Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Bjoern Werner runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY) Sports

The editors and writers at Fansided.com put their GM hats on and did a Mock Draft for National Football Post. Once the picks were made, NFP draft expert, Russ Lande, provided some additional analysis on each pick.

With the Denver Broncos’ No. 28 pick, PO’s very own Sayre Bedinger went with Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. Sayre said,

The Broncos have a hole to fill with Elvis Dumervil leaving for Baltimore. Of course, Robert Ayers is expected to step up into Dumervil’s vacant spot, but outside of Von Miller, the Broncos no longer have a proven pass rusher on the roster. I think Werner signifies excellent value (No. 5 on my big board) and has terrific upside at this juncture. He’s more proven than Tank Carradine, which is why he gets the nod here.

Lande says that Werner is underrated athletically. Find out what else Lande had to say about the pick.

With much respect to Sayre’s pick, I would still take Cornellius “Tank” Carradine over Werner (Carradine is also out of Florida State). Carradine has the bigger tackle numbers, but overall Werner is more ready to play at the pro level than Carradine. He prevented more plays from happening than, he’s quicker and faster, and his more versatile, as he can be used in coverage. Carradine is also coming off of an ACL repair in November so health and durability are an issue here (He relocated himself to Houston to work with Adrian Peterson’s physical therapist). So why Carradine over Werner you ask?

Carradine has the bigger potential. It’s doubtful that Werner will ever be an all-pro. He’s closer to being a finished product, which will suit some teams just fine. Carradine has the tools to jump into being a great pass rusher. The Broncos won’t be dead in the water if he can’t contribute right away on the pass rushing side of things since they have Von Miller. Carradine can come in and stop the run immediately. The same couldn’t be said for Dumervil in that regard.

Either way, I don’t think we can fully rely on former first rounder Robert Ayers, so look for the Broncos to draft a defensive end early so that Ayers has some top notch competition in camp.

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Mar 26, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish former player Manti Te

The Denver Broncos are gearing up for another run at a Super Bowl, but they will have to now do so without defensive end and star pass rusher Elvis Dumervil. Through a series of very unfortunate events–and a tragic misuse of a fax machine–the Broncos lost 11 sacks and six forced fumbles of production last season to AFC rival Baltimore.

It was expected the Broncos would be quiet this offseason, but that wasn’t the case as Denver pounced on some of the top free agents on the market, including guard Louis Vasquez and wide receiver Wes Welker. The Broncos also fortified their defense by adding defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, both of whom will be starters in Jack Del Rio’s defense.

Still, the Broncos are a little unsettled at a couple of positions. As of right now, the plan is to insert former first round pick Robert Ayers into Elvis Dumervil’s old spot, but those are some big shoes to fill for a guy who hasn’t proven to be more than a rotational player to this point in his career.

All of that being said, here is a mock draft that I think can help get the Broncos over the top in 2013.

1. First Round, 28th overall: Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame

I think if Te’o falls to this point in the first round, the Broncos wouldn’t pass on him. I know they’ve had interest in him dating all the way back to the Combine, and they had a contingent at the Notre Dame pro day to watch him work out. I anticipate the Broncos will privately work out Te’o, in addition to bringing him to Dove Valley for further inspection. The team has former third round pick Nate Irving slated to start in 2013, but he’s unproven to this point in his career. The Broncos did sign Stewart Bradley, but I don’t think he’s going to be a long-term solution at the ILB position.

Enter Te’o, who is one of the most controversial players in this year’s draft. What Te’o brings is what the Broncos have lacked since Al Wilson left a few years back at the ILB position–effort play in and play out. Not only effort, but Te’o is constantly in the right place at the right time. That’s not by the luck of the Irish, either. Te’o is one of the most instinctive players in this draft regardless of position, and inside linebackers have a tendency to fall in the first round of the draft because they aren’t pure pass rushing linebackers.

I see no reason why if Te’o is still on the board, the Broncos would pass on him. You could argue he is just a two-down linebacker, but I don’t think the Broncos would view him that way. I think they would view him as a 100 plus tackle per season type of guy who can make plays sideline to sideline, and become the vocal leader of a defense desperately in need of one.

2. Second Round, 58th overall: Jamie Collins, DE/OLB, Southern Mississippi

Jamie Collins is a freakishly athletic pass rush prospect who would immensely help the Broncos in the wake of the Elvis Dumervil loss. Denver is obviously going to move forward with Robert Ayers and Derek Wolfe as the starting bookends at DE, but on passing downs and nickel situations, you need more speed up front. Jamie Collins is a versatile player that you can line up all over the defense with excellent athletic ability and pass rush skills. He’s constantly improved over his years at Southern Miss, and finished last season with a whopping 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. I think this is a rapidly improving player that could bookend with Von Miller on passing downs to give the Broncos an explosive young couple of pass rushers.

This is easily one of my favorite prospects in the draft, and I think if the Broncos could add him, that would be an excellent fit to replace Elvis Dumervil.

3. Third Round, 90th overall: Shawn Williams, S, Georgia

The Broncos have been sniffing around a LOT of safeties this offseason, and in addition to getting bigger and faster at the CB position (see Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) they want to get bigger and faster at safety. Mike Adams was signed last offseason as a stop-gap veteran starter while Quinton Carter was rehabbing a knee injury. I think the Broncos really like Carter, but he got himself into a bit of trouble this offseason. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Denver go defense with their first three picks, especially after the debacle defensively against the Ravens in the playoffs.

For the most part, this defense for the Broncos was dominant last year, among the top 5 in most major statistical categories. That being said, they need some players in the backfield who can make plays on the ball, and Williams fits that bill. He also fits what John Elway and John Fox look for in terms of character. He was a team captain for the Bulldogs and was given the coaches leadership and toughness award. That’s the type of dude they want roaming in the defensive backfield with Rahim Moore and rotating in Carter.

4. Fourth Round, 125th overall: Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

I have seen so many different reports about Lattimore’s stock. Some are as optimistic as a Willis McGahee situation, while I see it more in the middle rounds. I think Lattimore has a chance to be the draft’s best back if he can stay healthy, but he hasn’t been able to do that over the last two seasons. With Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno providing the power for one more year at least, the Broncos can afford to take a risk on Lattimore and let him rest for a while until he can prove he’s healthy.

If he can manage to keep himself on the field, I think there is potential for a Terrell Davis type of impact with this mid-round pick. The Broncos are not weak at many positions, so the luxury of Lattimore in the fourth round is more than affordable. This team needs to continue to add playmakers offensively.

5. Fifth Round, 161st overall: Kwame Geathers, DT, Georgia

The Broncos double-dip on Georgia Bulldogs in this mock draft, getting the massive (6’6″ 345 pounds) Geathers, who can be a mountain in the middle if developed correctly. The Broncos have a pretty open DT situation after Kevin Vickerson and Terrance Knighton, who figure to nail down the two starting jobs on the interior. Jack Del Rio and John Fox LOVE to build in the trenches with massive defensive tackles like this, and certainly Geathers fits that description. He would be a really nice fit for the Broncos at this point, the same round where they picked up Malik Jackson last year.

6. Seventh Round, 234th overall: Aaron Hester, CB, UCLA

The 6’2″ 200 pound Hester is exactly what the Broncos are looking for at the CB position. He’s big and speedy (ran a 4.47 at the Scouting Combine) and has started a lot of games in his collegiate career. The Broncos are hoping to strike gold on a potential Richard Sherman clone, and this guy fits the bill in terms of his measurables. I think he has the potential to also be a big time contributor on special teams with that size and speed, and possibly play a tweener role on the defense as a CB/S.

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The 2012 NFL draft is less than two weeks away. Teams are busy making their final preparations and fine tuning their draft boards. Now that free agency has died down, many teams have a better idea of what direction they need to go during the draft, and media speculation on where players will get drafted has been growing.

The reason the draft is so exciting is that no one knows exactly what is going to happen until they actually see it unfold. Players expected to be drafted high will fall, teams will reach for players expected to go later in the draft, and several trades will go down that will alter the landscape of the entire thing. So although most mock drafts can be thrown into the trash after the first 10 picks of the real deal, it’s still fun to speculate.

Here is my 1st Round Mock Draft (Version 2.0):

  1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck QB, Stanford

There’s nothing much to say here. This pick is as close to a lock as one can get.

  2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III QB, Baylor

The Redskins got this pick for 1 reason: RG3.

  3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil OT, Southern California

This is the best player in the draft at a position of need for the Vikings. This pick will make Christian Ponder very happy.

  4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson RB, Alabama

This is the first change-up from my original mock. I had Blackmon going to Cleveland before, but Richardson at #4 has been picking up a lot of steam.

  5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne CB, Louisiana State

Claiborne will be the best player available at this point.

  6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon WR, Oklahoma State

St. Louis desperately needs an impact wide receiver, especially after losing Brandon Lloyd.

  7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinton Coples DE, North Carolina

With Blackmon already off the board the Jaguars will look to fill their next biggest hole at defensive end. Jacksonville will also consider Melvin Ingram here.

  8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill QB, Texas A&M

Miami has to eventually find a quarterback.

  9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox DT, Mississippi State

Cox has risen in the rankings and will help a Carolina defensive unit in need of an upgrade.

  10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff OT, Iowa

After signing some key free agents on the defensive side of the ball Buffalo can turn their attention to the offense.

  11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly ILB, Boston College

Kuechly is simply the best linebacker in the draft.

  12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram DE, South Carolina

Ingram will help a Seattle pass rush that had trouble sacking the quarterback a year ago.

  13. Arizona Cardinals: Dontari Poe  DT, Memphis

Poe has skyrocketed up the draft board and has potential to be a dominant force in the middle.

  14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron S, Alabama

Barron is the best safety in the draft and will complement newly acquired cornerback Brandon Carr.

  15. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers  DT, Louisiana State

A big time DT who is strong against the run and the pass.

  16. New York Jets: Nick Perry DE, Southern California

Perry is a strong pass rusher and a versatile guy who can play several positions.

  17. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick CB, Alabama

The Bengals may have had one of the best drafts in the league last year when they brought in young offensive stars A.J. Green and Andy Dalton. They would love nothing more than to duplicate that success on the defensive side of the ball this year.

  18. San Diego Chargers: David DeCastro G, Stanford

The best guard in the draft would make an immediate impact for the Chargers.

  19. Chicago Bears: Whitney Mercilus DE, Illinois

The Bears got their offensive playmaker in Brandon Marshall so now they can go after some young defenders.

  20. Tennessee Titans: Janoris Jenkins CB, North Alabama

Jenkins is a great cover corner and has the quickness to be effective in run support.

  21. Cincinnati Bengals: Chandler Jones DE, Syracuse

Chandler has a ton of upside and some draft gurus believe he has the potential to be a star in this league.

  22. Cleveland Browns: Jonathan Martin OT, Stanford

A very athletic offensive tackle who will keep the quarterback upright.

  23. Detroit Lions: Mike Adams OT, Ohio State

The Lions could go in several directions with this pick, but protecting an injury prone quarterback entering his prime has to be a priority.

  24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn OG, Georgia

The offensive line has been a trouble spot for years.

  25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy DT, Michigan State

This is the year that the Broncos bring in a top flight interior defensive lineman early in the draft. If Michael Brockers falls down to #25, he would be a legitimate option here as well.

  26. Houston Texans: Michael Floyd WR, Notre Dame

Floyd and Andre Johnson would give the Texans a dangerous duo at WR.

  27. New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore CB, South Carolina

New England will try to strengthen their secondary which was one of the weaker units in the NFL during the 2011 season.

  28. Green Bay Packers: Courtney Upshaw OLB, Alabama

While the offense was a machine in 2011, the Packers defense gave up a staggering amount of yards. Look for Green Bay to draft a lot of defensive players this April.

  29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz C, Wisconsin

Center is a glaring need for the Ravens.

  30. San Francisco 49ers: Kendall Wright WR, Baylor

San Francisco needs somebody to come in and help out the receiving corps since Michael Crabtree has been a disappointment.

  31. New England Patriots: Shea McClellin OLB, Boise State

The Patriots will continue to pay attention to their defense.

  32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener TE, Stanford

Losing 2 tight ends to significant knee injuries during the Super Bowl is obviously going to be an issue heading into 2012.

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