Ohio State CB Bradley Roby a First Round Target for Broncos?

Oct 6, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Bradley Roby (1) intercepts a pass in the second quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 NFL Draft is fast-approaching and things are becoming less and less clear the closer we get.

All we have at this point is a list of options for who the Broncos will pick with the #31 overall selection in May, and that list seems to grow larger and larger by the day. But did Denver Post Broncos beat reporter Mike Klis reveal a hint of a player the team might be zeroing in on as the draft approaches?

At this point, I’m pretty much just fishing for something here, but Klis’ Tweet seems to at least imply that the Broncos have talked about Ohio State CB Bradley Roby as a target with their first selection.

It would make a lot of sense.

The Broncos have three pretty obvious needs at this point, and they include interior offensive line, linebacker, and cornerback.

They signed Aqib Talib to a monster contract that is team-friendly and would allow them to opt out after year one if they want to, but my guess is they won’t. They re-signed Chris Harris to be the number two, and right now Kayvon Webster is expected to be the number three.

Roby is an aggressive player at the cornerback position who has really solid size at 5’11” 195 pounds with 4.39 speed. He’s been inconsistent but has proven to be a versatile weapon for the Ohio State defense and special teams, showing an ability to block punts and make plays in the backfield blitzing.

I think for the Broncos, Roby could play inside or outside. Eventually, I believe he has number one corner potential but he’s going to need some good coaching in the NFL to get him more consistent. His tools are as good as almost every corner in the draft this year, but in addition to a suspension to start the 2013 season, he was beaten like a drum against Wisconsin and has shown some lapses in judgment on the field.

This is a player who doesn’t shy away from contact, which the Broncos have obviously placed a priority on in some of their recent investments in the defensive backfield. Aqib Talib can hit, Chris Harris is one of the best tacklers on the team, and Kayvon Webster came to Denver with a reputation for laying the wood.

Not only the corners, but T.J. Ward and Rahim Moore pack a punch on the back end of the defense as well.

If the Broncos want to take a cornerback in the first round of the draft, Roby has as much upside as anyone they can get with their first round pick and I think athletically, he’d be a fantastic value.