BroncoTalk Draft Roundtable Pt. 4 – Final Thoughts and Grades

The BroncoTalk Draft Roundtable series has been fun, but we’re ready to say goodbye to the 2008 draft with these last notes and our grades. So, gentlemen, what were your final thoughts after the draft?

Josh: I’m more than satisfied with Clady as our first pick. I’m not as excited as Kyle, but anytime you beef up either of your lines in the first round it’s huge. The game is won in the trenches. As I said above, Clady is a beast and once he gets some NFL coaching could develop the technique to match or be better than Jake Long. I would bet that the war room was nervous taking a LT after the Foster debacle, but this guy will be keeping Cutler’s backside clean for years to come.

As seen above I’m not that thrilled with our second pick but I hope he explodes on the scene. I’m a little surprised we didn’t try to get in the third round somehow. I also thought this was one of the more complete second day drafts Denver has had in some time. I think they could have possibly filled a need with every single pick, whether it be special teams or just depth to a hurting position.

Earl: Reading the draft grades, I feel a little gypped. Drafts are truly made in the middle rounds — 3, 4, 5 — and finding a gem in rounds 6 and 7 make drafts that much sweeter. Clady is a really safe pick. Dr. Z, whom I ordinarily love, gives us a bad grade because we didn’t target run stoppers, but if we had targetted run stoppers we would have gotten a worse grade, because there just wasn’t a lot of quality available until late. I do feel we could’ve gotten one more run-stopping DT instead of Larsen, (and I’m watching your career, Rubin. I still think we should’ve picked you) but all that does is play into my least favorite pick anyway. And other draft graders? It seems all I read is that Royal was a reach. Why didn’t we get Sweed? (Devin Hester). Why didn’t we get Jackson? (character).

Jonathan: On the techy side, I loved the live-blogging system that Kyle and Earl used here on BroncoTalk. I feel rotten that I didn’t get to partake this weekend, but reading it afterwards was great fun. I’m looking forward to participating with that system during gamedays (and maybe even some scheduled open discussions on specific topics this off-season). [Ed. note: Definitely]

Kyle: I think was the best draft in recent memory. While it may not turn out as stellar as the 2006 draft, we haven’t used this many picks in ages, and almost every one of them was of good value and addressing a position of need. Loved this draft. Any last words, fellas?

Josh: I would say we didn’t have as good of drafts as K.C., Pittsburgh, or Carolina. If I had to sum up the whole draft of Denver it would be that they filled need through and through. As many analysts said, this has been the Draft of need more than any other and I think Denver followed suit by taking Clady and not a running back.

Biggest two shocking picks by other teams? Patriots reaching to take LB Jarod Mayo that high when they probably could have traded down and still taken him. Learn from the Cowboys on that one Pats. Second, the Jags giving up three picks just to take Derrick Harvey. They say he is basically Jarvis Moss version 2, and I wouldn’t have given up three picks for Jarvis.

Earl: Now, I’m also a little biased. I called 7 of 9 picks; I missed a DT and got an LB that I’m not sure about, and I missed a trade and got a FB that I’m happy about. I’m pretty happy to have had my guesses come out so close, and that means my ideas of what we need and what was available turn out to agree with the Broncos. So the draft graders can go screw.

I really do think we could’ve focused a bit more on the defensive tackle position; there’s too big a question mark around Dewayne Robertson, especially in the upcoming seasons. But we weren’t going to get another Gerard Warren this draft and we probably have enough Alvin McKinleys. But we set our OL up pretty well; if Lichtensteiger works out in a couple seasons, I think we’re going to be very happy with the results.

Jonathan: Well, I might mention that Kyle did an awesome job nailing the first pick! If you get a job scouting for the Broncos, I expect you to remember us little guys! :)

And Earl actually came darn close on the positions we’d draft this year…

Earl – Actual
2 OL – 2 OL (OT & C)
2 DL – 1 DL (DT)
1 RB – 2 RB (RB & FB)
1 WR – 1 WR
1 S – 1 S
1 CB – 1 CB
0 LB – 1 LB

That’s pretty cool, Earl! I also agreed with Earl that kickers were not exciting enough in this draft to waste a pick on… which we didn’t. I’m sure we’ll pick up a kicker as an undrafted free agent and that will be just fine.

Kyle: Alright guys, what’s the final grade? I give the draft an A myself.
Josh: B
Earl: A-
Jonathan: A