What Recent History Suggests About Denver Broncos' 2015 NFL Draft Plan

Denver Broncos general manager John Elway and head coach Gary Kubiak know each other very well. After all, Kubiak sat behind Elway as the team's backup quarterback from 1983-1991.

In just one month, the two will put their heads together to find the best players available in the NFL draft to improve the team.

Elway will be handling his fifth draft as the Broncos GM, but it will be the first time since 2011 that he'll have to do so with a new head coach in place.

Looking at the recent history involving both men, we may be able to gain some insight into what the team's draft strategy may be. Or rather, how the two men should approach their selections.

Both Men Like to Draft Defense

Despite being former quarterbacks and, in Kubiak's case, a former offensive coordinator, both he and Elway like to draft players on the defensive side of the ball—especially in the early rounds.

In the eight years he was head coach of the Houston Texans, Kubiak drafted a defensive player in the first round six times. Five of those six players were either defensive tackles or linebackers.

And three of them have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl.

Elway has also preferred to go defense with his first pick in each of his four drafts with the Broncos. While Von Miller has been a game-changing defender when healthy, the jury is still out on Derek Wolfe, Sylvester Williams and Bradley Roby.

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General manager John Elway insists that Sylvester Williams "hasn't even scratched his potential." http://t.co/V24xNehToX

— Denver Post Broncos (@PostBroncos) March 17, 2015"

What does that mean for this year?

Though the offensive line certainly needs to be addressed, Elway and Kubiak may choose to select a defensive tackle such as Oklahoma's Jordan Phillips, Florida State's Eddie Goldman or Iowa's Carl Davis in the first round.

Elway Should Defer to Kubiak When it Comes to Offensive Linemen

It should be expected that the Broncos will look to address the team's offensive line depth early and perhaps often in the draft.

Elway has chosen at least one offensive lineman in each of his four drafts, but most have yet to materialize into anything productive.

While he found a very good guard in Orlando Franklin, he has also chosen Philip Blake and Vinston Painter, two players who never played a down for the team.

He also drafted Michael Schofield and Matt Paradis in last year's draft. Both players could figure into the team's plans this year, but neither player was able to step in and help the team last year, despite all of the trouble along the offensive line.

Player	Year	Round Selected	NFL Games Played
Orlando Franklin	2011	2nd	63
Philip Blake	2012	4th	0
Vinston Painter	2013	6th	3
Michael Schofield	2014	3rd	0
Matt Paradis	2014	6th	0

In Houston, Kubiak was able to find solid offensive tackles when he drafted Eric Winston in 2006 and Duane Brown in 2008. Both players are still in the league and Brown has been selected to three Pro Bowls.

Kubiak also selected Shelley Smith out of Colorado State in 2010. Smith is now a member of the Broncos and may be a starter at the guard position when the season kicks off.

Now that the Broncos will almost certainly go to a zone-blocking scheme on offense, Kubiak and Elway should be very adept at finding the right players to fit in.

Still, Elway may find Kubiak's insight into finding the right players for the offensive line beneficial.

It's a fine philosophy to draft players who need development, but this team is going to need offensive linemen who can contribute right away.

Elway Has Found Success in Later Rounds

Where Elway has struck gold in the draft has been toward the later rounds. He has also been able to come up with some excellent undrafted free agents.

In 2011, Elway grabbed Virgil Green in the seventh round. The next year, he found Malik Jackson in the fifth round and Danny Trevathan in the sixth. 

Last year, Corey Nelson, a promising linebacker out of Oklahoma, was selected in the seventh round.

Elway has shown a talent for taking the best from what is left toward the end of the draft, and that has extended into the undrafted rookie process.

Chris Harris, Steven Johnson and C.J. Anderson have all been undrafted rookies under Elway, and each has been a productive member of the roster.

Kubiak has been part of an organization that drafted Mario Williams and J.J. Watt in the first round. By combining their abilities to find players in the draft, Elway and Kubiak should be able to bring Denver one of its best draft classes in many years.