Needs, needs and more needs.
The Broncos’ strategy goes any of a myriad of ways when the weekend-long NFL Draft begins today at 1 p.m. Mountain.
Let’s see, Denver could use a left tackle, defensive tackle, kick/punt returner and a running back. And there are depth concerns at other positions.
Of course, poker-faced Broncos coach Mike Shanahan isn’t showing his cards.
Barring trades, Denver will have two picks today: No. 12 in the first round and the 11th pick of the second round (No. 42 overall). Some mock drafts have the Broncos using their first pick on an offensive tackle, either Boise State’s Ryan Cady or Chris Williams of Vanderbilt. That is, unless Shanahan decides somebody else is too good to pass up, say, Miami safety Kenny Phillips, Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall or Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart.
Among those potential targets, only Cady is widely viewed as a top-12 pick. So Shanahan might be able to trade down in the first round and still get one of them, while also acquiring more choices for Sunday in the move.
Denver has nine draft choices, including two picks in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds. Conspicuous by its absence is no Broncos pick in the third round – at least as it stands now.
The NFL Draft was streamlined this year. The first round was moved back three hours from its usual Saturday morning start. And clubs will have only 10 minutes between picks in the first round, rather than 15 minutes. Seven minutes will be allowed between picks in the second round later today.
As it stands now, the only given is the Miami Dolphins taking Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long with the No. 1 overall pick, as announced earlier in the week.
Let the intrigue begin.
