Darius Kilgo to Denver Broncos: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

Coming into the 2015 NFL draft, Sylvester Williams and Marvin Austin were the only defensive tackles on the Denver Broncos roster. Vance Walker could be an option as well.

Denver has decided to use their sixth-round pick on Maryland's Darius Kilgo.

In the process, the Broncos got a player who is capable of being strong against the run, but he is almost nonexistent as a pass-rusher. In fact, he'll almost certainly come off the field on passing downs.

Kilgo was not invited to this year's scouting combine, and that has to be a motivating factor on his NFL journey.

Defensive tackles dropped throughout the draft, as Carl Davis was snatched up by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 90 overall pick. Clemson's Grady Jarrett lasted all the way until the fifth round.

The Broncos recognized that defensive tackles were running thin, so they chose Kilgo. However, there were higher-ranked defensive tackles on the board at the time, including Christian Covington of Rice, Derrick Lott of Chattanooga and Rakeem Nunez-Roches of Southern Mississippi.

At 6'3" and 313 pounds, Kilgo is a big player. He plays like someone who is too big at times, as he is a little slow off the snap and doesn't possess quick feet or good lateral movement.

This leaves the Broncos with a player they hope can contribute against the run while trying to coach him into a more versatile player.

Kilgo had offers from a few SEC schools coming out of high school, but he chose to go to Maryland instead, redshirting in 2010. He showed good progress in each of his years at the school and had his best season as a senior in 2014, collecting 43 tackles. Eight of those tackles went for a loss of yardage, and he tacked on two sacks and four fumble recoveries.

College Statistics:

Tackles: 125

Tackles for Loss: 19.5

Sacks: 5.5

Forced Fumbles: 1

Denver obviously sees something in Kilgo that will translate to Wade Phillips' 3-4 defensive scheme. If not, they wouldn't have chosen him over the aforementioned defensive tackles that were available.

It's tough to question John Elway before seeing how the team chooses to use Kilgo, but defensive tackle was a need and they could have done better with this pick. With three picks in the seventh round, Kilgo would likely still have been there.

The Broncos clearly feel they have enough pass rush from the outside, and with Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Shane Ray, they probably do. The team also isn't ready to give up on Williams, who has been a disappointment so far in his career.

In the case of Kilgo, he will need extensive development to make it in the NFL. He is currently way too one-dimensional and will have an uphill climb to make the team. Earning a spot on the practice squad should be the highest expectation from fans.

At this point, he is a part-time run-stuffer who will be asked to come in and clog up the middle.