Denver Broncos Mock Draft Roundup: What Are the Experts Saying?
As we enter the month of April, every NFL team is putting the final touches on their 2016 NFL draft boards. The Denver Broncos are no different as we are less than a month from the draft. The team is looking for the best possible talent from this crop of rookie players.
They have already watched the film on the prospects as they look to find players who fit their schemes on both sides of the ball. The Broncos have sent scouts to the college all-star games, the scouting combine and various pro days around the country. Over the next few weeks, the Broncos will be hosting players at the team facility for private workouts.
With the draft about three weeks away, the first round is starting to take shape for the Broncos. General manager John Elway has already built a championship roster. Now, he needs to fill holes left from players departing in free agency while putting together a roster that can adequately defend the team’s championship.
So who are the experts predicting to the Broncos in the first round of the draft? Let’s take a look.
Pete Prisco: DL Chris Jones, Mississippi State
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Pete Prisco, from CBS Sports, has a prediction for the Broncos that others don’t have. He feels that Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones is going to be the team’s first-round pick.
Jones is a powerful player who can control opponents at the line of scrimmage. He has a knack for predicting the snap count, and Jones can get off the line quickly. Once he bursts out of his stance, Jones is adept at hand-fighting to free himself from the grasp of the player tasked with blocking him.
Measuring in at 6’6”, 310 pounds, Jones does get a bit too upright after the snap. He’ll need to work on his leverage in order to maximize his natural skill set at the pro level.
The Broncos lost Malik Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. A player like Jones could step into Jackson’s former starting defensive end spot and the team may not miss a beat. In fact, one could make the argument that Jones provides higher upside than Jackson had during his time with the Broncos.
Daniel Jeremiah: QB Paxton Lynch, Memphis
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Former NFL scout and current NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the Broncos are going to go with a quarterback in the first round. With most mock drafts having both Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) and Jared Goff (California) going off the board early, Jeremiah predicts that Paxton Lynch will be the pick.
Lynch is tall, measuring in at 6’7”, but he’s compact with his throwing motion. He’s a scrambling quarterback who has no problem picking up yards with his legs if a play breaks down. Lynch makes good decisions with the football. He’s not afraid to challenge a defense with his arm, but Lynch is not going to make foolish throws.
He’ll have to get better at throwing on the run if Lynch is in head coach Gary Kubiak's system. His accuracy and mechanics suffer when throwing on the run, but these are correctable problems. He played in what some would consider a gimmicky system at Memphis, and Lynch needs to show that he can be quicker when going through progressions.
Not only Jeremiah, but the entire crew over at NFL.com have the Broncos picking Lynch at the end of the first round. The quarterback position is up in the air for the Broncos at this time. A lot could change before the draft—even during the draft—but if the team does not address the position by adding another player via trade or free agency, we could see them go for a future franchise passer in the draft.
Dane Brugler: DL Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi
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While Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com has the Broncos going with quarterback Paxton Lynch, Dane Brugler believes the Broncos will go with a defensive lineman at No. 31 overall. Brugler has Mississippi’s Robert Nkemdiche as the Broncos' top pick.
Nkemdiche is a physical freak, and at nearly 300 pounds, he has little (if any) bad weight on his body. He has amazing strength and can regularly put opponents on roller skates to push them back in the pocket. Nkemdiche is a straight-line player with the quickness to get into his blocker in a hurry. He doesn’t have a bag of tricks as a pass-rusher, but Nkemdiche’s bull rush is elite.
His production in college won’t blow anyone away. He only had seven sacks in 34 games for the Rebels, and Nkemdiche was only able to compile 19 tackles for loss. He takes too many plays off, and if the play goes away from Nkemdiche, he’s unlikely to put forth the effort to run the ball-carrier down.
The Broncos have a starting spot open on the defensive line. Perhaps with better coaching, Nkemdiche can finally play up to his enormous potential. If his off-field problems are behind him, Nkemdiche could be the best player on the Broncos defense not named Von Miller.
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Matt Miller: LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
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One of the most interesting mock drafts comes from Bleacher Report's own Matt Miller. He believes there’s a chance that linebacker Jaylon Smith will be on the board when the Broncos pick at the end of the first round.
Smith seemed like a surefire top-10 pick before tearing both his ACL and MCL in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State. The injury is the biggest concern for Smith as he enters the NFL. If healthy, Smith has the upside to be one of the best linebackers in the pros.
He has a tremendous nose for the ball and always seems to be around the action as plays unfold on the field. Smith has the athleticism to cover from sideline-to-sideline, and covering move tight ends is not a problem for him. He can play close to the line of scrimmage and help stuff the run if need be.
Smith can play any linebacker position in a 3-4 defense. He can play on the outside and rush the passer, but he can also play inside to stuff the run or cover intermediate routes. With Danny Trevathan moving on to the Chicago Bears in free agency, the Broncos have a need at the position. If added, Smith could play in Trevathan’s old weak-side inside starting spot.
Mel Kiper: OT Jason Spriggs, Indiana
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ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper (and Todd McShay too) feels the Broncos would be best served to address the offensive line with their first pick. Jason Spriggs is the player that Kiper has pegged to be the Broncos pick.
Spriggs has a skill set that would fit nicely in the zone-blocking system implemented by the Broncos. He’s athletic enough to get off the line quickly and set up against speedy edge-rushers. Spriggs has the footwork to mirror rushers and can move them around the corner and out of the way of the quarterback. He’s also capable of getting to the second level of the defense and hitting moving targets to get them out of the way.
He’s not a mauler, and run blocking—especially in short-yardage situations—can be a problem for the big lineman. Spriggs needs to improve his hand-fighting ability if he wants to win against stronger defenders.
With the Broncos adding two offensive tackles in free agency, it seems a bit unusual for them to add another tackle with their first pick in the draft. Russell Okung will be the team’s starting left tackle, and Donald Stephenson is set to start at right tackle in 2016. With Okung’s injury history (24 missed games in six seasons), the Broncos would be wise to have a quality reserve option in place.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via 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 NFLDraftScout.com.
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