Denver Broncos 2015 NFL Draft: The Good, the Bad and the Baffling
The Denver Broncos started out the 2015 NFL draft with perhaps the most shocking pick of the opening night. Not many had predicted that the Broncos would move up—for the first time under general manager John Elway—to select pass-rusher Shane Ray. It was a great pick that certainly got the Internet buzzing.
That’s not the case for every move this team made in the draft. There were some picks and missed opportunities that left many scratching their heads.
Here’s a recap of what the Broncos did in the draft this year, highlighting the good, bad and baffling picks as well as developments stemming from the event.
The Good: Moving Up for Shane Ray
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The Broncos' pass rush got a turbo boost with the addition of Missouri’s Shane Ray. The team already has Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware at outside linebacker, and Ray is only going to allow Denver to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The young pass-rusher is excited to take on the other teams who passed on him in the draft. "I define myself as a steal in the draft," he said. "All the teams that passed on me, they made a huge mistake."
It’s worth noting that every opponent in the AFC West passed on Ray, who was ultimately picked at 23rd overall. That’s not a good sign of things to come for quarterbacks Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers), Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders) and Alex Smith (Kansas City Chiefs).
Ray’s game can be described as intense. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and does not back down from a challenge. He will attack the quarterback relentlessly and is tough for opponents to slow down.
In games, 32-year-old Ware will be able to stay fresh because of Ray's presence. Even Miller will be granted a breather if he needs one because of the talented rookie.
The biggest impact Ray could have may be felt as the season draws to a close.
Ware had 10.5 sacks last season, but only two of them came over the final eight games of the year. This season, Ware should be able to make more of an impact over the final half of 2015.
The Bad: Passing on Blake Bell
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This offseason, the Broncos kept Virgil Green around with a new deal and signed Owen Daniels in free agency to be their lead tight end. In addition to that, the Broncos also signed veteran James Casey to compete at the position.
Even with those moves, the Broncos filled a need at TE via the draft.
However, they let Oklahoma product Blake Bell slip through their fingers. Instead of acquiring Bell, the Broncos chose to select Jeff Heuerman from Ohio State in the third round of the draft (92nd overall).
Bell ended up going one round later (117th overall) to the San Francisco 49ers.
While Bell is a supremely gifted athlete who can be a dangerous receiver down the seam, Heuerman is not that same caliber of player.
Bell can be a "move" tight end to attack the deep middle seam of the defense. He has some shades of Julius Thomas to his game, and it wouldn’t be a total shock to see him develop into one of the most dangerous pass-catching tight ends in the league.
Heuerman plays more like a poor man’s Virgil Green, and his impact as a pass-catcher will be limited.
If the Broncos wanted to find a "move" tight end to learn behind Daniels, then they messed up by not acquiring Bell.
The Baffling: Max Garcia's Fit
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The offensive line has been a unit the Broncos have put a ton of time and effort into reconstructing this offseason. Part of that endeavor has included changing the system in place.
In 2015, the Broncos are going to be using a zone-blocking system up front. This approach requires smaller, more athletic offensive linemen who can move well laterally after the snap.
In the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft, the Broncos added center Max Garcia (Florida Gators, 133rd overall) to compete at the position. He’s a powerful player who excels as a run-blocker, but he’s a bit of an odd fit in the zone-blocking system.
Garcia has good functional strength and a powerful base to stand strong against bull-rushing opponents. He uses his hands to jar defenders after the snap and does a good job of controlling his man at the point of attack.
He does struggle against more athletic defensive linemen in the trenches. Garcia is also not much of an impact player when asked to get out in space on screen passes.
He is going to compete with Gino Gradkowksi and Matt Paradis for the starting center job this year. Gradkowski has the most experience, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Garcia start at some point as a rookie—even if he is a bit of an odd fit.
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The Good: No Bryce Petty
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There was a chance the Broncos were going to add a quarterback in this draft. One QB who got a lot of mention when discussing the Broncos was Baylor’s Bryce Petty.
Denver did not select him—and that’s a good thing.
Petty is more of a project than some think. While he put up some good numbers in the pass-happy Baylor system, he has multiple issues to clean up before he’ll be ready to play in the NFL.
The quarterback of the future for the Broncos needs to be ready to go next season. Peyton Manning has two years remaining on his contract, but there’s a chance that 2015 will be his final season in the NFL. Denver has to have someone ready to take over in case it is without Manning in 2016.
That quarterback is not Petty—a player who is about two years away from competing for a starting job.
Because the Broncos didn’t add Petty, we could see a contract extension for fourth-year quarterback Brock Osweiler.
Entering the final year of his contract in 2015, Osweiler has been waiting patiently for his chance to be a starter. Coming out of Arizona State in 2012, Osweiler was selected with a second-round pick. He has worked diligently to clean up and improve his game.
Osweiler now has a much better release point and quicker throwing motion. He’s worked on his footwork and is no longer flat-footed as a passer when the pocket is clean. He has also looked good in practice when throwing on the run.
He’s a tremendous athlete who is arguably a better fit for head coach Gary Kubiak's system than Manning is. With all the time invested in Osweiler, the Broncos didn’t need to add a rookie in the middle rounds like Petty (103rd overall to the New York Jets).
The Bad: Passing on Second Day Defensive Tackles
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Much to the chagrin of some fans in Broncos Country, the Broncos did not add a defensive tackle on the second day of the draft. They made a big splash in the first round with the addition of pass-rusher Shane Ray, and some fans wanted them to stick with the defensive side of the ball in the Round 2 or 3.
The second day of the draft saw only four defensive tackles taken off the board.
With the 39th overall pick, the Chicago Bears picked up Eddie Goldman from Florida State. CBSSports.com's Chris Trapasso mocked the big man had to the Broncos, and his size (6'4", 336 lbs) would have certainly come in handy in the middle of Denver’s defensive line.
With the 52nd overall pick, the Miami Dolphins grabbed Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips. As noted by DenverBroncos.com, Phillips was connected to the Broncos in mocks before the draft. Phillips is more of a penetrating defensive tackle than Goldman and should be able to create interior pressure often for the Dolphins.
With the 90th overall pick, the Baltimore Ravens selected Carl Davis out of Iowa to beef up their defensive line. After trading away Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions, the Ravens needed to find a player with the size to fill that spot.
NFL Media's Mike Mayock (h/t NFL.com's Chase Goodbread) suggested in January that Davis had perhaps reached first-round status, so sliding to this spot makes him a value—even if he ends up playing defensive end instead of defensive tackle in the Ravens’ 3-4 defense.
The final defensive tackle selected on Day 2 of the draft was Washington State’s Xavier Cooper. With the 96th overall pick, the Cleveland Browns picked him up to begin his career as a rotational player on their defensive line.
Cooper is not a huge presence inside (6'3", 293 lbs), but he’s got a great burst at the snap and to the quarterback. The interior pressure he can bring to the field would have been very welcome in the Broncos defense.
The Broncos did end up selecting a defensive tackle in the sixth round (203rd overall) when they added Darius Kilgo out of Maryland. He could develop into a fine two-down run-stuffer for the Broncos, but the talent that came off the board in Rounds 2 and 3 could have done more.
The Baffling: Why Did Lorenzo Doss Fall?
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Elway found a good value in the fifth round when the Broncos selected Tulane cornerback Lorenzo Doss 164th overall. There were 18 cornerbacks selected before Denver plucked Doss from the pool of college players.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had Doss rated as a potential fourth-round pick, so why did he fall in the draft?
Doss came to Tulane as a wide receiver, but he was moved to the defensive side of the ball during his freshman year. He uses the skill set of a wide receiver to play cornerback, and that’s why he always seems to be around the football.
Doss will locate the ball quickly in the air and has the natural timing to break up several passes thrown his way.
He leaves Tulane as one of the most decorated cornerbacks in team history. During his collegiate career, Doss compiled 35 passes defensed and 15 interceptions. He can flip the field in a hurry once he gets his hands on the football, as evidenced by his 18.1 yards per interception return at Tulane.
In addition to providing the Broncos with cornerback depth as a sub-package player, Doss may also be asked to try his hand as a return man. He never returned punts or kicks at Tulane, but the natural athleticism and agility are there to do so.
Doss might have fallen in the draft after a somewhat disappointing 2014 season. He had his breakout year in 2013 and wasn’t tested as much last year.
When tested, Doss tried to do too much at times, leading to big gains by the receiver he was covering. This was evident in the game against Rutgers during which Doss gave up six catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
If he can demonstrate better discipline, Doss has the ball skills and athleticism to be a quality depth player who sees playing time in nickel and dime situations.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided by the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by CBSSports.com.
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