2006 Draft Revisited: Denver Broncos Shine above the Rest

Denver went into the 2006 draft looking to improve a team that just went 13-3, and made it to the AFC Championship game.  Instead of aiming for the present, head coach Mike Shanahan looked into the future, and made a move that shocked Bronco nation.

Round One

The Rams were on the clock at pick No. 11, and Matt Leinart had just fallen to the Cardinals at the previous pick.  Leinart's fall was the talk of the day, because he was absolutely not supposed to have dropped into the Cardinals laps.  Little did NFL fans know that the true steal of the draft was to come about 20 minutes later, when the AFC Runner-up Denver Broncos traded up to get Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler. 

The pick was not a popular one, as analysts and fans felt the Broncos needed only a top-tier WR to take it to the next level.  Shanahan knew what he was doing.

Cutler, the most unheralded SEC Offensive Player of the Year of all time became the first top 11 draft pick for Denver in more than a decade.  The Broncos acquired an extra first round draft pick in exchange for Jason Campbell the previous year, and used that (15th overall) and the 68th overall pick to trade up for Cutler.

Jay Cutler

Combine:  4.7 second 40-yard dash, 24 bench press reps

SEC Offensive Player of the Year

Round Two

In round two, the Broncos traded for WR Javon Walker from Green Bay. Walker was an excellent addition in his first year in Denver.  He was the explosive weapon the Broncos craved, but he was injured in 2007 and released in the offseason.

With the 61st overall pick, the Broncos looked to the TE position.  Not Leonard Pope, Dominique Byrd, or Joe Klopfenstein.  No no, the Broncos decided to take Western Michigan star Tony Scheffler.  "Who's Todd Shishler???"

Tony Scheffler

Combine:  4.54 second 40-yard dash, 17 bench press reps

Western Michigan:  1,345 yards, 13 TDs

All Scheffler has done is set Broncos receiving records for a TE through this point in his career.  He is a playmaker, and a major mismatch for linebackers and safeties in the NFL.

Round Four

Right after New England selected Steven Gostkowski with the 118th overall pick, the Broncos found a diamond in the rough.  With the 119th overall pick, the Broncos selected Central Florida WR Brandon Marshall, a former safety.

Brandon Marshall

2nd Team All C-USA

Marshall was fifth in the NFL in 2007 with 102 catches, and was first among receivers in yards after the catch.  He has vaulted himself into the NFL's elite receivers in 2008, and currently leads the NFL in receptions.

Seven picks later, the Broncos decided to end the wait of the reigning NCAA Defensive Player of the Year Elvis Dumervil.

Elvis Dumervil

NCAA Defensive Player of the Year

Leads the Broncos in the last two seasons with 21 sacks, and had a Pro Bowl caliber 2007 campaign with 12.5 sacks.

The Broncos also drafted current Giants KR/WR Domenik Hixon with a compensation pick in the fourth round, but released him after a series of fumbles and injuries early in his career.  Hixon is one of the most dangerous return men in the game today.

Round Five

In the fifth round, Denver got another steal with current starting RG Chris Kuper, an unheralded lineman out of North Dakota.

The Broncos got their worth out of the 2006 draft, and may have netted themselves four or five future Pro Bowlers.  This draft has set them up in very good shape for the 2008 season, and thanks to the production of this class they are legitimate Super Bowl threats.