NFL Draft 2014: Scouting Denver Broncos CB Bradley Roby
With the 31st pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos picked Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby out of a pool of players that had no business falling to the bottom of the first round.
After placing a major emphasis on the defensive side of the ball in free agency, the Broncos continued their overhaul with this pick, getting a player that has a chance to start right away depending upon the health of Chris Harris’ knee.
Here I want to take a deeper look at what kind of player the Broncos are getting, what exactly Roby brings the table.
Vitals
Ht: 5’11”
Wt: 194 lbs
40: 4.34
Vert: 38.5″
Bench: 17 reps (225 lbs)
Positives
- Inside-Outside versatility
- Speed
- Length
- Hand size
- Overall size
- Competitiveness
- Quickness
- Ball skills
- Fluid hips
- Aggressive
- Strong tackler
- Special teams ace
Negatives
- Some bad junior tape (Wisconsin jumps out)
- Inconsistencies
- Some pre-draft character concerns have been brought up
- Can be over-aggressive
- Needs to develop control over technique
2013 Games to Note: Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin
Bottom Line
The Broncos got a player that could have been easily a top 20 selection. Roby is raw, and rough around the edges at times. However, this is a player who can contribute immediately in the rotation at CB as well as on special teams, and gives the Broncos a speedy playmaker who can get his hands on the football.
Roby is the first pick in the John Elway era that is not a defensive front seven pick, but Elway has now used his first four picks as the decision maker for the Broncos on the defensive side of the ball, and has come back with at least one pick on the other side of the ball in the next round or with his next pick.
Adding three big time playmakers to the defensive backfield this offseason, the Broncos are placing an emphasis on forcing turnovers and putting the football in Peyton Manning’s hands as much as possible.