Today’s question about the Broncos comes from Russ Burghard.
Q: Why did Denver pass on Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea in this year’s draft? It appears the Broncos are still having trouble stopping the run. Paea would have helped fix that.
A: The Bears drafted the 6-foot-1, 303-pound Paea in the second round at No. 53 overall. The Broncos considered drafting him, but they selected UCLA safety Rahim Moore in the second round at No. 45 overall. Moore likely will be a starter as a rookie. With their second pick in the second round, No. 46 overall, the Broncos drafted Miami offensive tackle Orlando Franklin. He has been playing with the first-team offense since training camp started.
Before the Broncos made those picks, three defensive linemen — Pitt end Jabaal Sheard, Clemson tackle Jarvis Jenkins and Arizona end Brooks Reed — were drafted in the second round. Reed (Texans) and Sheard (Browns) have been moved to outside linebacker in 3-4 defenses with their NFL teams.
The Buccaneers drafted Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers at No. 51 overall, and the Giants selected North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin at No. 52.
Paea was one of the strongest players available in this year’s draft. At the league’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, he set a bench-press record by doing 49 repetitions of 225 pounds. And he’s doing well with the Bears, who play a 4-3 defense.
Paea was the Pac-10’s defensive player of the year last season. He set an Oregon State record by forcing nine fumbles in his career, a strong indication that he loves collisions and can create turnovers. Before the draft, he had surgery to repair knee cartilage.
The Broncos went into the draft determined to stick to their “board,” which they constructed after several months of player evaluations. On that board, Paea wasn’t ranked as highly as Moore or Franklin.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
