Denver Broncos Rounds 2 & 3 Prospects

Denver Broncos Day 2 Targets

The Denver Broncos shocked almost everyone by snagging Paxton Lynch in round one of the NFL draft.  Most people thought that he would be gone by pick 15 but the Broncos were able to make a trade with the Seattle Seahawks and get Lynch at #26.  Lynch looks like he will be the QB of the future for the Broncos and maybe even the starting quarterback this season.  I think it would be better for the Broncos to let Lynch develop for at least a year so he can learn to run a pro-style offense.  At Memphis he was not asked to work from under center and he made a lot of quick and easy throws.  I think if he is given time to develop he could end up being the perfect quarterback for Gary Kubiak’s offense.  He has the arm strength to make all of the throws and has the athletic ability to bootleg and make throws on the run.  Now that the Broncos have their quarterback of the future they can look to upgrade other positions on day two of the draft. 

Round 2 Targets

Chris Jones- DT Mississippi State

I’m pretty surprised that Jones fell out of the first round as he is one of the most talented defensive linemen in this draft.  I would be pretty surprised if he lasted to the end of the second round where the Broncos will be making their selection.  If he is available I expect John Elway to make Jones the pick.  He would be a great addition to the Broncos defensive line and would be able to replace Malik Jackson.  Jones actually reminds me a lot of Jackson.  He has a big frame and shows the ability to be disruptive against the run and the pass.  Once the Broncos coaching staff gets with him and refines his technique he could become a very disruptive force on the inside of the defensive line. 

Hunter Henry- TE Arkansas

Henry is the best available tight end in the draft and if he is still available at the end of the second round I think the Broncos would give him serious consideration.  While TE is not necessarily a position of need for the Broncos, the ability to get the best TE in the draft at the end of the second round would surely be tempting.  Henry has the speed to challenge defenses up the seam and would be a great pass catching option for the Broncos.  He is also coming from Arkansas where he was asked to block often.  He would be a great all around TE for the Broncos which is something that Gary Kubiak really values.  While this is not a position of need, Kubiak loves using tight ends so having several talented options to choose from would be very nice. 

Christian Westerman- G Arizona State

One of my favorite guards in this draft because of his ability to come in and start from day one.  Westerman profiles especially well for the zone blocking scheme that the Broncos like to run.  He has great movement skills for a guard and I think he could really bolster the Broncos interior on the offensive line.  He needs to work more on his pass protection, but he would be able to contribute right away in the running game.  Bringing in a player like Westerman would allow the Broncos to keep Ty Sambrailo as a tackle which would give them more options along the offensive line. 

Andrew Billings- DT Baylor

Here is another very talented defensive linemen who finds himself still available after the first round thanks to a very deep class at the position.  Billings is a bit undersized for DT at only 6’1” but he makes up for that with great strength and very solid technique.  He reminds me a little bit of the Rams Aaron Donald who was also considered to be undersized but has been an absolute monster for the Rams.  I think Billings would be a very good pick up for the Broncos who could use a player like Billings to be disruptive in the middle of the defense. 

Cody Whitehair- G Kansas State

Whitehair is one of the most versatile offensive linemen available in the draft.  In college he played guard as well as both of the tackle spots.  In the NFL he profiles as more of a guard due to his short arms which usually do not translate well for tackles in the NFL.  Whitehair would be an immediate upgrade at the guard position and would most likely be a day one starter.  That means that either Ty Sambrailio or Max Garcia would provide quality depth for the offensive line.  Whitehair is the type of player that the Broncos should grab immediately if he is still available when they are picking at the end of the second round. 

Jason Spriggs- OT Indiana

If Spriggs was to fall to this point in the second round I think John Elway would be doing cartwheels.  Spriggs was one of the best tackle prospects at the combine posting top results in almost all of the testing categories.  Spriggs has the athletic ability and size that teams covet in left tackle prospects.   The problem with Spriggs is that he needs to refine his technique and may need a few years to develop into a quality starter. The Broncos have the ability to allow Spriggs to develop for several seasons before they have to ask him to be a starter.  This is important because while he has all of the physical traits that you look for in a starting tackle he is still fairly raw as a prospect.  If he could refine his technique for a few seasons and learn from Russel Okung he could develop into a franchise left tackle.

Round 3 Targets

Connor McGovern- G Missouri

Another prospect in the trenches for the Broncos. I think that on day two of the draft the Broncos will look to target players who are going to bolster them along the defensive and offensive lines.  McGovern is another tough physical player who would give the Bronco yet another option along the offensive line.  He is a very strong player who could give the Broncos more competition at guard.  He also has better than average movement skills which is a big deal in the zone blocking scheme.  It is hard to say if he will be available at the end of the third round but if he is expect the Broncos to give him a long hard look. 

Paul Perkins- RB UCLA

It seems unlikely that the Broncos would use a third round pick on a running back after re-signing Ronnie Hillman last week but I hope they at least consider Perkins.  He is one of my favorite players in this draft and I think he could be a great compliment to C.J. Anderson.  At this point we know what Ronnie Hillman is.  He is really fast but he has never shown the ability to break tackles or make defenders miss in the open field.  Perkins however has the ability to make defenders miss consistently in the open field.  He would be a great player to bring onto the field in the 4^th quarter after C.J. Anderson has worn them down with his physical running style. Perkins has also shown the ability to be a receiving threat out of the backfield which is something that Hillman has never really provided. 

Justin Simmons- S Boston College

The Broncos are looking for depth at the safety position and Justin Simmons would provide that along with the upside of a potential starter in the future.  Simmons played on one of the best defenses in college football last year at Boston College.  He has great size for the position and has the production that you look for from college prospects.  He has also shown the ability to match up in man to man coverage which is what the Broncos love to run.  He could fill the role that was vacated with the departure of David Bruton.  I really like Simmons and think that if he is given a few years to add a little bit of weight to his frame and learn the nuances of the position, he could develop into a solid starter. 

Jaylon Smith- LB Notre Dame

This would be a high risk/high reward pick for the Broncos.  When you consider that Smith is a top five talent when healthy this pick makes a lot of sense, but Smith is not healthy and may never be.  The Broncos are a team that can afford to take a chance on a player like Smith who could turn out to be one of the best players in this years’ draft.  When Smith is healthy he is one of the most exciting players to watch.  He has great instincts for the football and has the athleticism to match up in coverage.  The fear with Smith is that the nerve in his surgically repaired knee will never re-generate and he will never be able to play football again.  I think at this point that the Broncos can take a chance on Smith and see what he can become. 

Sheldon Day- DT Notre Dame

Day won’t wow you with athleticism or out of this world size/strength but he has a never say die attitude.  He has a relentless motor and he never quits on a play.  That is something that would be a great benefit to the Broncos.  With Von Miller and Demarcus Ware crashing in around the ends it would be great to have a guy like Day who can get push up the middle and clean up after Miller and Ware.  This would be a great pick by the Broncos, providing extra depth at the DT position and possibly picking up a starter for the future.