Broncos Find Talent Deep In The Draft

By Preston Nibaur

With the 204th Pick in the NFL Draft…

Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, General Manager Brian Xanders, and Head Coach John Fox were able to do something the Broncos haven’t done in a draft for quite some time… get through a draft in which fans were not puzzled by a major “reach” pick.

 The Denver Broncos did some moving around to acquire two extra picks, did not panic when other players came off the board, and for the most part picked the best available person that fit a need. A large number of fans may be outraged by the fact that Denver didn’t select a DT in the second round (they actually didn’t select one during the duration of the draft at all).

What Denver did do was select they player that many people believed was the best safety in the entire draft. And yes, the Broncos need to work on the future of the defensive backs, especially at the safety position.

Not only is Rahim Moore a great player, but he also has great character. Throughout the first two days of the draft, we often saw the Broncos pass on players with injury concerns or character that was questionable.

The two rounds consisted of Von Miller (a terrific linebacker and arguably the best athlete in the draft) and Rahim Moore (talented with great potential behind Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey). Not only were these picks of quality for where they appeared, the three individuals chosen care about the game immensely, will work as hard as any rookie chosen in this draft, are excited to be in Denver, and won’t cause any of the field issues. Along with Nate Irving, Quinton Carter, Mike Mohamed, and Jeremy Beal, Denver was able to address many issues on the defensive side of the ball and add depth to the linebacker position which the staff sees as an area of need.

More importantly than the first couple picks may be the following: Orlando Franklin (46th pick), Julius Thomas (129th pick), and Virgil Green (204th pick). What do they have in common? They help out Tim Tebow. No quarterbacks were chosen, so Fox and the gang are at least going to give Tebow a chance, and they should.

The Denver Broncos did not have a good season last year and are not going to make the super bowl any time soon. That being said, Tebow needed some supporting cast. A big, physical lineman like Franklin showed that he could be a force in the trenches in college and will work hard to have the same success at the next level.

The next two men probably left some of the Denver fans puzzled. Tight end Julius Thomas was a basketball player that had only played two years of football in his life (one in high school and one in college); and Virgil Green, a tight end,has had medical issues in college. Both were extremely athletic individuals who were not terrific blockers, but being later in the draft, Broncos management decided to take a couple risks. Some athletic basketball-types have had great careers in the NFL and done a lot in helping out their quarterbacks such as Antonio Gates, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Tony Gonzalez. Lots of experts agree – tight ends are a young quarterback’s best friend. With Tony Sheffler gone, Denver definitely needed to fill this need, and what better way to do it than take some terrific athletes, get them some serious work on the field, and help Tebow out.

Tebow has a winning, never give up attitude, and that is what this team needs right now. He’s the quarterback, and the cast that has been put around him will definitely work out in his favor.

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