Brock Osweiler (6) prepares to pass in the fourth quarter during the game against the Kansas City Chief at Sports Authority Field. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 38-3. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

John Elway took to the podium Monday afternoon for his annual pre-draft press conference.

Elway said that the Broncos are open to draft-day trades, but he expects them to hold solid with the No. 28 pick in the first round.

“I think that you look at the depth of this draft and there are a lot of good football players in this draft,” Elway said. “As I stand here now, we’ll get a good football player at No. 28. That’s our plan right now. We’ll see how things go from here through the rest of the week.”

Elway went over the Broncos’ needs at defensive line, running back, and cornerback, but perhaps the most interesting take he gave was on this draft’s quarterback class.

“I’m just glad we’re not in that market, let’s put it that way,” Elway said on the quarterbacks in this year’s draft.

That puts things into perspective regarding the Broncos’ top quarterback pick in last year’s draft. Elway thinks that Brock Osweiler easily could have been a first round selection in the 2013 draft.

“I think he would have been real close to the top, if not the top, of this class this year,” Elways said. “We’re just thrilled—he’s going to be so much better with a year under his belt, and learn how everything works, and get a chance to work underneath Peyton. He’ll get a lot of reps this spring with Peyton kind of watching the amount of throws that he’s going to make, that it will be a great opportunity for Brock this spring.”

If all goes according to plan, Elway has his quarterback of the future flying right under the wings of the best quarterback in the game. That’s way better than any No. 28 pick.

March 14, 2013; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway talks to the media during a press conference held at the teams training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Feeling a draft?

Yes, the National Football League draft – annually the most anticipated event of the year with the obvious exceptions of Black Friday, the Super Bowl and Groundhog Day – will majestically appear on your tube.

As usual, the broadcast will be via ESPN and the NFL Network.  ESPN will do the honors for the first round on Thursday, April 25, starting at 6 p.m. MDT.  After the first round, ESPN will provide sporadic coverage, with the NFL Network to be on the scene a record 45-plus hours through April 27.

Get yourself a couple bags of chips, a case or two of your favorite beverage and dig in if you dare.

Most of us in these parts, of course, will be interested in what the Denver Broncos do.

The free agency period is mostly history with only a few stray slots to be filled by renting veterans for a year or two.  Draftees are meant to stay on board for the next four to five years and John Elway, the Broncos director of football operations, and his staff will be looking to build on two years of drafts that have seen 15 of 16 draftees earn spots on the roster.

Which way will the Broncos go?  Your guess is as good, possibly better, than mine.

Let’s look ahead and start with the premise that Denver picks 28th.

That, however, may fall by the wayside quickly.  The Broncos, as was the case last year, will look at what has happened in the first several hours of picks and think about trading spots, either up or down, as opportunities present themselves.

If nothing else, you can bet they will be flexible because they have a number of positions to fill in an effort to add depth: running back and line on offense, every secondary position, the interior line, middle linebacker and, yes, the vacated Elvis Dumervil pass-rushing slot on defense.

Mock drafts have been en vogue over the last month and those predictions for the Broncos range from defensive lineman Kawann Short of Purdue to middle linebacker Manti Te’o of Notre Dame to running back Eddie Lacy of Alabama to cornerback Desmond Trufant of Washington.

The draft is loaded with defensive line talent and Denver could have any number of quality interior run stoppers like Purdue’s Short or Georgia’s John Jenkins available at Pick 28.  By my count, there will be as many as five interior linemen who could make an immediate impact in Denver still available at the 28th slot.

There are four to five outstanding defensive end/pass rushers available to replace the dearly departed Dumervil, but those nasty creatures will be long gone by the time the Broncos pick – if they don’t trade up to try to grab someone they can’t resist like a Bjoern Werner of Florida State who should go somewhere around No. 20.

Notre Dame’s Te’o, at one point considered a top-five pick, has seen his stock drop because of his perceived involvement in an internet “She (He) is my girlfriend” hoax, quickly followed by a slow 40-yard dash time at the recent prospect combine.  He could be available when the Broncos go on the clock and would certainly seem to be a fit if Denver stays put in the first round.

Alabama’s Lacy may also still be around and is head and shoulders above the rest of the “big” running back crowd.  He could be just what the doctor ordered in Denver’s up-the-gut running format.

Yes, there will be plenty of choices when it is Denver’s turn to pick on this late April night – which is why I believe they will seriously look at trading the pick for another couple of selections later as they did last year.

What we can probably make book on is what the Broncos won’t select:

They won’t go grab another quarterback, not with young Brock Osweiler on board for the foreseeable future to live and learn with Peyton Manning.

Center is not a position of need with J.D. Walton and Philip Blake on board.  Nor is guard with the recently signed Louis Vasquez and Zane Beadles on hand and possibly Chris Kuper.

I can’t imagine them taking a wide receiver or a tight end.  There is plenty of talent on board and much more out there available on the free-agent market if needed.

And they don’t need outside linebackers, not with Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard around.

All of which means, of course, the first pick will be … outside linebacker Arthur Brown of Kansas State, tight end Tyler Eifert of Notre Dame or wide receiver of Southern Cal.

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We’re here to talk NFL draft again.

The Denver Broncos are fighting for the No. 1 spot in the AFC, but it’s never too early to start thinking about the draft.

In this weekly feature, we’re showcasing Fansided.com’s  2013 NFL Mock Draft.

If the draft were held today, the 12-3 Broncos would be selecting 30th in the first round.

According to Fansided, with the 30th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

30. Denver Broncos – Tyler Eifert – TE/Notre Dame

Notre Dame didn’t get to the title game on a fluke and it wasn’t all Manti Te’o. Eifert is a big, physical ex-receiver that converted to tight end who can flourish in the new era for tight ends. Peyton Manning has demonstrated in his career that he loves to throw to his tight end, but he’s never had a Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski type of target, he’s always had Dallas Clark’s and Jacob Tamme’s. Eifert is a 6-foot-6 abominable snowman and Manning will finally get with the 21st Century when it comes to the new breed of tight end targets. - Josh Hill (FanSided) 

With Jacob Tamme, Joel Dreessen, and Julius Thomas (in waiting), the Broncos shouldn’t waste a first round pick on a tight end. I still like the defensive tackle option or even selecting a cornerback in the first round.

Let us know what you think. Which position/player should the Broncos go after in the first round of this year’s draft?

Check out the full FanSided Mock Draft on Fansided.com.

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