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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – In a few days, George Paton will participate in his first NFL reaper as general manager of the Denver Broncos.
He’ll arrive with plenty of salary cap space on his team’s ledger to go with 11 — count ’em — draft picks, including five coming in the first three rounds. As Paton and the rest of the Broncos entourage roam the halls of Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center, there will be a long list of players who could and should be of particular interest given the Broncos’ wants and needs. .
With quarterback, point carrier, defensive tackle, right tackle, cornerback and linebacker on their list of needs, the Broncos need a successful draft as part of their offseason makeover.
Insights from Day 1
Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
The truth : We haven’t heard from Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero whether the Broncos will go 4-3 or stick to 3-4, but Walker is an ever-rising player with every track team. covet in a pass-rusher. Listed at 275 pounds, Walker unscrewed into Alabama wide receiver Agiye Hall to make a tackle 25 yards down the field in the national championship game. This effort shows an impact defender who will give a defensive player plenty of options.
Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
The truth : The Broncos have three linebackers expected to be unrestricted free agents in Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell and Kenny Young. Georgia’s Lloyd and Nakobe Dean are two inside linebackers on the board who would deserve the Broncos’ No. 9 pick. Lloyd simply makes plays throughout the lineup, has great reach, plays with top-notch awareness and finishes with blistering speed on the ball. It’s a walk-in tackle machine.
Jermaine Johnson II, DE, State of Florida
The truth : As the season drew to a close, Georgia’s transfer was seen by many evaluators as a mid-to-late first-round pick. He could now squeeze into the top half of the first round with elite athleticism and a growing resume of pass-rush moves. He showed in Senior Bowl practices that he’s already ready to challenge inside-shoulder linemen, which is a piece of the puzzle that comes slower for most rookie rushers and is imperative. for NFL success.
Malik Willis, QB, Freedom
The truth : I have to have a quarterback in contention here even if no quarterback on this draft board has a real top 10 by April. In fact, some in the league believe some quarterbacks in this draft could be picked two rounds above their actual ratings as supply continues to be eclipsed by demand. Willis has a combination of competitiveness, toughness, arm strength, mobility, with huge room for growth that makes him unique in this class of quarterback. He’s going to need a lot of time and patience before he’s ready to play, but the upside is the better team and, despite way too many sacks taken that were clearly on him and a big need for a pitch off speed once in a while, it has a lot of benefits.
Considerations for day 2
DeAngelo Malone, OLB, Western Kentucky
The truth : Played in 62 games in college career — with fifth season added for COVID-19 — and finished senior year with 94 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four forced fumbles. It might be tougher if the Broncos are 4-3 on defense, but there’s a lot to work on here.
Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut
The truth : Much of a prospect’s rating is on the books at the end of the season, but Jones simply crushed it Senior Bowl week. He’ll likely weigh somewhere north of 315-320 pounds at the combine, so he’s not what some evaluators are looking for defensively, but he’s the kind of power player in the middle the Broncos could use. .
Nicholas Little Brother, T, Ohio State
The truth : Bobby Massie and Cam Fleming, who each started games at right tackle last season for the Broncos, are expected to be unrestricted free agents. And Petit-Frère could certainly squeeze into day one of the draft because of his athleticism — a former prep basketball player — but the Broncos will be looking for linemen with his kind of moves. He struggled against Michigan last season, but his work is worth watching.
At the bottom of the blackboard
Marcus Jones, BC, Houston
The truth : Any positional player with an advantage who also has kick return skills can and should be on the Broncos’ radar. And Jones might be the best kickoff/punt return combination in the draft (two kickoff returns for touchdowns in 21 to go with a career 16.5 yards per punt return average) with lots of potential as a hedge corner. Some will knock him for his height — he’ll probably be around 5-foot-8 at the combine — but in today’s league, he’s a nickel.
Isaih Pacheco, RB, Rutgers
The truth : There are scouts who aren’t extraordinarily enthusiastic about him, but give me a player who overcame so much – he had two siblings murdered a year apart when he was in high school – and still stuck productive. He doesn’t have the numbers of some others, but when the game video plays, there’s just something about the way he plays.
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