Derek Wolfe poses for a headshot during the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)

The Denver Broncos have selected Derek Wolfe with the 36th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Defensive Tackle was a position the whole world saw as a need for the Broncos and in spite of the misdirection John Elway threw around in various interviews in the weeks leading up to the draft, the Denver Broncos were doing defensive line all the way.  The moves Elway made on Thursday night proved he wasn’t willing to spend such a high draft pick with so many tackles still left on the board at twenty-five.  Instead, he moved the Broncos back eleven spots to snag an extra mid-round draft pick and still got his guy.

Hopefully, Wolfe turns out to be an important piece of the puzzle that sets a potential championship run into motion.  Adding a stout defender in the middle of the defense could be exactly what this defense needs to rise to the next level.

What do the rest of you Bronco fans think?

Denver Broncos 2012 Draft Day 2 Live Blog. Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2012 NFL Draft begins at 5:00 p.m. MT. The Broncos currently have three selections in Rounds 2-3. Keep it locked here for live coverage as the offseason’s biggest event unfolds!

Wisconsin center Peter Konz, right, blocks a Nebraska defensive tackle during an NCAA college football game in 2011. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

After trading out of round one, here is my list of the top prospects for the Denver Broncos to consider in Round 2. They draft 36th overall, or fourth in the second round. This means at least four of these players will be available for them to draft with their first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.

I’ve read dozens of scouting reports and watched tape while considering the fit for the Broncos in compiling this list. If they can get any of the top three players on this list, I’ll be happy.

Top Broncos Prospects Remaining

1. Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin – Many had him in the mid-first round. The Broncos have 18 million reasons to invest in a premiere offensive lineman this season.
2. Devon Still, DT, Penn State – I’ve gone back and forth between Still and Jerel Worthy, but Still has been more productive and has better measurables. He moved up my board and will stay that way.
3. Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State – A bit shorter but perhaps meaner, the Broncos can’t go wrong with either Worthy or Still. Each, separately, has been called “the safest pick in the draft” among DT’s by experts.
   
4. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford – Like Konz, this would be a value pick. The need isn’t there with the Broncos having paid Jacob Tamme $4 million, but the BPA philosophy dictates you take a potential game-changer and Pro Bowler anyway.
5. Lamar Miller, RB, Miami – There’s a lot of talk on Twitter that the Broncos are high on this guy. He has track and field speed and could prove to be a weapon. Good returner too.
6. Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama – Character concerns and red flags galore, but an utter stud otherwise.
7. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech – A one-trick deep-route pony, but exceptionally good at that.

Top Stories

John Elway Press Conference | DenverBroncos.com
Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway breaks down the team’s first round trades and preparing for the second day of the draft.

Broncos Trade Down, Then Out of Round 1 | MaxDenver.com
John Elway said he was open to trades — “preferably” down. He got his preference — and said that the Broncos’ draft board looks the same as it did before the swaps.

First Day Trades | Draft Metrics
It looks like the trades the Broncos made were not as bad as the fans believed them to be. They didn’t make out like bandits either, but slightly in the positive.
Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Denver Broncos vice president John Elway talks about trading the team's first-round pick in the NFL football draft at the Denver Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on April 26, 2012. The Broncos traded the 25th pick to New England for their 31st pick. They then traded that pick to Tampa Bay. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

The first round of the 2012 NFL Draft came and went without the Denver Broncos making a single selection after the team traded down, as we expected they would.  Going into day two of the draft, the team has options, with eight total selections.

“Our board looked the same, and we have the same players at No. 36 than we would have had at No. 31,” Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said following the first round of the draft. “We don’t have a new player yet, but we like where we sit. We’re excited.”

With picks in the second (36th and 57th), third (87th), fourth (101, 108 and 120), fifth (137th) and sixth (188th) rounds, the team has what Elway called “currency” to make more moves on Friday.  The team owns two 2nd round selections and three 4th round selections, so they’ll have plenty of ammunition to move around.

“I understand the fans being a little bit disappointed because they want to get excited and see who’s the next Denver Bronco,” Elway told DenverBroncos.com. “I think everybody naturally wants to do that, but that will be over as soon as we get started tomorrow and get that first pick. Where we sit, I think tomorrow will be exciting.”   Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower, left, could have been drafted by the Broncos 25th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

We can debate whether the Denver Broncos should have stayed put at either #25 or #31 till kingdom come. It’s true that two fan favorites– Dont’a Hightower and Doug Martin — came off the board right at those spots.

Here’s something that needs no debate — the Broncos lost value in their two trades tonight.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

2012 NFL Draft — First, the Denver Broncos traded down to pick 31. Then they traded out of the first round altogether.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved back into Round One, trading the Broncos the 36th and 101st selections for the Broncos’ 31st and 126th (part of the New England trade).

The Patriots selected Dont’a Hightower with the 25th pick. The Bucanneers selected RB Doug Martin 31st. Two fan favorites came off the board right where the Broncos were picking.

2012 NFL Draft — The Denver Broncos have traded the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft with the New England Patriots for the 31st overall pick. The Broncos also acquired the Patriots’ fourth round pick (126th overall) in the trade.

The Patriots used the 25th pick to select linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

Round 1 results after the jump — Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The NFL Draft will begin in less than half an hour and the trades have already started.  The Cleveland Browns have traded up to the third overall selection (via the Minnesota Vikings) to select Alabama running back Trent Richardson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Browns traded picks in the 1st, 4th, 5th and 7th rounds to move up one spot.  There were several other teams trying to trade for the third overall pick, according to reports.  We expect a large amount of trades to happen throughout the first round of the draft.

As for the Broncos, the team appears to be primed to trade down when on the clock.  According to Schefter, several teams have contacted the Broncos about trading for their pick and Denver is likely to move back (possibly all the way down into the second round).  Per Schefter, the Broncos will make their decision based on who is left on the board.

Schefter noted that Denver is highly unlikely to trade up and will be looking to make their selection at 25th overall while entertaining offers to trade down. One team that could be interested in trading up to Denver’s No. 25 pick is the Green Bay Packers, according to ESPN‘s Cecil Lammey.

Stay tuned… things are going to get interesting!