Denver Broncos 2012 Draft: Breaking Down Each of Denver's Day-2 Selections

Many Denver Broncos fans were disappointed when they traded down in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night and eventually traded out of it altogether. Denver was able to pick up some extra selections along the way, though, and finally got its draft underway on Day 2 with three selections over the second and third rounds.

There is no doubt that the Broncos have had an interesting draft to this point; they addressed a glaring need at defensive tackle, but failed to bring in any real help for quarterback Peyton Manning. Denver certainly has a nice roster in place that can definitely win the AFC West, but I can't help but think that an offensive line selection would have been apropos.

With that said, here is a breakdown of each of the Broncos' selections in the second and third rounds on Friday, complete with analysis on what roles I believe they will play immediately.  

Derek Wolfe, DL, Cincinnati

The Broncos entered the draft with a very obvious need at defensive tackle, and while they may not have taken one that many expected, they addressed that need with their first pick of the draft. Despite the likes of Kendall Reyes, Jerel Worthy and Devon Still remaining on the board, the Broncos made what some would consider a reach selection when they took Cincinnati's Derek Wolfe with the No. 36 pick in the draft.

While Wolfe hasn't gotten a ton of hype throughout the draft process, he was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and has a non-stop motor that should work well on Denver's defense.

Wolfe figures to step in and play right away due to the Broncos' deficiency at tackle, and if they had him rated highest on their board, then it's tough to argue with the pick. Wolfe figures to be a handful for interior linemen, and perhaps more importantly he will take up blockers and create more space for pass-rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil. 

Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State

This is where things started to get a bit shaky. Obviously Manning is getting up there in age and there will be lingering concerns over his multiple neck surgeries, but since the goal is to win now, I'm not a big fan of taking Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler at pick No. 57. The Broncos were going to need a quarterback of the future eventually, but Osweiler does absolutely nothing to bolster Denver's chances of going to the Super Bowl.

That is the reason why the Broncos signed Manning, but they didn't make a good enough effort to put pieces around him.

My biggest problem with this pick, though, is that I'm not a fan of Osweiler. I consider Arizona's Nick Foles and Wisconsin's Russell Wilson to be better quarterback prospects than Osweiler—I simply don't like Osweiler's makeup.

He has prototypical size and strength, but he's a bit of a statue and had accuracy issues in the red zone. He also seems quite cocky to me, and while that may simply be confidence, I get the feeling that his attitude won't translate well to the NFL. 

Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State

There is no doubt that San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman is an intriguing prospect, but many were surprised when the Broncos took him with the fourth pick of the third round. Hillman was incredibly productive at the collegiate level and Denver obviously saw something in him.

At 5'9" and 200 pounds, he is certainly a bit undersized, but he is also one of the speedier backs in the draft; he ran a 4.45-second, 40-yard dash. Perhaps the Broncos brass is expecting him to be a complement to Willis McGahee's more deliberate style of running.

McGahee is getting along in the tooth, but the Broncos still have Knowshon Moreno on the roster as well. Moreno hasn't lived up to expectations, though, so Hillman may very well surpass him on the depth chart soon. I don't have a huge problem with Denver taking a running back, but with a solid offensive lineman like Mississippi's Bobby Massie on the board, that would have been a better option in order to help protect Manning.