Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said he scored a personal first in this year’s NFL Draft.
He was able to get the players he had targeted in both the first and second rounds. On Saturday, Denver took Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady at No. 12 of the first round and added Virginia Tech receiver Eddie Royal in the second round.
Both fill critical needs. Shanahan said he expects Clady (rhymes with lady) to earn the starting position at left tackle this fall and Royal to handle kickoff and punt returns as a rookie.
“To get these two guys in the first two rounds that we were hoping we would get that (had happened) zero times in my NFL career,” Shanahan said Sunday after the draft concluded. “It actually happened this time. You feel very fortunate.
“(But) I’m hoping not to pick at the 12th pick very often.”
Shanahan acknowledged that Clady, a 6-foot-6, 318-pounder, will face a learning curve. But considering that now retired Matt Lepsis had an off-year last fall at left tackle, “For Ryan to come in with his type of ability, I think we’ll make an improvement there, regardless of him being a rookie or not.”
As for Royal, Shanahan said, “Anytime you take a kickoff and punt returner, you really don’t have to teach that.”
The Broncos added seven picks on Sunday. Shanahan said he was happy to see each of them still available when it came time for the Broncos to choose.
Considering Shanahan’s track record of finding productive running backs in the middle rounds, taking Arizona State tailback Ryan Torain in the fifth round is intriguing. Shanahan hit the jackpot in the middle rounds with Terrell Davis (sixth round, 1995), Olandis Gary (fourth round, 1999) and Mike Anderson (sixth round, 2000).
“He has a lot of ability, great running instincts,” Shanahan said of Torain. “He’s a guy I’m very high on. We were hoping he’d be there, somewhere in that fourth or fifth round. We were very fortunate to get him.”
For the two days and seven rounds, the Broncos drafted five offensive players (including the first three) and four defensive players. Shanahan said he expects to sign the usual complement of four or five undrafted free agents.
“We’re a better football team,” Shanahan said.
