Today’s question comes from Scott Q.:
Q: I know it’s early, but what do you think the Broncos will think about doing in the draft?
A: Scott, it’s never too early to talk about the draft, at least in my book.
NFL teams are ramping up their work as the college all-star games approach, and the Broncos had all of their scouts in this week to meet with team executives.
So the draft is certainly on the Broncos’ minds.
The Broncos will evaluate the draft’s strengths before they decide what they will do in free agency. If they stick to their vow to build in the draft and supplement only in free agency — and frankly that is their only chance for long-term success — their positions of need as it stands would likely be:
They’ll need at least one other, and if the option is really going to be a significant part of the playbook moving forward and not just a short-term experiment, with Tim Tebow, then they’ll need at least one more quarterback who can run it.
It’s great to break new ground with an old-school approach, but the Broncos will still need a Plan B behind center, at least once they decide what Plan A is.
And given the number of three- and four-wide receiver sets the Broncos have faced, the position has to be on the radar.
The Broncos addressed safety in the 2011 draft, and it would be a surprise if cornerback didn’t get similar attention in 2012.
Watch a player like Alabama’s Trent Richardson run the ball, and that’s what the Broncos are looking for — a big, powerful no-nonsense back who gets it up the field without a lot of wasted motion and finishes runs with some pop.
Willis McGahee will be 31 next season, Knowshon Moreno will still be recovering form knee surgery and the Broncos will still want to be one of the league’s top running teams. That all points to the Broncos using a prime draft pick on the position.
If Warren gets a good report from the medical staff — and he’s expected to after spending this season on injured reserve — the Broncos may not feel compelled to dive in before the middle rounds at the position. A Brodrick Bunkley-Warren tandem in the middle would temper the need there some.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
