What the National Media Thinks the Broncos Will Do with the No. 10 Pick by Joe Nguyen Denver Post April 6, 2019
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What the national media thinks the Broncos will do with the No. 10 pick By Joe Nguyen Denver Post April 6, 2019 The NFL draft is 20 days away, and from fans to NFL experts to draft gurus, it seems like everyone has an opinion on how the NFL draft is going to shape up. Here’s a look at the latest on who some members of the national media think the Broncos will select with the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft: ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson “We know Joe Flacco loves throwing to tight ends, and Hockenson would give him a true No. 1 tight end to target.” ESPN’s Todd McShay: Missouri quarterback Drew Lock “I don’t love this pairing, but I also don’t think Flacco is the long-term quarterback answer. If Lock is already off the board, pass-catcher or defensive line makes the most sense for John Elway at No. 10.” Washington Post’s John Clayton: Hockenson “The Broncos have to consider a quarterback at this spot, and if they took one, I believe it would be Drew Lock, not Haskins. But tight end is also a big need, and Hockenson is very good as a blocker and a pass catcher.” CBS Sports’ Sean Wagner-McGough: LSU linebacker Devin White “Vic Fangio’s defenses typically feature very good inside linebackers, from Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in San Francisco to Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith in Chicago. White’s the best linebacker in this draft class and the Broncos have a hole at linebacker after letting Brandon Marshall leave.” NFL.com’s Peter Schrager: Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Joe Flacco will be the Broncos’ quarterback for 2019, but don’t sleep on the team snagging Haskins or Drew Lock if one of those two falls to 10. Haskins ripped it at his pro day and, from what I’m told, was a “pied piper” leader on an offense littered with future professional players. John Elway swings for a quarterback again. Bonus second round picks: Kiper: Kansas State offensive lineman Dalton Risner McShay: South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel Broncos mock draft roundup: April 5, 2019 By Staff DenverBroncos.com April 6, 2019 Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: TE T.J. Hockenson, Iowa We know Joe Flacco loves throwing to tight ends, and Hockenson would give him a true No. 1 tight end to target. [April 3] Todd McShay, ESPN: QB Drew Lock, Missouri I don't love this pairing, but I also don't think Flacco is the long-term quarterback answer. If Lock is already off the board, pass-catcher or defensive line makes the most sense for John Elway at No. 10. [April 3] Robert Klemko, Sports Illustrated: QB Drew Lock, Missouri John Elway takes another shot at drafting Denver's quarterback of the future in Lock, who will benefit from a year on the bench behind the newly acquired Joe Flacco. After Murray and Haskins, there's a drop-off in QB talent in this draft, but that won't stop a QB-desperate team from spending an early pick on a developmental player with great physical tools like Lock. [April 3] Will Brinson, CBSSports.com: QB Drew Lock, Missouri I get that John Elway's professed his love for Joe Flacco and says the aging veteran is just entering his prime. I think Flacco could be pretty good this year. But if Elway has a chance to get an insurance option as well as a future building block and he loves Lock as much as we think he does, he won't pass on him here. [April 3] Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune: QB Drew Lock, Missouri This is John Elway utilizing the “kitchen sink” strategy to find a franchise quarterback. He solved his short-term issues at the position by trading for a veteran (Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco). It was clear he was smitten with Lock in Mobile. The Mizzou signal caller shares some traits with the college version of Patrick Mahomes. Both have elite arm talent, can extend plays with their athleticism and are overaggressive with their decision-making. [April 3] Nick Klopsis, Newsday: LB Devin Bush, Michigan The Broncos traded for Joe Flacco, got him some line help in Ja’Wuan James and rebuilt their secondary with Bryce Callahan and Kareem Martin. That leaves linebacker as the biggest remaining hole. Devin Bush — the son of the former Falcons first-rounder of the same name — is only 5-11, but he’s a tough linebacker with great speed and instincts. [April 3] Charles Davis, NFL.com: QB Drew Lock, Missouri I know John Elway recently said that trade acquisition Joe Flacco is not a stopgap at QB -- in fact, he said he thinks Flacco is entering his prime -- but when I watch Lock play, I see elements of what made Elway so incredible during his playing career. Perhaps Elway sees it, too. [April 2] Danny Kelly, The Ringer: QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State Pocket passer who combines size and arm talent with quality decision-making, but who has to prove he can excel when pressured. [April 1] Dan Kadar, SB Nation: TE T.J. Hockenson, Iowa Oliver would be the ideal choice for the Broncos, but they’ll have some good options here. If Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins is available, he would be in play despite the Broncos trading for formerly elite veteran Joe Flacco. But if Denver is committed to Flacco as the starter for a year or two, getting him a top tight end target like Hockenson is the smart, safe play. [April 1] Ryan Wilson, CBSSports.com: DT Ed Oliver, Houston Oliver is a top-five talent, and he reminded teams of that at his pro day last week. [April 1] Chad Reuter, NFL.com: LB Devin White Denver gets the defensive leader at ILB that it needs now that Brandon Marshall was allowed to move on. White's an all-around talent who should eventually be a Pro Bowl candidate. [March 28] Peter Schrager, NFL.com: QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State Joe Flacco will be the Broncos' quarterback for 2019, but don't sleep on the team snagging Haskins or Drew Lock if one of those two falls to 10. Haskins ripped it at his pro day and, from what I'm told, was a "pied piper" leader on an offense littered with future professional players. John Elway swings for a quarterback again. [March 26] Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Running Back Situations, Best to Worst By Connor Orr MMQB April 6, 2019 We had so much fun ranking the pre-draft quarterback situations of all 32 NFL teams (and reading your feedback) that we decided to open it up to a few different positions in the weeks leading up to the draft. As always, we’re looking at the big picture here, and are including the positional spending relative to the entirety of the team’s active contracts. Do you think your team should draft a running back at the end of the month? Do you think they shouldn’t? Here’s a look at what we think, with all 32 teams ranked in order of how set they are at the position: 1. New York Giants, $9.8 / $155.7 million Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, Elijhaa Penny, Paul Perkins, Robert Martin The Giants are No. 1 by a razor-thin measure, and only because Barkley was the best back in football last season. The scary thing: If Barkley gets hurt, this offense will cave in on itself. If he stays healthy, he could shatter the record books. 2. New Orleans Saints, $5.3 / $166.5 million Alvin Kamara, Martez Carter, Latavius Murray, Dwayne Washington Kamara carries the load here. From a production standpoint, Latavius Murray can fill the gap left by Mark Ingram’s departure, but will he fit into the offense as well? Regardless, few teams supplement their star back as well as the Saints on a yearly basis (and they can afford to given Kamara’s $807,000 base salary in 2019), which is why Sean Payton seemed to be so upset about losing Ingram in the first place. 3. Carolina Panthers, $6.3 / $195 million Christian McCaffrey, Cameron Artis-Payne, Reggie Bonnafon, Elijah Hood McCaffrey was a star last year and is still extraordinarily affordable, with two years left on his rookie deal. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Panthers upgrade a little in the mid rounds, though, even if McCaffrey rarely leaves the field. 4. Dallas Cowboys, $10.8 / $187.6 million Ezekiel Elliott, Darius Jackson, Jordan Chunn Significant increases in the receiving game aided Elliott’s 2018 season, though he is about to be very expensive and there isn’t a reliable option to defray his carries heading into the next phase of his career. 5. LA Rams, $10.5 / $181.6 million Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Justin Davis, John Kelly Gurley’s arthritis scare certainly has everyone on notice, plus the loss of a capable backup like C.J. Anderson doesn’t help them much here. Could Malcolm Brown pace this offense? 6. Denver Broncos, $3.6 / $167.6 million Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, Khalfani Muhammad If you find a Pro Bowler as an undrafted free agent, and supplement him with a bigger-bodied third- round pick capable of giving a breather and grinding time, you’re going to have flexibility in other spots. 7. New England Patriots, $13.1/ $179.7 million James Develin, Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel, James White, Brandon Bolden There are so many perfect pieces to this offense, plus, in Michel, a first- and second-down back who can wreck a game even when teams know what’s coming.