The Broncos drafted Demaryius Thomas and Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
On April 30, the Broncos will select their first of 10 draft picks for 2015. They have one first-round selection, No. 28 overall, and as The Post’s Broncos experts, Mike Klis and Troy Renck, have projected, Denver could try to trade up, or it may a right tackle to bolster its offensive line.
But almost exactly five years ago (April 22, 2010), the Broncos were armed with two first-round selections, thanks to some draft-day trades, and they took players at key offensive positions — players whose futures were debated from Day 1 and whose careers have taken very different paths over the last half-decade.
At No. 22, the Broncos took Demaryius Thomas, a receiver out of Georgia Tech (instead of Dez Bryant, whom Dallas took at No. 24). At No 25, they selected Tim Tebow, a Heisman-winning quarterback and two-time national champion out of Florida.
Thomas is now one of , while Tebow is hoping to earn a second chance in the league, with a non-guaranteed, .
Here’s what Tebow and then Broncos coach Josh McDaniels after the 2010 draft:
McDaniels, on Tebow:
“We needed a player at that position to be a good player — a good, good player. And if we can make him a special player, then that’s what we’re looking for.”
Tebow:
“I want to be a quarterback in the NFL for a great many years. That’s my goal. That’s been my goal since I was 6 years old. I want to do whatever it takes to get there. I’m just grateful to Coach McDaniels to have the strength and belief in me, to choose me and believe in me. I’m so thankful for that.”
Broncos’ 2010 Draft PicksRoundPickPlayerPositionSchool122Demaryius ThomasWRGeorgia Tech125Tim TebowQBFlorida245Zane BeadlesGUtah380J.D. WaltonCBaylor387Eric DeckerWRMinnesota5137Perrish CoxCBOklahoma State6183Eric OlsenCNotre Dame7225Syd’Quan ThompsonCBCalifornia7232Jammie KirlewDEIndiana
