If the Broncos really want to turn the No. 2 pick in this year’s NFL draft into more picks, they need a quarterback to rise on the draft board. Not for the Broncos, necessarily, but for somebody else to want a quarterback badly enough to trade up to get him.
If there is no new collective bargaining agreement by the start of the April 28-30 draft — a lockout is looming March 4 — teams will only be allowed to make trades involving draft picks.
No NFL players could be involved in any trade.
This year’s quarterback crop has more questions than answers. There is no prospect like Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, last year’s No. 1 draft pick and a star as a Rams rookie, at the top of the group.
There are no quarterbacks among the top five prospects, but Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert is the closest. Many NFL scouts have him ranked sixth to 12th overall heading into the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Gabbert played in a spread offense at Missouri, but he isn’t being penalized by scouts for that because of his size, footwork and arm strength. The Tigers listed him at 6-feet-5 and 240 pounds.
Gabbert threw only 16 touchdown passes in 2010, a red flag to some scouts. But scouts like his decisions and his ability to read coverages. They think he can adapt quickly to the NFL game.
Gabbert is the quarterback who could rapidly rise on the board with some quality work before the draft.
Auburn’s Cam Newton, Washington’s Jake Locker and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett are other quarterbacks who could be drafted in the first round April 28. But Newton is the only one of those three with any momentum right now.
Newton was the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner and starred on Auburn’s national championship team. Still, personnel people in the NFL have concerns about his transition to the pro game. Most teams see him needing time to adapt, primarily because he played only one full season of major-college football.
Teams like Locker’s athleticism and Mallett’s power arm. But Locker didn’t play well at the Senior Bowl, and there are concerns about Mallett’s pocket presence.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
