Montee Ball Drafted by Denver Broncos in 2nd Round

The Denver Broncos surprised plenty of draft pundits by selecting former Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball with the 58th overall selection in the second round.

After no running backs were taken in the first round, Ball became the third running back taken after the Cincinnati Bengals took Giovani Bernard of North Carolina and the Pittsburgh Steelers took Le'Veon Bell of Michigan State.

Ball should come in right away and compete for carries. The Broncos ranked 16th in rushing yards per game last season and did not have a 1,000 yard rusher. 31-year-old Willis McGahee led the team in rushing with just over 700 yards on the season.

Back up Knowshon Moreno averaged just 3.8 yards per carry.

The pick does come as a surprise. Ball was criticized for sub-par workout numbers after posting sub-par workout numbers, including a 4.62 40-yard dash time at the combine.

The Wisconsin product was one of the best running backs in college football last season with over 1,800 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns. With the Broncos using a second-rounder on him, it's apparent that the front office believes he can continue his career at the next level.

Ball joins former North Carolina defensive tackle Sylvester Williams in the Broncos' 2013 draft class.