The Denver Broncos' Round 1 Big Board Before the Combine
The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine gets underway this week. This is a major stop during the predraft process, as teams get a closer look at the incoming crop of college talent.
These players will be medically checked, interviewed by the teams and media and work through position-specific drills in what is essentially a three-day job interview.
The Denver Broncos are building their draft board for the 2015 NFL draft, and there’s a need for their first-round pick to be an impact player—regardless of the position. The Broncos are still in a Super Bowl window, and they need any player selected with a premium pick to make a difference in 2015.
There’s a lot of options for the Broncos in free agency, but their salary-cap space could run out quickly. They need to find a player in the first round who can step in and start if at all possible.
Denver has been hit-and-miss in the first round under general manager John Elway. Last year’s first-round pick, cornerback Bradley Roby, looks like a hit, and he did a fine job as a nickel corner in 2014.
Two years ago, the Broncos selected defensive tackle Sylvester Williams in the first round, but he has yet to make a big impact as a pro. In a win-now mode, the Broncos can’t afford to wait around for a first-round pick to develop—they need a big hit.
Here is a look at the Denver Broncos’ big board for Round 1 before the combine.
5. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
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The Broncos are going to have a new-look defense in 2015 under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. They’ll be switching to a 3-4 defense, and that means they could have their eyes on an inside linebacker in the 2015 NFL draft.
In his latest mock draft, Mel Kiper of ESPN has the Broncos nabbing Denzel Perryman with their top pick.
Perryman is a true throwback linebacker. He is always around the football, and he regularly arrives at the ball-carrier with natural violence. Perryman is a smart and instinctive player who is rarely fooled by play fakes.
Size is an issue with Perryman. There have been great linebackers who were short before him (Sam Mills, New Orleans Saints; London Fletcher, St. Louis Rams), but measuring in at 6’0” and 242 pounds could be held against him in the scouting process. Perryman is a two-down thumper, and he will get exposed in coverage.
I was excited to watch Perryman during the week of practice for the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this year. He put on a show during Tuesday’s practice, but he was knocked out of action on Wednesday with an abdominal injury.
Currently, NFLDraftScout.com has Perryman rated as the 54th overall prospect and the second-ranked inside linebacker behind Eric Kendricks (UCLA).
The Broncos could start Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan at inside linebacker this year, so passing on Perryman is a distinct possibility.
4. Daryl Williams, OT, Oklahoma
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With potentially three spots up for grabs on the offensive line, expect the Broncos to look long and hard at offensive tackles early in the draft.
Louis Vasquez did the best he could at right tackle last year, but the team needs to move him back inside to right guard where he can dominate. The hole at right tackle is arguably the biggest need this offseason.
Pat Kirwan of CBS Sports currently mocks Daryl Williams to the Broncos in the first round.
Williams has the strength and length teams covet at tackle. Measuring in at 6’6”, 329 pounds, Williams is extremely physical at the point of attack. He’s a road-grader outside, and Williams has the hand strength to control a defender once he’s latched on. He was a four-year starter at Oklahoma, and he has plenty of experience to lean on.
He’s not the most athletic lineman out there, and he will sometimes struggle to get his hands on defenders when asked to block at the second level. Williams also lacks the footwork to handle elite edge-rushers on the outside.
I watched Williams earlier this year during the week of practice for the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl, and I came away impressed with his ability to get off the snap quickly. Of course, he displayed his trademark power and strength during one-on-one drills.
At this time, NFLDraftScout.com has Williams ranked as the 53rd overall prospect and the eighth-best offensive tackle in the 2015 NFL draft.
He’s a good player, but his lack of athleticism might be a poor fit in the new zone-blocking system. There’s a chance that Williams could still be on the board when the Broncos select in the second round of the draft.
3. Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
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The Broncos currently have only one tight end (Dominique Jones) under contract for the 2015 season. Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme and Virgil Green are all set to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents when the new league year starts.
Perhaps Green will return because of his all-purpose ability, but the Broncos still have a need at the tight end position.
Both Rob Rang and Dane Brugler of CBS Sports have Maxx Williams going to the Broncos in their current mock drafts.
Williams is the best tight end in the draft in my eyes. During his time at Minnesota, Williams flashed playmaking ability as a "move" tight end. He can regularly create mismatches on the field, plus he has the speed to attack the deep middle seam.
Williams is smooth after the catch, and he looks fearless when running routes over the middle of the field.
He needs to put on a few added pounds of muscle in order to stand up to the beating he’ll take in the NFL. Williams is not a crisp route-runner, as he’ll lean into his route, tip off the direction he’s headed and round out his breaks.
The staff at NFLDraftScout.com has Williams ranked as the 35th overall prospect and the No. 1 tight end in the draft.
Adding Williams at the 28th overall pick is not a reach by any means. Doing so would give the offense yet another weapon—even if it were to add a veteran tight end like Owen Daniels (Baltimore Ravens) in free agency.
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2. Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
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There may be six offensive tackles off the board by the time the Broncos are on the clock with the 28th pick. As noted earlier in this article, the Broncos need to find a right tackle in a bad way.
Matt Miller, lead NFL draft expert for Bleacher Report, has the Broncos picking Ereck Flowers in his pre-combine scouting notebook.
Flowers immediately stands out on film because of his footwork. He does a good job of finding a player to block at the second level of the defense, and he could be a great fit for a zone-blocking scheme like the one the Broncos are going to implement in 2015.
Flowers can drive defenders off the ball, and measuring in at 6’6”, 324 pounds, he’s tough to get around in pass protection.
He does need to work on his technique as a pass-blocker. Flowers will get out of position with a narrow base, then draw holding penalties so he doesn’t get beat. At right tackle, Flowers won’t face the elite pass-rushers, and this will help his confidence and development as a pro.
Currently, NFLDraftScout.com has Flowers ranked as the 24th overall prospect and the fifth-best offensive tackle in this draft class. The Broncos might have to get lucky if they want Flowers to fall to them, but he’d be a fantastic pick in the first round if he’s still on the board.
1. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
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The Broncos need to find a nose tackle in order to properly run a 3-4 defense. The nose tackle is the fulcrum of a 3-4, and he’s a player who needs to regularly eat up double-teams while holding strong as a run defender.
Defensive tackles Terrance Knighton and Mitch Unrein are both set to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins.
In his pre-combine mock draft, Michael Schottey, NFL lead writer for B/R, has the Broncos taking Danny Shelton with their first pick.
Shelton has a skill set that is reminiscent of Vince Wilfork (New England Patriots). Like Wilfork, Shelton is a huge man who eats up space naturally. He plays with violent striking hands and can quickly disengage from a blocker. Facing spread offenses in the Pac-12, Shelton showed the ability on film to make plays from sideline to sideline.
He lacks polish as a pass-rusher, and that’s not really a big part of his game. Shelton has a powerful bull rush, but he rarely goes to a second move if initially stunted.
Shelton was a standout player during the week of practice for the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this year. I’ll never forget him pumping his fist at the weigh-in on Tuesday because he was happy with his weight of 343 pounds.
Shelton also stood out to me during drills because of his size, natural strength and ability to dominate at the point of attack.
NFLDraftScout.com has Shelton ranked as the seventh overall prospect and the second-best defensive tackle in this draft class behind Leonard Williams (USC).
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.
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