Denver Broncos: Reassessing Draft Needs After 1st Wave of Free Agency
The first shots have been fired around the league during the NFL free-agent signing period. It has been a quiet time for the Denver Broncos—at least in comparison to recent years.
The Broncos have watched as several starters from last season have left to join new teams. Meanwhile, the team has made just a few moves of its own.
Denver signed tight end Owen Daniels in a move that should have surprised no one. On Thursday, the Broncos agreed to terms with defensive end Vance Walker, as reported by Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
But that only addresses a couple of the team's needs.
With many of the big-name free agents already off the market, John Elway and his staff will have to look over what remains with a fine-toothed comb.
However, most of what the team still needs will have to be filled through the draft.
Here is a look at each position the Broncos still need to upgrade, as well as some of the prospects who could fill the holes.
Offensive Tackle
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No matter what the Broncos do in free agency, finding more help on the offensive line is a must. If Denver is going to contend next season, it must add several players.
Louis Vasquez played right tackle last season, but he didn't play the position particularly well. He is much better suited to play guard.
If the Broncos are going to move him back to the inside, they need to find a solid right tackle in the draft. That means they should consider position in the first round.
La'el Collins of LSU, T.J. Clemmings of Pittsburgh and Jake Fisher of Oregon are all players the Broncos could have a chance at selecting with the No. 28 pick in the first round.
If one of them is there, it almost has to be the pick. If all three players happen to be there, Collins is the best prospect. His quickness and timing are evident on tape. He is quick off the snap and can be a pulverizing run-blocker. He holds up well in pass protection too.
Guard
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In what should not have come as a surprise, Orlando Franklin agreed to a lucrative deal with the San Diego Chargers earlier this week.
He is just one of several former Broncos who have latched on with new teams this week. For Denver, it's a double whammy as he also joins a division rival.
Guard is a position the Broncos should address in the draft, but it's not an absolute necessity. The team seems to have confidence in guys like Ben Garland and Michael Schofield.
Schofield, last year's third-round draft choice, could receive the first opportunity to take Franklin's old spot.
Ali Marpet is a player the Broncos could possibly obtain in the third round of the upcoming draft. If the team wanted to wait even longer, Jamil Douglas out of Arizona State is a nice option.
Guard should be considered a draft need, but not a pressing one.
Center
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As you can see, there really isn't an area of the offensive line that doesn't need some attention this offseason. That includes the center position.
The Broncos already lost out on the chance to bring in free-agent center Rodney Hudson, who signed with the Oakland Raiders, according to the team's official website.
That leaves the Broncos with a few options.
The team could reach out to Stefen Wisniewski in an attempt to lure him to Denver. However, the Seattle Seahawks may beat the Broncos to the punch, as Terry Blount of ESPN.com reports that Wisniewski has met with them.
That means the Broncos will have to turn back to Manny Ramirez or re-sign free agent Will Montgomery. If either of those ideas comes to fruition, the Broncos will almost certainly have to find a center in the draft.
B.J. Finney of Kansas State would make a bunch of sense in the fifth round.
"KSU's B.J. Finney had his pro day same day #Seahawks traded Unger. Wherever Finney ends up, he'll be a Year 1 starter.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) March 10, 2015"
Finney is a strong, durable player who could start right away. With a background in wrestling, he gets great leverage and moves defenders backward in the running game.
He must be on Denver's draft board.
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Defensive Tackle
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It has become abundantly clear that the Broncos don't want Terrance Knighton back.
Perhaps that is due to the team not feeling he is a good fit in a 3-4 defensive scheme. Perhaps it is his weight issues. Perhaps it's something else entirely.
One way or another, the team is moving on from Knighton. This is a curious decision, as he was one of the main reasons the Broncos were so stingy against the run last season.
Mitch Unrein is also an unrestricted free agent.
That leaves the team with Sylvester Williams and Marvin Austin at the defensive tackle position, and neither is a guy that the team should be willing to rely on.
That leaves the draft, where several good options exist.
In the first round, Jordan Phillips of Oklahoma seems like a good pick. He has immense potential and is about as athletic as it gets for a man his size (6'6", 334 pounds). He is a strong defender against the run but can cause plenty of problems for the quarterback as well.
"Jordan Phillips can play on all three downs as he can collapse the bottom of the pocket on 3rd downs.
— Jordan Plocher (@StarvingScout) March 11, 2015"
If the Broncos look to the later rounds for a defensive tackle, Houston's Joey Mbu fits what the team needs.
He is able to maintain leverage at the point of attack and is aggressive in stopping the run. With his long arms, he is able to knock passes down at the line of scrimmage. He also shows great play recognition.
Mbu could use a year to develop, which means the Broncos would have to get much more out of Williams than they have thus far, but Mbu has the tools to be a starter in the league.
Free Safety
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Rahim Moore signed a new deal with the Houston Texans, as tweeted by Adam Schefter Thursday. It didn't seem like he ever considered being back in Denver.
The Broncos now have a hole in the secondary and have met with free-agent safety Darian Stewart, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
Even if they reach an agreement with Stewart, the Broncos need to target a player in the draft who can be a fixture in the secondary for years.
Durell Eskridge of Syracuse could be that player. He is a safety with good ball skills to go along with great tackling ability. That's what sets him apart from a guy like Gerod Holliman of Louisville, who has excellent ball skills but is a poor tackler.
The Broncos could get Eskridge in the third round of the draft and have a great player to pair with T.J. Ward in the defensive backfield.
Linebacker and Tight End May Not Be Needed
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Linebacker is a position that the Broncos could consider in the draft, but only if they can find the right player to fit the incoming 3-4 scheme.
The team needs to get a player to complement what it already has in Von Miller, Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan. Markus Golden of Missouri and Lorenzo Mauldin of Louisville are two players who could get consideration as outside linebackers.
Another player the Broncos could look at is Nate Orchard, who can also play defensive end. He has as much speed coming off the edge as any player in the draft and could pose a real threat for any defense.
However, the Broncos might be best served to just re-sign Nate Irving, who was having a good 2014 season before an injury knocked him out for the year.
As for tight end, fans will be looking for the team to do whatever possible to replace Julius Thomas' production. But what if the Broncos have already done that?
Daniels will be an excellent fit in the offense due to his familiarity with Gary Kubiak. The Broncos also chose to re-sign Virgil Green, who may be the best pure blocker on the entire team.
Green will make a much bigger name for himself than he has thus far; don't sell his abilities as a receiver short. Just because you haven't seen him catch many balls doesn't mean he can't. Green will be an asset in that department as well.
Green and Daniels will form a good combination. There's no need to draft a tight end, though the team should consider bringing back Jacob Tamme.
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