Denver Broncos: 4-Round Mock Draft to Get Back On Track

This season isn’t over by any means. Still I think we can all see that some changes need to happen for the Denver Broncos and I think this Mock Draft helps that process along.

This time of year is a great time to look to the past, present, and future of the Denver Broncos. We can look back not only over this last season but over the past few to see how John Elway and company have formed this team. We can look at the strengths that have helped this team win so many games. At the same time we can see the weaknesses that have held this team back at times. Then of course we can look to the future of what can be done to make this team even better than what we have seen. There are many avenues to help fix the problems with the Broncos but maybe none better than that of the NFL draft.

Now obviously the season is far from over. So it is difficult to know exactly where the Broncos will be picking when the draft comes around. I like all Bronco fans are hoping for the final pick in every round. This draft is more designed with just how I think the Broncos will approach this entire off season. As Bronco fans we have been very fortunate to have a GM that isn’t afraid to look at the team objectively and see what changes truly need to happen.

One final point before we get to the mock draft. I have went ahead and included 2 3rd round comp picks and 1 4th round comp pick. While they have not officially handed out comp picks yet for this upcoming draft that is the expected haul the Broncos should get.

Oct 29, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes offensive lineman Garett Bolles (72) celebrates a touchdown by Utah Utes tight end Evan Moeai (not pictured) during the second half against the Washington Huskies at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Washington won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

1st Round: Garett Bolles, OT, Utah

You are going to see a very common theme run throughout this mock draft. The players I went after for the Broncos are ones as the saying goes that “play like their hair is on fire.”

We obviously know that what we have seen from the Broncos’ OL cannot continue. Something I keep thinking about is after the 2013 season Elway sat down and knew for us to win a Super Bowl we had to become a bully on defense. So he went out and got those types of players.

That is where Garett Bolles comes into the picture. He is a guy that just loves destroying the guy across from him. I saw quite a few plays that he drove a defender 10 yards or more down the field until they finally just gave up and went to the ground. This is what the OL needs. We need a guy that lives on the other side of the line of scrimmage. When the Broncos have a 3rd and 1 play the defense will know we are going to run it behind Bolles yet won’t be able to do anything to stop it.

Beyond just his powerful run blocking is a very quick footed technician in the pass game. He looks very natural mirroring a defender trying to get after the QB. His ability to handle counter moves after the initial block is a thing of beauty. Bolles to me really is that perfect fit into making this OL into a unit no team wants to face.

He is a guy that I think can play either RT or LT and thrive at both. We could even give him a try on the inside depending on what we do in FA to help this OL out. No matter what this draft needs to show the Broncos are very serious about getting this OL back on track. I think people might be surprised at how much the entire team improves if just the OL improves over the off season.

Sep 24, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; LSU quarterback Danny Etling (16) throws a pass as Auburn Tigers lineman Montravius Adams (1) closes in during the second quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

2nd Round: Montravius Adams, DE/DT, Auburn

Montravius Adams is another that fits the “play like your hair is on fire” attitude. This draft is in big part about helping rebuild our trenches on both sides of the ball and Adams would be a huge addition to the rotation. He is a guy that can play both at the NT position and DE position for us. He has a great first step that allows him to disrupt plays in the backfield. Beyond just a great first step he also is one that has great driving power if a defender does latch on to push the pocket back into a QB.

When watching his games it was easy to see teams focused on him quite a bit. You can always tell who teams fear most by who they try to help the most. For the Broncos it is almost surprising when a team doesn’t double team Von Miller. Adams gets the same treatment for Auburn. Yet even with that being the case he has still found ways to be disruptive and put up some decent stats for a big man working on the inside.

There are reasons that he is dropping to the 2nd round. There are times he can be inconsistent. Part of that is I do think his conditioning needs to improve. He also sometimes struggles to locate the ball carrier. Teams have used his aggressiveness against him letting him drive into the backfield to have the ball carrier slip in behind him to a big hole. His size can also be a negative as he can lose the leverage battle at times throughout a game. Still there is 1st round potential in this kid with the right coaching (looking at you Bill Kollar).

Dec 3, 2016; Annapolis, MD, USA; Temple Owls head coach Matt Rhule gets gatorade dumped on him by offensive lineman Dion Dawkins (66) during the fourth quarter of the game against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Temple Owls defeated Navy Midshipmen 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

3rd Round: Dion Dawkins, OT, Temple

The building of the trenches continues with Dion Dawkins of Temple. This is another one of those “bully” type OL players. It only takes a few plays of watching this kid to see the power and athleticism that has teams excited around the league. Beyond just that teams also have 4-years worth of film as he started as a true freshman on the OL for Temple.

There really is so much to like about his game. He has long arms that make it very difficult for any defender to get around him. He has the power to open up huge holes in the run game. In fact one of my favorite things to watch was when the Owls had a 3rd and short or goal line situation a majority of the time they ran right behind this kid and quite often they were happy with the results.

Of course there are some things he needs to work on. He can get caught leaning forward a bit too much allowing teams to throw him off balance. Some of that is he bends a little too much at the hips instead of the knees. This is something that coaching can help him get on the right track. He can also play a bit high losing some of his power. Some of this is why if the Broncos did draft him I could see them starting him off on the inside because of his great power in the run game and wing span to keep defenders from being able to run stunts in the pass game. As he improves his technique then move him to either tackle spot and continue to watch him grow.

Oct 17, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson (67) celebrates after a fumble recovery during the second half of the game at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

3rd Round: Jaleel Johnson, DT/DE, Iowa

Here is another Defensive Lineman that I think is the perfect fit with what we want to accomplish on defense. He most likely would be a NT for us but he has the athleticism to play at the DE position as well.

There are so many things to love about Johnson’s game. Johnson plays a ton of snaps but you just never see him stop working. Most big guys you see them take some snaps off but with this kid he just keeps coming at you.

That motor is combined with a good first step and very active hands that have helped him produce at a very high level this year. Johnson has 8.5 sacks on the season and is consistently making plays in the back field. He was a big part of why they are one of the top defenses in all of college football.

Johnson does have some work ahead of him to maybe add some more muscle to his frame. He can struggle to anchor at times when he doesn’t win with quickness. There were times that he became a liability in the run game because he was getting pushed back a bit. Still I just love the fire this kid plays with and I think with some great coaching this kid could become a very special player.

Sep 3, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; South Alabama Jaguars tight end Gerald Everett (12) runs the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

3rd Round: Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama

Gerald Everett is probably a player that not many have heard of. My guess is though that this kid is about to sky rocket up draft boards after a great showing at the Senior Bowl here in a month. Teams are going to fall in love with his game.

As a receiver he has everything you are looking for. He has decent speed for a man of his size. Maybe one of my favorite qualities is that of his route running. Most TE’s in the college game just use their size or speed mismatch to get open but Everett uses his route running to help him get defenders turned around leaving him wide open. Then you add to that combination he has very soft hands and great body control. All of this adds up to him being a very good receiving option for any QB.

As a blocker he is definitely on the smaller end of what you are wanting in a TE. This does show up as he can get blown backwards by guys with 50-60 lbs. on him. What teams will really like though is that he is a very willing blocker. He doesn’t shy away from contact. I think coaches will look at that and see a kid they can really build into a good blocker at the TE position. He is a bit of a project but I think one that is definitely worth a shot in the 3rd round.

Sep 17, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Ryan Switzer (3) runs as offensive tackle Bentley Spain (75) blocks at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels defeated the James Madison Dukes 56-28. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

4th Round: Ryan Switzer, WR/KR/PR, North Carolina

For the life of me I cannot understand why so many draft boards do not like this kid. He has so much to like about his game. There is the fact that he is the Swiss Army Knife of players. North Carolina moved him all over the offense trying to get the ball in his hands. They used him as a punt returner and kick returner. He was the guy they looked for on those key 3rd down plays needing a first down. He did it all and had great success at it all.

Now I’m sure some are looking at his size/weight/height combination and just writing him off. Usually those types of players require the top end speed for teams to give them a good look. Switzer probably won’t wow people with his 40 time at the combine. Still I really hope the Broncos can look past all of that and just see what this kid does every week.

One of the top qualities to love is that of his intelligence. He has shown an incredible ability to find the open holes in zone coverage. Beyond that he just knows how to use his footwork to set defenders up. This is what Wes Welker was so good at and what I think Switzer will be able to do to defenders as well.

He also has great quickness in and out of his breaks. I just love how natural he looks when making a cut. It doesn’t look like he has to think through his steps but has just ran those routes so often that it is engrained into his body.

The fact that he is a willing returner on special teams should be enough to show his toughness. Beyond that though, we see it in the pass game of his willingness to do the dirty work over the middle of the field. He has great hands to make the tough catches when you absolutely need one. I could go on and on about this kid but if we got him here in the 4th Bronco Country should be very thankful teams underestimated this kid.

Oct 8, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Jamaal Williams (21) runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

4th Round: Jamaal Williams, RB, BYU

I figured I would stop here after round 4 for now. This has been a very offensive side of the ball heavy draft but obviously that is the side needing the most work. Ever since CJ Anderson went down with injury we have seen our run game plummet to one of the worst in the NFL. While I haven’t given up on Booker yet becoming a quality runner we are still going to need to add depth/competition at the RB position.

Jamaal Williams has had a bit of a roller coaster college experience. He has the high moments like being BYU’s all-time leading rusher, single game rushing record, and single game rushing touchdown record. On the other side he has also seen the low moments like a season-ending knee injury that took most of his 2014 season away and then did not play in 2015 to get his personal life in order. He has returned this year to once again though dominate and show why he shouldn’t be overlooked in this great RB class.