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Published on 02/01/2011 at Tue Feb 01 09:09.
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There is no questioning the importance of this possible season for Denver. In order for the Broncos to regain prominence they will need to do several things right, and it all starts with the draft. Unfortunately fortunate for Denver they have a plethora of options for their game plan come April.

Should the Broncos select at second overall or trade down?

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Second overall prospects

  • Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU – Peterson is a physical freak of nature at 6’1 and 223 pounds and he has the college career to back it up. The Broncos have met with him already.
  • Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn – After being a nobody for the past few years Fairley has emerged as a top 5 pick due to a dominating senior season. Fairley played at the highest level in the games that counted the most, the Alabama game and the Co-National Championship.
  • DaQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson – Bowers has been inconsistent, but when he’s playing right this 6’4 280 pound defensive end has been an absolute monster. Bowers notched 16 sacks in his senior season.
  • Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M – Von Miller may be undersized, but that hasn’t stopped him for dominating at every level over the past two seasons and at the Senior Bowl as well. Miller is considered to be a 3-4 outside linebacker, but his upside may temp 4-3 teams to consider him as well.

Late first round / second round prospects

  • Cameron Jordan, DE/DT, Cal– For now Cam Jordan is a mid-to-late first round prospect, as the combine approaches his stock my rise. Jordan may not be the fastest, but he’s definitely one of the smartest and strongest.
  • Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue – Ryan Kerrigan’s draft stock is consistently on the rise due to his athletic ability and great showing at the Senior Bowl. Denver might be able to find away to grab him regardless of moving down.
  • Drake Nevis, DT, LSU – Drake Nevis is one of the top 4-3 DTs in this draft. Since the NFL is currently inundated with 3-4 teams Nevis should be available later in the first round or early in the second.
  • Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA – Rahim Moore had an exceptional sophomore season notching 10 picks, but slumped a bit his junior year. Rahim Moore is considered to be one of the best safeties of the draft, so Denver might look to upgrade a weak spot on their defense here.

What do you think Bronco fans? Would you rather play it safe and take a guy who will most likely be a pro bowler or two less likely stars that will still contribute at good level? Air it out in the comments!

  • areferee

    If you want to run the “Pikes Peak Hill Climb” in 2011 and you have the choice between driving a Porsche 911 or choosing between two Nash Ramblers… what are ya gonna do? How often do we get to choose from the “real” elite?

    Pick second!

  • Geoffhull

    Take the second pick. Take Peterson. Franchise Tag Champ. And we're back to an adequate defense.
    Fairley is a one-year wonder with character issues. Bowers is solid, but the best player in this draft is Peterson. He's a special talent. Les Miles said he's the best corner he'd ever recruited…and he coached up a pretty good corner at Michigan. Some guy named Woodson? Oh yeah, thats perennial Pro Bowler Charles Woodson, who is playing for a ring on Sunday.

  • Test_foolio

    After seeing Von Miller in the senior bowl, I would not mind a playmaker like that helping on the front 7 no matter which front (4 or 3) that we use. He could use some bulk, but if he playing with leverage can make a real difference….aka DOOM!

  • The Mascot Army

    Every player in at least the first half of round 1 are potential studs, and nobody is a guaranteed stud. Trade down slightly and up the odds of landing something that will pan out. Have faith in your own scouting abilities and land a slightly later round gem.
    Plus, save a few bucks when signing the later first rounder for champ.

  • MrEast

    Usually I'd agree with you, but there isn't a whole lot of depth this draft. I think Denver is better off playing it safe in the draft this year.

  • td30ismvp

    We are sitting very good in the first 3 rounds, keep them and use them, I pray that we are not in this position again for a very long time but we should use what we have to get impact players. As I have said before, I am tired of us trading down to get two project players instead of grabbing one potentially game changing player. Get the best projected players and fill the gaps with free agents, then turn around and do it again next year, etc.

  • stuckinraiderland

    At this point, I'm all about trying something DIFFERENT, because clearly, what we've been doing for the past decade hasn't exactly worked out as planned. With that principle in mind, let's PICK SECOND, dammit. I know there is no such thing as a sure thing in the draft, but presumably (except when we're talking quarterbacks) we'll get a lot closer to a “sure thing” at #2 than lower down. And we need to be sure that we get at least one sure-fire up-front starter to build around. My ambitions are small, I know, but we have to start somewhere…

  • The Mascot Army

    Depth is defined by the likes of Kiper; there are at least 15 real studs coming out-it is ridiculous to think otherwise.

  • roshon2411

    Trade…Denver isn't one pick away from being a contender and the draft is a crap shoot anyhow.

    1st Round picks are usually 50/50 on turning out to be anything.

    Look at the last 10 years #2 … I'd say Suh, Johnson, and Peppers worth it…they other 7?

    2010 Ndamukong Suh
    2009 Jason Smith
    2008 Chris Long
    2007 Calvin Johnson
    2006 Reggie Bush
    2005 Ronnie Brown
    2004 Robert Gallery
    2003 Charles Rogers
    2002 Julius Peppers
    2001 Leonard Davis

  • crazykid

    I wouldnt be opposed to trading down, except no one will trade w/ the Broncos. The rookie pay scale is next year…
    With that said, pick Patrick Paterson, who I've been calling for all this time.
    The Denver Post will say Da'Quan is best, but i think he is overrated….

  • MrEast

    I don't blindly follow Mel Kiper or the likes of anyone (possibly with the exception of Mayock). It's ridiculous to think that there's players that can match the quality of Bradford, Suh, Berry, and Thomas alone. Rahim Moore is the top safety in the class and he may be a day two guy. The depth is not like last year's.

  • MrEast

    2001: Before he killed someone Leonard Davis was awesome.
    2003: Matt Millen
    2004: Al Davis
    2005: Hard to believe he didn't pan, that whole 1st round sucked
    2006: A very rare player and a very rare situation
    2008: Starting pan out with a competent coach
    2009: Had a good sophomore season and looks to improve

    If you can use it right, it can be pretty powerful. I'm just tired of the first rounders that are “hopefully” going to have such a better season “next year.” Ayers can pan-out in the 4-3… right?

  • mikebirty

    pick at #2 and then hope that someone with a first round grade falls to 36. Our Broncos need help and ref put it right – you gotta pick a porsche if you get the chance.

  • The Mascot Army

    Don't take offense. My point is that good scouting should be able to find more than a dozen high quality guys, and the guarantees are often not.

  • The Mascot Army

    Reggie Bush was something to not be passed on too. I think in hindsight that NO would have rather had a few extra draft picks.

  • MrEast

    He technically was, a lot of GMs (Charlie Cass) thought he wasn't a top 5 pick. Your point is that good scouting SHOULD be able to, but that's not always the case now is it?

  • http://ehalseymiles.com E. Halsey Miles

    Only 1 of those four #2 prospects actually looks to be worth the #2 pick and that's Peterson. “Inconsistent” “one year wonder” and “character issues” and “undersized” are all big risks for that slot. Maybe later in the first round, sure.

    I'm not sure taking a monster CB is really what we need, either, especially because we're short on picks this draft. I'd still love to turn that #2 pick into 4 picks (probably at least 1 of them next year) but deals for the #2 pick are so hard to swing because draft values have gone crazy.

    Still, I won't be disappointed if we pick Peterson. I think I'd be disappointed if we pick anyone else. Mmmmmaybe Fairley but that's a pretty big risk.

  • Geoffhull

    Yeah not feeling Mayock…he said Robert Ayers would be the best defensive player of the draft coming out that year. That sort of shot down a lot of credibility with me.

  • The Mascot Army

    If they don't have faith in their scouting, they should replace it.

  • Guest

    Gotta stick with the number 2 pick and take peterson who is a freak of nature at the corner position and get rahim moore in the 2nd round. Get champ bailey back and then peterson can mentor under him for a few years and moore can mentor under dawkins as they get experience starting as well and by the time those two hang up the cleats peterson and moore will be ready to lead the defense along side of dumervil. Then take a defensive tackle behind moore maybe phil taylor, drake nevis, or stephen paea then go take someone like casey matthews in the 3rd and bring in a few veterans through free agency. I'm not sold on taking fairley because hes much overrated and hes not a teammate if you have to question his character. There is no point in bringing him in the club house. He isnt suh and he never will be. Stick to the defensive side this draft and let the offense grow. Sure we were tragic at running but there were some key injuries in moreno for a good portion of the season plus lendale white who we could attempt to use at the fullback position at times. The running game will come around and tebow still has potential.

  • Paradisimo

    After watching highlights of Peterson on YouTube I've become a believer. The guy is a freak and could easily be the next Ed Reed or Polamalu if we moved him to safety. I think we can still pick up a couple of quality defensive lineman/linebackers with our two second round picks and can probably get another contributor with our early 3rd round pick. If we can move Orton we might get another 3rd round pick as well. 3 picks in the top 2 rounds and 2 picks in the 3rd round would go a long ways towards shoring up the D. After all there is nearly as much risk in a mid-first round pick as there is in an early second round pick so it probably makes sense to stay at #2 and get as close to a “sure thing” player as there is.

  • Thechoochookid

    Trading down shouldn't even be in the equation. Take Peterson, move Orton for (hopefully) a 3rd rounder, take the best available players with the draft picks, and see what free agents are out there. Elway and Co. can still trade some players or future picks for picks in this years draft. I don't care for that idea because it shorts us for said future draft but its yet another option.

  • 5280

    Finally a subject worth talking about! personally i think the only way denver should pick peterson is if the trade back down into the firat round with one of their 2nd rounders to make up for not taking a Dlineman. other wise i say grab a Dlineman. bowers is good and fairley would do too but i'm mnore interested in von miller. to me he just fits what we need more then any other player. he's versitile enough to put his hand in the dirt or drop back and cover and he can shadow a running QB all day. he was all over kaepernick in the senior bowl. he is well worth a #2 piick IMO. but he'd probably be there in the middle of the 1st also say 12-15. maybe we denver should take peterson and trade back down into the teens and try to grab miller. That scenario would be IDEAL! we'd pick p the best 2 of THE best players in the draft. some one like ryan kerrigan or sam acho, who both had a great senior bowl, could be hangin around in the second. and if we want to pick up some extra depth at DB cedric burney out of north carolina or shareece wright out of USC. Wright looks very baileyish and both are great in the press. i dont know where you get that this draft doesn'thave depth but most of those guys are just the seniors available. theres even more junior talent coming out. it's not just the scouting but the right coaching that make these kids superstars. it seems like some of you have forgotten about the coaching aspect of player turn around. mayock is the best talent analyst on tv. ayers was and still is one of the best that came out that draft. the broblem was the coaching. he started under nolan then switched to wink now hes learning dennis allen. 3 different coordinators in his first 3 seasons. no wonder he hasn't panned out. mayock wasn't wrong, he just couldn't predict coaching. plus he was coming from a 4-3 scheme and had to learn a 3-4 from the beginning. he can still pan out.

  • crazykid

    I'm surprised no one (*cough) has angrily typed WE NEED TO DRAFT A QUATERBACK!!! in all caps…

  • roshon2411

    and the 10 years before that?
    2000 LaVar Arrington
    1999 Donovan McNabb
    1998 Ryan Leaf
    1997 Darrell Russell
    1996 Kevin Hardy
    1995 Tony Boselli
    1994 Marshall Faulk
    1993 Rick Mirer
    1992 Quentin Coryatt
    1991 Eric Turner

    Crapshoot… I'd trade any pick in the top 5.

    Top 5 picks to make the playoffs this year with the team that drafted them…

    Manning, Bush, Hawk, Ryan, Dorsey, Tyson Jackson, and Sanchez. Not sure if I missed any…but other than a QB, I trade.

    I think a lot of teams would too, but trading a top 5 pick is hard to do until a rookie wage scale happens.

  • Adam

    Definetely get peterson sign champ move to fs and then dawkins to ss then move ayers and dumervil to DE if we go 4-3 because they are meant to pass rush do what ever you want with the LB and voila! A better D next year in the pass but mostly the run

    and with the later picks draft some DT and a TE because i think graham is starting to come out of it if you know what i mean

    Hope this gives you an idea what to draft and do with our D

  • CJ

    I like those moves. But if raheem Moore is available in the second were not gonna pass him up. then you keep champ at corner.

    has any one considered a possible Albert haynesworth Trade??

    Hes a beast in the 4-3

  • MrEast

    Easier said then done. You're really just stating obvious and vague things.

  • MrEast

    Mayock did say “within three years.” Also, Mayock was imaging him going to a 4-3 team.

  • MrEast

    I really think the problem isn't the spot, it's the team's leaders who pick at that spot. If you can actually do your job and not let the hype of the player get to you, the pick should be a good one.

  • MrEast

    I understand the thought, but but Haynesworth's contract is crazy, he's either all-in or all-out, and he can be a huge distraction in the locker room.

  • CJ

    True… ya never know though

  • roshon2411

    The issue is the cost. Why pay ridiculous amount of money to an unproven player because of their 40 time or potential. No guarantees, weather it be the 2nd pick or the 25th pick. So why not get as many picks as possible?

    My preference would be trade down and pick up a high motor guy like Watt or Kerrigan, and get a couple extra picks.

    Revis, Patrick Willis, Clay Matthews, Mangold, Aaron Rodgers, Roddy White, Logan Mankins, Roethlisberger, Wilfork, Polamalu, Asomugha, and Ed Reed,were all picked after the first 10 picks of their drafts.

    I'm just hoping we don't trade our 1st round for 2nd, or trade up in the 2nd round for a blocking TE.

  • areferee

    Kyle, Jon, Anthony33, Cave Man, Marine Man,

    Come back from Honolulu and post. We are going through withdrawal without your incite.

  • The Mascot Army

    Yeah, obvious and things, like recent history shows that the first few guys taken are far from locks to be studs, and maybe just maybe it is worth considering not placing all one's eggs in the same basket.
    You prefer the safety of the echo-chamber who all agree on the best three guys in the draft.

  • TheTroglodyte

    Peterson is a little lacking in technique and would have a couple years of growing pains in the NFL at CB.

    So draft Peterson and turn him into a safety. Not just a safety but a Bob Sanders / Troy Polomalu kind of guy that can literally change the game because he is ALL over the field.

    Our new DC has experience taking big CB's and doing just that so it would be a smooth transition.

    Yeah having a lock down corner is great but having a guy that can disrupt any part of the opponents game plan at any time because you cannot scheme against him is more valuable and much like Chess, football games are often decided by the team that best controls the middle of the field.

    Plus with TE's growing ever more big and athletic we would have a guy who can shutdown Gates, Moeaki and Miller (and that is just in our division).

    Yeah Peterson is a freak athlete with uncanny instincts so lets get him and put him in a position to use ALL of his abilities and change the outcome of games.

    We'll trade Orton for a bottom end 2nd or 3rd and 4th which will load up our first few rounds and while this draft class is lacking in a lot of ways, it is EXTREMELY deep at D-Line so we'll have plenty of chances to take a few shots and score someone nice.

  • flbronc

    which is also why it is very difficult to trade out of a top 3 pick. the team trading in has to be willing to spend big bucks, be willing to give up other high round pick or picks, and have a player available that they feel they cannot live without. i just dont see that happening with the players available in this draft. maybe if there were two sure fire qb prospects that would go one and two, but i dont see anyone moving up to #2 to take any of the qb's, and certainly not one of the defensive guys. someone may move into the top 10 if someone slides, or one of their target qb's is there, but two is too high.

  • MrEast

    Usually I've been a huge proponent of trading down. However, this draft isn't that deep and Denver may not be able to find a suitor for a trade seeing how there isn't any “Mark Sanchez-es” or “Sam Bradfords” this draft. I am honestly not all the excited for the depth of this draft unlike the past few years. Most drafts you could trade down and still pick up a great player, this year it seems a little shallow and Denver is in no position to misfire. Patrick Peterson is a great player who will make Denver better. I'd rather not grab 3 nameless DTs who just might pan-out.

  • MrEast

    Yes, all of those players were past the top 10, but that was in a much deeper drafts. I would like to trade out if the value is good and the players are there, but their just not. Fairley, Bowers, and Quinn really look like highly potential busts. I would be more comfortable with trading a few spots down for Marcell Dareus or even deeper for Cam Jordan or Ryan Kerrigan. I just don't see teams wanting to trade up for any of the top 5 ranked players, especially Peterson because Prince A and Brandon Harris are viable options.

  • MrEast

    I'll wait to see Peterson's 40 time before saying he should make the switch to safety.

    Good points on the tight ends though, Zach Miller is a free agent who would do wonders for Tebow.

  • roshon2411

    The question wasn't if Denver could trade down, but should they trade down. Of course I understand the logistics would be difficult.

    Look at the history of the draft…how many CB's and DL were drafted in the top 5 and actually were worth it?

    Besides Denver has had a stud CB for seven years and what has that accomplished?

    If the value isn't there for this draft, find a fool to trade a second rd for 1st round next year. (Rams?)

  • anthony33

    I remember that. He has been right most of the time, but that was a miss.

  • 5280

    wow i didn't know miller was a free agent! look i could handle taking peterson cuz of his freakishness but i dont think they should get carried away with CB's. contorlling the middle of the field is not the way to win games, developing a pass rush is, by far, more important. i know the draft is deep at DL but i would much rather get one of the top five DL's in the country then the scraps, so if we get peterson we should try and snag kerrigan, dareus, von miller etc. not a late round guy so i think moore should be left out. we'll be just fine with peterson. theres a few other late round corners to who can be very effective if they are coached right and i think we all agree that allen has a nack for coaching CB's. we need more at DL then at corner so id rather take a late round corner and try and develop him then a late round DL. The front & is and always will be the cornerstone of a D.

  • 5280

    front 7*, sorry

  • MrEast

    I definitely agree when it comes down to top 5 DL, but it's a little harder at corner because most are taken after 5 with the exception of Charles Woodson. The way I see it is that if Denver isn't sold on Peterson they should move down, but not out of the first round. I really don't like the “top” DL/DE available in this draft.

  • anthony33

    Great topic question and tons of great comments. There is no right or wrong answer here. I think what's important, and what the Broncos have been missing for the past few years is an overall philosphy. What you want to be as a team and then define your draft philosphy. McD wanted tough, smart players… duh… does anyone want weak, stupid players?

    Fox knows what he wants in a team and the Broncos draft philosphy will follow (hopefully). What matters is who you pick, not where you pick. You need a system that is right more than 50% of the time and then stick with it. The Steelers, Packers, Patriots and Baltimore have front offices that have a clear objective of what they are tying to do and they have been right well more than 50% of the time.

  • MrEast

    Sadly yes. Mayock did also say that Chris Johnson was too fragile for the NFL. However, he did go back and look at Chris Johnson college tape and pointed out where he was wrong and how the Titans did a great job of using his best skills.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    While Reggie wasn't worth the pick he gives the Saints something huge, matchup problems. A lot of the reason they slowed down this season was not having him on the field.

  • http://Facebook.com/BroncosZone Jon

    What't there to write about? Waiting to see if Tebow wins the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Year … will post about that if he wins.

  • crazykid

    Ok, since I had a snow day w/ nothing else to do, I compiled a list of all of Fox's draft choices over the years…
    2002:
    Julius Peppers, DE
    DeShaun Foster, RB
    Will Witherspoon, LB
    Dante Wesley, CB
    Randy Fasani, QB
    Kyle Johnson, FB
    Keith Heinrich, TE
    Pete Campion, Guard
    Brad Franklin, CB

    2003:
    Jordan Gross, Tackle
    Bruce Nelson, Center
    Mike Seidman, TE
    Ricky Manning, CB
    Colin Branch, Safety
    Kindal Moorehead, DE
    Walter Young, WR
    Casey Moore, RB