Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The 2011 NFL Draft is quickly approaching and unless they trade down, the Denver Broncos will be selecting second overall. We have been counting down our top seven prospects for the Broncos to select with their first pick.

Number four: Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley.  A 6-4 foot, 291 pound disruptive force on the defensive line, Fairley is mentioned among the top prospects in this year’s draft.

The defensive MVP of the 2011 BCS National Championship game, Fairley recorded 56 tackles, 12 sacks and an interception as a Junior in 2010.  A nightmare for opposing offenses, Fairley is a powerful pass rusher and excellent against the run.

Twenty-three years old, Fairley ran a 4.87 timed forty-yard dash and a 31-inch vertical jump at the NFL’s scouting combine earlier this year (he chose not bench).  He is projected to be a top-five pick in the first round of the draft, but could drop a little farther than that.

My opinion:  Fairley would be considered the top defensive tackle prospect in the draft if not for concerns about his character and work ethic.  He is a disruptive player that former Broncos safety John Lynch says is a lot like Warren Sapp and is the type of player that doesn’t come around often. 

Fairley is a boom-or-bust player and the Broncos may regret it for a long time if they pass on him on the draft.  On the other hand, he could become one of the biggest busts in recent history.  In the end, I don’t think Fairley is a risk worth taking at second overall.

Likelihood of him being selected second overall:  Moderately high.  The Broncos will be looking to address the defense and they may feel that Fairley is their guy.  If Carolina selects Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareusfirst overall, Denver may go with Fairley.   

Video Highlight: 

Smack Talk Week on BroncoTalk continues, celebrating the inefficiencies and inferior qualities of everything non-Broncos in the AFC West. Remember it’s all in the name of good, clean fun, and you can dish it in the comments.

Of course we saved the most bitter of rivals for last. We’ve already ripped into the Chiefs this week, a mere day after leaving the Chargers black and blue. Now it’s time to switch our focus to the Bastards by the Bay, the Oakland Raiders.

Hatred between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders is as pure and white hot as it gets in the NFL. Here are five reasons the Raiders suck, in case you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past 40 years.

The Crypt Keeper – How old, old, old man Al Davis still manages to run a successful NFL franchise is beyond me. Wait, did I just say successful?

So Close to Twenty – Over the past five years, the Raiders have gone under an unprecedented struggle for their franchise. During that time span, they have won a grand total of 19 games. If it wasn’t for those pesky four other years, the Raiders would have had a perfect season!

Coach Em Up – First, it was Mike Shanahan‘s departure that ultimately led to him wiping the floor with the Raiders as Broncos Head Coach for 13 years now. Then it was John Gruden being traded for a plethora of picks, then going on the very next year to beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Both vocalized their concern with the ownership having too much control. No wonder nobody wants to be their coach.

Get Me Outta Here – The recent exodus of Raiders has led to a bit of dirty laundry airing, with former players such as Warren Sapp and Dominic Rhodes voicing their concerns in different public forums. Much like the previously mentioned coaches Shanahan and Gruden, it’s apparent most people can’t wait to escape the jaws of this franchise. Who can blame them?

Can’t Buy Championships – $250 million in one offseason. The Raiders must have forgotten that they already sucked the life out of one incredible player in the NFL. Has anything reeked more of desperation?

The Oakland Raiders may have made a big splash by drafting Darren McFadden Saturday, but anyone with any scrap of sense will tell you that it was the last thing the Raiders needed. Yesterday they released Dominic Rhodes, who let some of his feelings about the Raiders organization be known in a recent interview with Sirius NFL Radio.

“The year out in Oakland was a tough one for me, man, especially coming from the Colts, which is a great organization. They put together their team in a way with not a bunch of guys that are supposed to be like Hollywood types. They go and get guys like myself who they know can play football and they put them on the field and they win with them, you know?”

What, the Oakland Raiders like to go after Hollywood types? Really? Nah, really? You’re kidding.

“Out in Oakland it was tough, man. I got put into a bad situation. … We had like a stable full of running backs that are capable, that ran for a hundred yards, every one of them and we went and drafted a guy that – he’s a great runner, don’t get me wrong – but I don’t understand the logic behind it.”

What’s more, it’s becoming plenty clear that Raiders coach Lane Kiffin wanted no part of McFadden. He had Rhodes, Justin Fargas, and LaMont Jordan already on the roster, not to mention last year’s uber-talented-but-injured 4th round pick Michael Bush. Why in the world would he want to add another RB to the mix with Glenn Dorsey staring him in the face?

“I don’t really think that Lane Kiffin wanted to take a running back in the first round, let’s just put it like that,” Rhodes said. “He has to deal with it now, but I don’t think that’s what he wanted to do.”

It’s almost certainly not. That’s not all, though – yesterday, former Raiders DT Warren Sapp had a few interesting things to say – particularly about one of the running backs the Raiders decided to keep.

…After three games last season, LaMont Jordan led the NFL in rushing,” Sapp said. “But LaMont is like the worst offseason running back I’ve ever been around; he was out of shape and couldn’t keep it going.”

It’s hard not to completely fold over when I hear this. Great job Oakland! Keep the lazy “Hollywood types” and cut the blue collar guy who actually wanted to work hard to see the field!

According to Sapp, the whole team is a mess, both offensively and defensively. He made sure to point out the weaknesses in the Raiders’ defense, particularly that Oakland is “a team with 3-4 personnel, but they’re running a 4-3 system.” He said the team would do better implementing a two-gap approach instead of the current defensive coordinator Rob Ryan‘s one-gap system.

Anytime your football players leave your organization and have no problem airing the team’s dirty laundry, you’ve got problems. In two days, two ex-Raiders made it crystal clear that Oakland is a team in turmoil from top to bottom. Everyone jumping on their bandwagon is in for a bumpy ride.