There is air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink and a left tackle to protect a quarterback’s blind side.
Whether its mankind or football with a twist, the essentials to survival never vary.
The Broncos leave most of life’s basics to geologists, environmentalists and agriculturists. But only the Broncos can fortify the protection for quarterback Jay Cutler.
With the 2008 NFL draft to be held Saturday and Sunday, all signs point to the Broncos taking a left tackle in the first round.
There is even a chance the draft board will fall in a manner that would give the Broncos their choice of three tackles they covet — Ryan Clady, Chris Williams and Branden Albert — by the time they make the No. 12 pick.
“The question is not whether they can get a quality tackle, the question is whether they get one they feel is worthy of the No. 12 selection and pay scale,” said Jeffrey Foster, president of NFL Scouting Inc., which serves 20 teams, including the Broncos. “There will be a tackle there that they like, but is he worth 12th-pick money? Those are questions that head coaches and salary cap guys and personnel guys start debating.”
What the Broncos won’t do is trade up for Sedrick Ellis or down for Kentwan Balmer, defensive tackles projected for the first round. The position is no longer a top priority after the Broncos acquired defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson from the New York Jets on Thursday in exchange for a 2009 conditional draft pick.
The condition is playing time. If Robertson can’t play a down in 2008 because of his balky knee, the Broncos would give nothing to the Jets. If Robertson plays in every game as he has in four of his five seasons with the Jets, the Broncos would surrender a mid- to late-round pick.
Even before they nabbed Robertson, the Broncos had been focusing on offensive players with their first pick. They had long discussed Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart, but need has shifted the Broncos’ attention to left tackle.
In Travis Henry and Selvin Young, the Broncos have two established running backs. In Matt Lepsis and Ryan Harris, the Broncos have one left tackle who just retired and another whose NFL experience is essentially 11 games of special-teams play.
While the Broncos remain high on Harris — a third-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2007, he may start at right tackle if a left tackle is taken in the first round — they would like one more young blocker to grow with Cutler, tight end Tony Scheffler and receiver Brandon Marshall, all of whom just finished their second NFL seasons.
For most of their draft preparation, the Broncos planned on Clady of Boise State getting selected well before their No. 12 pick. The athletic Albert, projected as a left tackle after playing guard at Virginia, also was rising to the top 10 by some draft followers.
And they still might go in the top 10, although the blockbuster trade that sent Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings this week may shake up the draft’s order.
The Chiefs had been targeting a left tackle with their No. 5 pick. If they now decide to replace Allen by using that pick on a pass-rushing end, there’s a chance either Clady or Albert, or both, will remain on the board by the time the Broncos pick at No. 12.
And if Clady, Albert and Williams all are available, the Broncos will likely try to trade down a few spots knowing one of them would be around later.
“If you’re in the top 15, you better really be confident in the guy,” Foster said. “Because it will cost you not only in money for the next four or five years, but if he doesn’t pan out, everybody’s looking at each other.”
Last year’s No. 12 pick, Buffalo’s Marshawn Lynch, received a $10.285 million guarantee, while the Broncos gave $8 million to No. 17 pick Jarvis Moss. Guaranteed money generally increases 10 percent. Do the Broncos believe Williams is worth the same $11 million guarantee they gave Cutler two years ago?
Williams was a Vanderbilt sophomore playing left guard and left tackle when Cutler was his senior quarterback. Part of Williams’ visit with the Broncos this month was dinner with Cutler.
Between the food and atmosphere, left tackle and quarterback, so many essentials to the Broncos’ survival were there.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Draft facts
When: Saturday-Sunday
Rounds 1-2, Saturday starting at 1 p.m. Rounds 3-7, Sunday at 8 a.m. TV: ESPN and NFL Network
The Broncos: Currently have nine picks. Their first pick, at No. 12, should happen around 2 p.m. Their other picks: No. 42 (second round), No. 108 (4th), No. 119 (4th), No. 139 (5th), No. 148 (5th), No. 183 (6th), No. 220 (7th), No. 227 (7th)
Possible picks at No. 12
A look at five players the Broncos may take with their first-round pick, currently slotted at No. 12:
LT Ryan Clady
6-feet-6, 309 pounds, Boise State
A torn pectoral muscle prevented the former Dan Hawkins recruit from working out at the combine. He apparently didn’t study for the Wonderlic, either, as he scored a 13. Left tackle is more about brawn than brains, though, and Clady’s 33-inch arms, large hands and agility have him ranked by most, if not all, draftniks as the best left tackle after Jake Long. Bears coach Lovie Smith traveled to Boise to personally work out Clady in March.
OT/OG Branden Albert
6-6, 309, Virginia
Not only large, but a former standout prep hoops player who didn’t play football until his junior year in high school. It’s this type of athleticism that has scouts believing his ceiling is higher than others’. The drawback is he played guard, not tackle, in college, even after D’Bric- kashaw Ferguson left. His arms are a half-inch longer than Clady’s, but his hands are a half-inch smaller. He and Clady both bypassed their senior seasons for the draft.
LT Chris Williams
6-6, 315, Vanderbilt
The only senior on this list. Made QB Jay Cutler and his school proud by scoring a 32 on his Wonderlic. As a sophomore, Williams played left guard and left tackle while protecting the senior Cutler. A full-time left tackle his last two years, he is more finesse than power, which is good for Denver’s zone-blocking scheme.
RB Jonathan Stewart
5-10, 235, Oregon
Large and powerful, plus Stewart ran his 40 in 4.46 seconds at the combine. His size and speed add up to a potential freak. He may have been the Broncos’ clear choice had he not undergone toe surgery after the combine, which means he won’t be conditioned for full-time NFL pounding until halfway through the season. Still, a possibility if the Broncos trade down and the left tackles they want are all taken.
S Kenny Phillips
6-2, 212, Miami
First-team All-American as a junior. Has the size and aggression to hit and enough speed to make plays all over the field. Comparable to former Miami safeties Sean Taylor and Ed Reed but may not share their ballhawking skills. The Broncos are not likely to take Phillips at No. 12, but he would be an option if they move back to the 20s.
