Why the Denver Broncos Absolutely Must Draft Clive Walford

The Denver Broncos should make every effort to select Miami Hurricanes tight end Clive Walford in the 2015 NFL draft.

Entering the new league year, Denver will have three tight ends who are set to become unrestricted free agents. Julius Thomas, Virgil Green and Jacob Tamme might be available on the open market when free agency begins in March. At this time, Dominique Jones is the only tight end under contract for 2015.

We could see Thomas leave the team for a large pay day in free agency. Tamme is no longer the player he used to be, and he may be allowed to explore other options for 2015. Green should be a priority to re-sign in free agency because he’s a fantastic blocker and underrated receiver.

The Broncos clearly need to address the position in the 2015 NFL draft.

Assuming Green is retained for 2015, the Broncos still need to find another tight end. Enter Walford, a player who could be a fantastic fit in the Gary Kubiak system.

The Skill Set

Walford was one of the biggest playmakers for the Hurricanes offense. In 2014, he was the team’s leading receiver with 44 receptions. He finished second on the team with 676 yards receiving. His seven touchdown grabs also ranked second on the Hurricanes.

Year	Receptions	Yards	TDs
2011	18	172	1
2012	25	451	4
2013	34	454	2
2014	44	676	7

He’s got a quick burst off the line of scrimmage after the snap. Walford gets into his route quickly, and his acceleration can take defenders by surprise.

Walford has the leaping ability to play “above the rim.” This makes him a fantastic target when his team gets near the end zone. Walford understands how to set up defenders, high-point passes and get two feet down inbounds.

He has a narrow base, and this causes some problems when he tries to anchor as a blocker. Walford displays good effort when asked to hold up defenders, but this is an area he’ll need to improve as a pro. With his tremendous run-after-the-catch ability, Walford will sometimes think about making a play after the catch before securing the ball. This leads to unnecessary drops.

The Senior Bowl

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

At the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl, Walford immediately stood out from the other tight ends. I was in Mobile for the ninth year in a row, and Walford earned high marks from me at the weigh-in. Measuring in at 6’5” and 242 pounds, Walford’s physique looked well-defined but not too bulky.

Once practice began, Walford continued to stand out.

On Wednesday, I watched Walford closely as he dominated the competition. He’s willing to stretch out and dive for passes that are out in front of him without any regard for his body. Walford has incredible athleticism, and this essentially stretches his frame to give him a larger catch radius to haul in passes.

In addition to making acrobatic catches, Walford showed incredible “my ball” mentality. When passes were contested by defenders, Walford would regularly rip the ball away.

He understands how to use his body to shield the ball from defenders, and Walford was especially effective on deep routes. He can consistently track the ball in the air and carefully haul it in over his shoulder.

I wasn’t the only evaluator to be impressed by Walford on Wednesday.

Check out the social networking reactions from Walford’s performance in practice.

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Mayock: "He's the most explosive tight end in this draft." --> http://t.co/U1sWt0rha4 pic.twitter.com/j0FN62mG4X

— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) January 21, 2015"

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NFL analyst Mike Mayock on Miami TE Clive Walford: "I think he's proven he could be the best tight end in the country." #SeniorBowl

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) January 21, 2015"

"

Miami TE Clive Walford is making a lot of 💰today.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 21, 2015"

The crowd watching practice this week obviously feels strongly about Walford’s upside in the NFL.

Gary Kubiak System

New head coach Gary Kubiak is known for using two-tight end sets as his base formation. During his time as head coach of the Houston Texans, Kubiak’s offense featured guys like Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham. In 2014 as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator, Dennis Pitta, Daniels and Crockett Gillmore were all utilized. Now that he’s the lead man in Denver, the Broncos need to find quality tight ends who can catch and block.

Here’s a look at the advanced stats for the tight ends who worked under Kubiak in 2014.

Player	Routes Run	Targets	Rec	Yds	TDs
Dennis Pitta	91	22	16	125	0
Owen Daniels	402	76	48	527	4
Crockett Gillmore	106	14	10	121	1

As you can see, Daniels ran 402 routes overall, but as an in-line tight end he ran 317 routes in 2014. The advanced stats show Daniels was lined up out wide like a receiver on nearly 100 routes this last season. Walford has that same type of versatility, and he can be effective in-line or out wide.

Daniels ran the third-highest amount of routes from the in-line tight end position. He ranked this high even though he split time with Pitta early in the season. Adding in Pitta’s routes run, Daniels becomes the leader in the NFL.

NFL Comparison

With his ability to make plays after the catch, Walford has a skill set that is kind of like a cross between Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers) and Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans).

Like Olsen (a former Hurricanes tight end himself), Walford has the ability to attack the deep middle seam of a defense. He has no problem running routes with a safety bearing down on him. Walford can take a hit and hang on to the ball.

Even though he’s bigger than Walker, Walford is similar because he can be dangerous after the catch. He has the quickness to create separation at the stem of the route. Once open, Walford does a good job of creating the largest possible target for his quarterback. After the catch, he can outrun defenders to pay dirt.

Summary

It’s just science—Walford is the best fit for the Broncos. The team needs to invest a second-round pick in Walford, but it better be prepared to move up in the round if need be.

With his performance at the Senior Bowl, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Walford move into the end of the first round. This isn’t a strong tight end class, so a player with his talent is going to be even more highly coveted.

The Broncos will have a new-look offense in 2015. Walford can work with Green to give Denver a fine one-two punch at the tight end position.

All practice observations and quotes are first hand. Free agents, contracts and salary cap information provided by Spotrac.com. College football statistics provided by CFBStats.com. Advanced stats provided by ESPN Stats & Info.