5 Late-Round Sleepers Who Would Be Perfect for Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are looking to build better depth for their team through the 2015 NFL draft. They are in a “win now” mode under general manager John Elway, but as he says, they also want to “win from now on.”

At the top of the draft, the Broncos can find impact players. Last year’s first-round pick, Bradley Roby, turned in a fine performance as a nickel corner during his rookie season. This year, the Broncos own the 28th overall pick in the draft, and they’ll be looking for a player who can make immediate contributions.

As the draft goes on, the Broncos can still find quality talent.

In fact, the Broncos are arguably the best team in the NFL at finding late-round or undrafted players who turn into starters or stars at the pro level. Whether it’s someone like Terrell Davis (1995, sixth round), Danny Trevathan (2012, sixth round), Chris Harris (2011, undrafted) or C.J. Anderson (2013, undrafted), the Broncos know how to identify talented players late (or after) in the draft.

Here are five late-round sleepers who would be perfect for the Denver Broncos.

Blake Bell, Tight End

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This is not a strong tight end class. There are a couple of quality players (Maxx Williams, Clive Walford) who should be late first- or early second-round picks, but the rest of the class are projects who fall in the mid-to-late rounds.

If the Broncos don’t select one of the two aforementioned tight ends early in the draft, they should just wait until the sixth or seventh round and select Blake Bell from Oklahoma.

Bell went to Oklahoma as a quarterback, but in 2014 he was converted to a tight end. He finished the year with only 16 catches for 214 yards and four touchdowns. Bell is certainly raw as a tight end, but the upside is there.

Measuring in at 6’6”, 260 pounds, Bell has the size to create mismatches every time he’s on the field. He’s too big for safeties to cover and too fast and athletic for linebackers to stay with in coverage.

I watched Bell closely during the week of practice for the East-West Shrine Game earlier this year. He impressed me each day despite his raw skill set. He moves well for a man his size and understands how to square his shoulders to the line of scrimmage to create the largest possible target for his quarterback. As a former quarterback, Bell also knows where to sit down in the soft spots of zone coverage.

The Broncos could add Owen Daniels in free agency while also re-signing Virgil Green for 2015 and beyond. If they do that, then selecting an early-round tight end would be unlikely. However, adding a developmental guy like Bell would be a fantastic idea.

Tyler Heinicke, Quarterback

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Like the tight end class, there is not a good group of quarterbacks entering the NFL this year. A couple should go in the top 10 (Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota), and one could be drafted higher than some expect (Brett Hundley). There are also a couple of mid-round guys worth considering (Garrett Grayson, Bryce Petty).

There’s not much there for late-round upside, but one player the Broncos should consider is Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Last year, Heinicke threw for over 3,400 yards with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He’s a smart leader who can effectively run the West Coast offense.

He was arguably the most impressive quarterback at the 2015 East-West Shrine Game. I watched him during the week of practice for that game and came away intrigued by his upside. His arm isn’t incredibly strong, but he’s able to make all the throws required of him at the pro level.

He’s athletic enough to keep plays alive with his feet while keeping his eyes downfield. While not a scrambler, Heinicke can manipulate his space in the pocket effectively.

Some will hold his height (6’1”) against him, but Heinicke does a good job of finding passing lanes to get the ball to his targets downfield. He wasn’t asked to throw deep that much at Old Dominion, but Heinicke is accurate on short and intermediate routes.

Whether or not Peyton Manning sticks around in 2015, the Broncos could be looking at quarterbacks in the 2015 NFL draft. If they wait until the end of the draft, Heinicke would be a good developmental player to add.

Devante Davis, Wide Receiver

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This class of wide receivers isn’t as strong as it was last year, but it’s still one of the best groups in the 2015 NFL draft. There are several options for the Broncos early in the draft, but after selecting Cody Latimer in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, it would be a bit unusual for them to add another wideout with a premium pick.

This is why a player like Devante Davis is a perfect pick for them late in the draft.

Davis had a phenomenal junior season in 2013, finishing with 87 catches, 1,290 yards and 12 touchdowns. He decided to return for his senior season, but the year didn’t go as planned.

In 2014, a wrist injury held him back, costing him four games. He only had 34 catches for 599 yards and four touchdowns over seven games.

Davis was invited to the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl, and it was going to be a fantastic chance for him to showcase his talent to the NFL. He was going to get the chance to display what he could do against some of the best senior competition in college football. Instead, Davis went down after the first day of practice with a hamstring injury.

I was excited to see Davis during the week of practice for the Senior Bowl, and it was heartbreaking to see him go down with an injury. He showed an impressive physique during the weigh-in for the Senior Bowl, measuring in at 6’3”, 220 pounds.

With the possibility of being labeled as “injury prone,” Davis could see his draft stock fall to the end of the final day. This means the Broncos could pluck a big, talented player in the last round of the draft.

Zaire Anderson, Outside Linebacker

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When the late rounds of the draft come around, teams are looking for players with at least one elite characteristic. A team can never have enough athletic linebackers, and that’s why Zaire Anderson should be a consideration for the Broncos late in the draft.

Anderson has a tremendous nose for the ball, and he always seems to be around the play. He can diagnose quickly as the play unfolds in front of him, and he has the speed to arrive at the play quickly. Once at the ball-carrier, Anderson plays with the natural violence to be disruptive upon impact.

He tore his ACL after only three games in 2012. Anderson flashed his ability for a brief period of time before being shut down for the season.

Over the next two seasons, he was one of the best playmakers on the Cornhuskers defense. His position versatility (he can play outside linebacker or inside linebacker) and nose for the ball make him a fine candidate for a late-round pick.

He led the Cornhuskers in tackles in 2014 with 103, plus 13 tackles for a loss. Anderson isn’t a pass-rushing threat, but he is a sound tackler who can bring down opponents in open space.

The Broncos can add Anderson in the last round of the draft, and he could at least contribute as a special teams standout with the upside to be more.

Byron Jones, Cornerback

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Teams can never have enough quality talent in the secondary—specifically at the cornerback position. If a team can find a player who can play more than one position in the secondary, it needs to make a move to add that type of talent.

Byron Jones began his career at UConn as a safety. For the last two years, he has played cornerback for the Huskies. In 43 career games, he had 37 starts and showed good field awareness no matter where he lined up.

Jones has a nose for the football and can make opposing quarterbacks pay for bad decisions. He does a good job of baiting quarterbacks into making poor throws. Once the ball is in the air, Jones has the recovery speed to close on the ball quickly.

Medical checks will be critical for Jones. A shoulder injury ended his 2014 season, and that will need to check out to salvage Jones’ draft stock.

His position versatility makes him a great asset as a late-round pick. Jones has the size (6’1”, 196 pounds) to play either position at the pro level. In addition to playing corner or safety, he could also audition as a punt returner.

All draft grades are provided via NFLDraftScout.com. Any practice observations are firsthand. College stats provided by CFBStats.com.