, John Fox, Brian Xanders and the entire scouting department this week in Mobile, Alabama, the site for this Saturdays Senior Bowl.

Team meetings were conducted yesterday, prior to the start of a week of practices, for both the North and South teams.

This college All-Star game is for seniors only and is designed to let NFL teams view and evaluate draft-eligible players in an NFL style format.

For this reason, this year's North squad will be coached by the Minnesota Vikings staff and the South will be coached by the Washington Redskins staff.

During practice and the game itself, players will be asked to play out of position at times, as well as being asked to play their position in more of an NFL style, in order to allow NFL executives to appropriately project a player.

Other than the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine in February, this week is a vital tool for the Broncos as they prepare for April's NFL draft.

I believe there are eight positional needs for the Broncos that require attention, and there are potential prospects at the Senior Bowl that could help satisfy those needs.

Defensive Tackle

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Defensive tackle is clearly a need for the Broncos, as an upgrade on stopping the rush and collapsing the pocket from the inside is a necessity.

Both Jaye Howard of Florida and Brandon Thompson of Clemson should be targeted by the Broncos.

Jaye, an Honorable Mention All-SEC, is a proficient tackler who has vastly improved his pass rushing ability.

He is quick and versatile in being able to play up and down the defensive line.

He started 45 games in the highly vaunted SEC and was on numerous pre season watch lists for defensive honors.

Thompson, is Second Team All-ACC and regarded as one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the nation.

At 6'2 and 310 pounds, his strength is as a run-stuffer, and he explodes out of his stance.

His 77 tackles in 2011 show he can get through gaps and bring down the ball carrier.

Cornerback

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The planning for Champ Bailey's successor must begin in earnest.

Father Time is catching up to both Champ and Andre Goodman, and therefore a look to youth must begin.

Alfonzo Dennard out of Nebraska and Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama should be getting long looks this week from the Broncos.

Dennard is one of the best lock-down cover backs in the country.

He's a very physical and strong corner who plays with a ball-hawking tenacity.

He's very adept in both man and zone coverage and possesses very good closing speed and is very good at reading and jumping routes.

Dennard is very good at wrapping up and tackling at the point of impact.

Jenkins has tremendous speed and instincts. He is very aggressive and reads and jumps routes with great anticipatory skills.

He's very good in both man and zone coverage, as well.

He must do equally as well in convincing NFL executives that his off-the-field issues are behind him.

Running Back

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John Fox is searching for his big and bruising feature back of the future for his run heavy mentality.

Two players that the Broncos should have their eyes on are Chris Polk of Washington and Dan Herron of Ohio State.

Polk was named first team All-Pac- 12 this season by rushing for 1,488 yards and 12 TD.

He's a very strong interior runner with good vision who gets upfield quickly.

Polk also has the athleticism to contribute to an NFL passing attack.

Nicknamed "Boom," Herron is a powerful north-and-south runner who possesses good speed.

He makes his presence known between the tackles plowing through traffic and will not ever shy away from bruising contact when not slipping tackles through elusiveness.

Herron is very strong for his size. And, with 32 touchdowns in 22 career starts, he knows how to find the end zone.

Wide Receiver

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The Broncos need to find a sure handed wideout with speed to vertically complement Demaryius Thomas' ability.

Juron Criner of Arizona warrants some consideration, as he is big and quick with good hands.

He has some issues when jammed at the line of scrimmage, but he does have the quickness to beat defensive backs. And, his target frame is a plus.

Another player to keep an eye on is Ohio State's DeVier Posey.

Posey is a reliable receiver with good hands. One of his strengths is route running, which Bronco receivers struggled with this season.

Creating separation from defenders has never been a problem for Posey.

Middle Linebacker

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Middle linebacker is a position within this unit for the Broncos that could use an upgrade in coverage.

Audie Cole of NC State was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award this season.

A  tackling machine, Cole led the Wolfpack in tackles the past three seasons.

Cole is best known for his pass defense. He anticipates quite well and reads the quarterbacks' eyes.

He is a work in progress in the pass rush but still has good enough speed to get past the tackle or running back.

Defensive End

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The Broncos must add depth to the position while creating competition for Robert Ayers.

North Carolina's Quinton Coples is arguably the best end in the draft.

First team All-ACC honors were awarded to Coples this season.

He's a very strong end who utilizes the bull rush technique very well. He is a great pass rusher with a tremendous burst.

With 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons, Coples simply knows how to get to the quarterback.

Billy Winn of Boise State is another that the Broncos should be watching closely. 

Named All-Mountain West Second Team this season, Winn has played both tackle and end in his career but fits well as an end in the 3-4 defense.

He is a powerful rusher who gets to the passer with effort, not on a fast first step.

He keeps his eyes in the backfield and has very good technique.

Quarterback

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Rest assured that the Broncos interest in this position reaches far and wide and there will be a multitude of QB's they will have their eyes on.

The four I believe they will be watching most closely are Brandon Weeden—Oklahoma State, Ryan Lindley—San Diego State, Nick Foles—Arizona, and Kirk Cousins—Michigan State.

These four are pocket passers with strong enough arms to make the necessary passes at the next level.

Each, as expected, has areas they need to improve within their respective skills set, and all four need to improve their footwork and ability to read a defense quicker and with more confidence.

Regardless, there is no real downside to each as they all grade out as good quarterbacks. They should all expect to be successful at the next level.

Safety

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The loss of Brian Dawkins highlighted the inexperience of the Bronco safeties.

There are some question marks with this unit that require some attention paid to the position this week.

Named a Second-Team All-American by the AP, Markelle Martin of Oklahoma State is one of the best overall defensive backs in the country.

Martin is known for being a ferocious hitter and a good tackler.

He recorded nine tackles and a fumble recovery in this year's Fiesta Bowl win.

He explodes to the ball carrier in the run game and closes on the ball very well in the passing game.

Martin excells in zone coverage, covering a lot of ground quickly.

He does not have great speed if he is beaten, but not enough to be a liability in man coverage.  

Antonio Allen of South Carolina, who was Second Team All American and Second Team All-SEC, is an excellent tackler with great instincts that is always around the ball and hits with authority.

He is big and quick and excels on the line and in coverage.

Allen had the distinction this year of being the only SEC player to rank in the top 10 in tackles, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and interceptions.

He has a non-stop motor with outstanding ball hawking skills.