Posted Mon Apr 23rd by Jon Heath
On Monday, Denver Broncos V.P. of Football Operations John Elway addressed the media to discuss the team’s draft plans.  In the press conference, Elway noted that the team does not view defensive tackle as a dire position of need.
“We don’t feel as bad about our tackles as everybody else does,” said Elway. “I think that we feel OK there and [DT] Ty Warren will be back coming off an injury and [DT Kevin] Vickerson is coming back and then we have some young guys in there where we feel like we’ll be OK. It’s not nearly the need in our minds that people think it is.â€
Unless that’s a smokescreen and the team is planning on trading up to select one of the top defensive tackles in the draft, it sounds like the Broncos aren’t planning at drafting a DT in the first round. Â Elway did say that the team would be open to trading up (or down) from pick No. 25 on Thursday. Â
Elway also hinted that the team has an interest in the cornerbacks that will be available in the first round, pointing out that pass rushers and cornerbacks are vital to have success on defense.
“We struggled all last year against anybody that spread us out. That is the thing. Every team has needs. It’s just a matter of the impact of the people you can find to help solve that need. You can never have enough good corners; you can never have enough good pass rushers. There is no question, corner is another spot that is very vital if you’re going to be good on the defensive side because of where the game is going and the amount of spread offense that we’re seeing now you have to be good in the secondary.”
Does this mean that we can scratch out DT’s Fletcher Cox, Michael Brockers and Jerel Worthy and pencil in CB’s Stephen Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins as likely candidates for the Broncos later this week?  Not necessarily.  Though BT‘s Ian Henson has been predicting cornerback for months, the team will have many options on draft day.
“We don’t have a mindset of exactly what we’re going to do,†Elway explained. “We’re going to have to wait and see until we get close to that pick at No. 25 and see how the board falls, we’ll never know. It’s a mindset that we want to find the guy that is going to come in and have an impact, whether it is offensively or defensively.â€
Depending on who falls and who goes early on draft day, the Broncos may target a large variety of positions (including MLB, WR, RB, QB, DB and DT).  So with the Broncos prepared to draft the best player available, don’t count on them going defensive tackle just because it is a perceived position of need.
What’s your take on the situation? Â Are the Broncos wise to go BPA? Â Or has defensive tackle been pushed aside for too long? Â Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Published on 04/23/2012 at Mon Apr 23 17:50.
Tagged: 2012 NFL Draft,Denver Broncos,Dre Kirkpatrick,Fletcher Cox,Ian Henson,Janoris Jenkins,Jerel Worthy,John Elway,Michael Brockers,Stephen Gilmore.