Report: Broncos Host Mississippi St. DE Preston Smith

According to a report from Tony Pauline, the Denver Broncos hosted Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith for a visit on Monday.

Smith is a big, powerful defensive end who can play a wide variety of positions on the defensive line. Here’s a look at his measurables…

Smith is a big, athletic player who would likely play a hybrid DE/OLB role with the Broncos, not unlike DeMarcus Ware will this year. He’s a bit bigger, however, and can do some more damage from the interior defensive line position than Ware likely can in the long run. Here’s an in-depth look at Smith from NFLMocks.com.

Perhaps with the Broncos, Smith could play more of a similar role to Malik Jackson, since that’s sort of what the former Volunteer does at this point. He is not a great edge rusher, but you put him in different matchups on the interior, and watch him flourish.

Smith is that kind of guy.

If the Broncos want him, they are going to have to use their first round pick on him, or possibly trade down into the early portion of the second. This is a deep class of edge rushers and defensive ends that can get after the quarterback, so Smith has been lost in the shuffle a bit but he’s a really good player.

The Broncos have not been shy about leaking visits or not being stingy about keeping that information close to the vest. They’ve been pretty open about the top tier prospects that have come into Dove Valley in recent days, and Smith is the latest.

Here’s a closer look at Smith and what he brings to the table.

Like Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Smith will make his fair share of plays behind the line of scrimmage but his presence might be more felt in terms of disrupting plays and QB hurries rather than actually notching sacks.

Next: What Position Should The Broncos Address In The First Round?