Thread: NFL.coms Analysis of All Broncos Draft Picks

Originally Posted by Joel

Not being a college fan, I have little more to go on than that: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/tracke...team-input:den

I'm a bit irate we didn't get a G OR MLB. I know we got Schofield, and saw some folks say he's started at G in the past, but a 301 lb. G doesn't sound like a road grader, especially at 6'6", and NFL.coms list of Schofields strengths and weaknesses reflect that:

"Good run blocker -- drives his legs on contact and generates some power through his lower body" but "Not an explosive drive blocker who can clear holes with regularity.... Late to reach the second level." Even more worrisome are the intervening notes "Average foot quickness. Tends to overextend and lunge in-line and on the move. Marginal reactive quickness and recovery speed for the outside. Exposed by edge speed (see Michigan State vs. Shilique Calhoun)—cannot cut off the wide rush and struggles to handle quick, inside counters" That's what got Chris Clark, and thus Peyton Manning, in so much trouble so often last year.

NFL.com projected our 3rd round pick as a 4th-5th rounder, summing up his "bottom line" thus: "Quick-footed college right tackle with experience playing on the inside and offers versatility as a utility swing backup. Possesses eventual-starter potential, but could always be restricted by athletic limitations and leave teams desiring better."

It's similar with Barrow: Yes, he's a LB, but 6'1" 237 lbs. with a 4.64 doesn't look much like a MIDDLE LB. This sounds good: "Moves well laterally. Can redirect and chase. Drops easily into zone coverage and shows hip swivel and range. Tough and football smart. Highly respected and hardworking team captain. Has special-teams experience and traits."

THIS sounds awful: "Small-framed -- is short and lacks ideal bulk. Lacks elite speed for his size. Average eyes and instincts. Gives ground at the point of attack. Does not play downhill or make enough plays at/behind the line -- too much production is downfield. Leaves production on the field -- in position but does not finish. Overruns plays (loses contain). Sucked in by playaction. Not a striker."

What he really sounds like is a slower thinner DJ Williams, whose brief stint as our starting MLB was a disaster, and who always drew criticism from many Broncos fans (NOT including me) for getting to ball carriers quickly only to be dragged downfield instead of laying them out on contact. Like Schofield, NFL.com projected Barrow as a 4th-5th rounder, which is where we took him, and stated HIS "bottom line" as "Undersized, athletic, run-around see-and-go reactor who needs to be protected to be effective. Projects as a Will linebacker, nickel defender and special-teams contributor."

Coming into the draft it looked like our best MLB was Nate Irving and our best LG was ?; coming out of the draft, it looks the same because nothing of note has changed.

Moving to the higher more prominent picks, NFL.com ALSO projected 2nd round pick Cody Latimer in the 4th-5th round, concluding their analysis by saying he "has a ceiling as a No. 3" WR, and projected Roby as a 1st rounder who "has a ceiling as a No. 2" CB. I'm less than enthused by spending our top two picks on a No. 2 CB and No. 3 WR with ceilings.

Proof's in the pudding; where there's life there's hope. Anyone know how much cap space is left to sign a FA starting LG/RB, and who's available?

Wow. The proof is in the pudding? That isn't proof it's an opinion, and predicting ceilings is one of the hardest things to do as an analyst because you have no idea how much better a player can become with excellent coaching. Not to mention these analysts have no clue how coachable a player is. Alfred Morris had a ceiling of a backup in the NFL, now he is coming off consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. This thread is pointless and a bit humorous that you think an analyst can predict the future and you are actually using it as proof. Give me a break.

I got it!

Trade Manning for an MLB and Ware for a LG. Think of all that cap space!

Championship!

"I just did a few minutes of studying and may I say I am less than pleased"

Perhaps you should lower your expectations of the draft until you do more than a few internet clicks worth of research. Unless, of course, your only purpose at the moment is to bitch.

Originally Posted by Jaded

"I just did a few minutes of studying and may I say I am less than pleased"

Perhaps you should lower your expectations of the draft until you do more than a few internet clicks worth of research. Unless, of course, your only purpose at the moment is to bitch.

Duh. This is Joel.

Grade: B

Denver Broncos

Best Pick: First-round pick Bradley Roby was my second-rated corner and he will play a lot as a rookie. He is so athletic.

Questionable move: Waiting until the fifth round to address linebacker, a clear position of need.

Third-day gem: Sixth-round center Matthew Paradis is a player who could spend a year on the practice squad to get stronger.

Analysis: John Elway once again had another good draft. I love Roby and second-round receiver Cody Latimer was a nice pick. And some thought Elway would just be a figurehead?

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pete-prisco/24559020/nfl-draft-final-team-grades-and-analysis

Denver Broncos

The weaker teams have the advantage on draft day because not only do they generally get the earlier picks, they have plenty of holes for which rookies to show their stuff. As such, when a Super Bowl team like Denver fills holes like they did in Rounds 1-3, it deserves special mentioning. I really like the addition of the tough and talented corner Bradley Roby at No. 31. He needs to play with greater consistency but the talent is undeniable. Wideout Cody Latimer adds to the length, speed and toughness of a unit that frankly failed to match Seattle's physicality in the Super Bowl - with the notable exception of star Demaryius Thomas, of course. Michael Schofield and Matt Paradis are no-nonsense blockers who also fill a need for depth along the offensive line and I like the athletic upside of linebackers Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson. This wasn't a breath-taking draft for the Broncos but few clubs did more with less (six) picks. Grade: B

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24558033/grading-the-2014-nfl-draft-chargers-close-the-gap-in-afc-west

Rang for my money is one of the best in the business NFL draft scout is hands down the best draft site around

Denver Broncos
Pick No. 31: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State

Questionable at times off the field, Roby brings plenty of talent on it. He is physical, quick and keeps up with the speediest receivers. There is a lot up side and he should provide the Broncos with good value this late in the first round.
Grade: B+


Mayock liked the first three picks bit understand Joel. When drafting at the end of every round we aren't getting guys without question marks. I really don't agree with the NFL.com assessment of ceilings for our first two picks nor do ant of the other evaluations I read

The great thing about being an analyst is that you don't have to be accountable. Alfred Morris is a stud and we all missed it? Oh well, learn nothing, rinse and repeat. I tend to like Mayock more than other analysts because he played AND has a good eye for talent and what makes the building blocks of success but NOBODY gets it even half-way right.

Guys that EVERYBODY agreed were first rounders will fail, and one that were universally panned will be starters. UDFAs will be important cogs in the future hopes of most franchises. There are as many 3rd-Day and UDFA players on NFL rosters as there are first and second day players. Doesn't mean they're all stars, but we drafted several players with star potential before we even GET to the later players.

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Chris Kuper was a 5th round dude from a small conference who was a really good OL until his devastating injury ended his career. Here's what was said about him by SI:

POSITIVES: Good-sized offensive lineman with growth potential. Quick off the snap, immediately gets his hands into defenders and attacks assignments. Effectively blocks with leverage, works well with teammates and plays with a degree of intelligence.

NEGATIVES: Lacks balance, body control and ability in space. Not strong at the point and can be run over by comparable opponents.

ANALYSIS: Possessing a good head for the game, must add bulk and strength to play at the next level.

PROJECTION: Undrafted Free Agent

He was the 28th-rated guard by that particular publication. We drafted him and I immediately thought he'd be a good starter in our ZBS scheme. Seemed like a great fit, and guess what? He was. You know who they rated #1? Max Jean-Gilles. You know who was a bad professional OL with weight problems and motivation issues? Max Jean-Gilles.

Woodyard was our undrafted, 5-year team captain. Trevathan snuck into the draft in the 7th round and is a starter. Harris? Undrafted. Man-Ram? 4th rounder. Julius Thomas? 4th round.

Being a first-round pick doesn't make you a good pro. It might keep you in the league longer so you can learn how to be a good pro, but that's the leg up you get for running fast, jumping high, and playing on a great college team. After that, you're on your own.

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Roby has as much talent as any DB in this draft. If he can learn consistency and better technique, he could be the steal of the draft. So we brought him onto a team with a guy who plays just like he wants to play in Talib, and will let the student learn from the master.

Latimer is a tough, fast receiver with really good hands, who doesn't know how to run routes. You know who else did that? DT. Latimer is going to finishing school with the same guy who made DT into an All-Pro. We took him BECAUSE he's raw and just as good as the more polished receivers already. We're adding 50% on to his assumed future greatness just by letting him play with Manning and get molded into a finished product.

Schofield is actually a lot like Kuper. Judging college kids by their weight is a bad idea. Even at major universities the kids don't have professional weight room training (even if the equipment is there). Most guys get fitter and bigger once they get to the pros. Schofield might make it as a tackle, and he might not. My guess is that he and Franklin will fight it out for tackle, and the loser moves inside. Schofield has the nasty Big-10 attitude inside, so I don't really understand this idea that he's soft. He may not be great (or who knows, he might be), but he went where he was slotted to go and again, gives us options.

Barrow has wheels and aggression in spades. He's a lot like Trevathan that way, and is also one of the better cover linebackers in this draft. Since on passing downs we're going to be wanting a couple of cover-or-blitz LBs while Ware and Miller pin their ears back, he definitely has a place on this team if he can secure it. He's a good backup for Trevathan if nothing else, and we have several LB options to try to work through.

Paradis looks like a practice squad guy for me, but as a DL moved to C, he's got lots of potential too.

And then Corey Nelson is a pick to be Trevathan's backup if Barrow isn't.

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We wanted fast LBs (regardless of their position), a strong CB and WR, and some OL to groom with at least one who can compete from Day 1. We got everything we wanted.

Are they the RIGHT guys? I dunno. There were some other guys I liked a little more. But they got who they wanted. And they'll get to be accountable for that. We can't draft a MLB who isn't there, and it was obviously our opinion that a 2-down draftee is worse than what we got. We wanted an OL capable of playing T or G, and grabbed one. We even drafted a C to dream of replacing Manny somewhere down the line. We'll see if that works out, but there's some nice raw material all through this draft.

We'll have to coach em up. But NFL.com telling me so-and-so might not be all-that or Whats-his-face needs work doesn't mean all that much to me.

Confirmation is nice, and we all feel better when the professionals pat us on the head for our draft, but Terry Pierce and George Foster were great draftpicks back in the day... until they weren't. Just get em to camp and see what shakes out.

~G

Okay, after a weekend to reflect, here's my draft feelings. The grades are based on how I feel about the pick, not what the upside or downside or sideways-side is.

1) Bradley Roby, CB - Absolutely one of the most talented corners in the draft. He also occasionally plays sloppy and is undisciplined in his personal and professional life. Is it coaching, or is it him? Roby is a blitzing dynamo, loves to support in the run game, can play his man and the ball simultaneously, makes great breaks on the ball... and then has these lapses in technique or give-a-damn that are baffling. Guys he should shut down have had good games against him, maybe because he felt like he wouldn't be challenged so he didn't bring his A-game. Can't do that in the pros. Or maybe it was a systemic problem with their defense always having the lead and getting thrown on. We'll find out. He is top-5ish in the measurables like 40 time (dude ran a 4.35 at the combine), vert and bench. If his heart and ability to learn match up with that, he's a great pick. If not, well, he should still be okay. Rating: B+

2) Cody Latimer, WR - 6'2, 215 pounds of receiver who ran a 4.4 after injuring his foot. He can be really good. He's also raw to go with all that athleticism (played both offense and defense in high school, recruited as LB and S as well as WR, won a state title in basketball). His routes need work and his football IQ isn't as high as I want it to be, but he's a willing, strong blocker who takes the ball with his hands instead of letting it get into his chest. And he doesn't mind getting physical, unlike the guy he's replacing. He was McShay's Most Underrated. "Didn't drop a pass in the 5 games I watched" and that wasn't because the ball was always where it was supposed to be. I didn't like coughing up a couple of picks to move up a handful of slots to get him, since this was a deep draft for wideout talent, but if he's gonna be one of the best this year instead of just "pretty good" then I get it. And at the Manning Academy he'll be improved a ton in all his weaknesses. I wanted a rawer wideout who could be groomed into utilizing all his heart and talent. Latimer fits the bill. Rating: A-

3) Michael Schofield, OL - this was a weird pick. Instead of grabbing a guard or a tackle, we took a dude who's a bit of both. Michigan has had some pretty bad OL play even with a great player like Lewan on the team (and Schofield who was a 2nd day pick as well now). Is their scheme that badly coached? Schofield showed well at the Senior Bowl, where he handled dudes that were making Cyril Richardson look like he was playing in concrete shoes. His versatility will be good, and I like his want-to and willingness to fight. Can he be the starting RT that lets Franklin move inside and crush some DTs? I dunno. I hope so. But he has a lot to learn, and fast, in order to start on a Manning-led team. At worst, he's a better backup than some of what we've had the last 2 years. That's not what I want in the 3rd round though. Rating: C+

5) Lamin Barrow, LB - Another guys who's parts of two positions. For Lamin, he's got some of the speed-and-cover skills for a Will, but also does some of the close-line play of a Mike. That's not necessarily good. He's a drag-down tackler when you want a guy with some thump inside. Not that Barrow won't stand you up - he definitely will - but he's not built for it. Now, Woodyard was a drag-down tackler, and Trevathan can be too. It ain't bad, and happens a lot in pursuit plays. What I like about him are his aggressive reads. When he recognizes a play he gets there, but he certainly doesn't run people over to get to where the ball is. Can he diagnose plays in a box instead of purely in space? We're gonna find out, it looks like. I think he's a decent linebacker especially for a team that plays a lot with a 2-LB look that's almost like playing bigs two safeties in the intermediate level of the field while Von chases the thrower-dude. He could work out in that kind of scheme for us for sure. Of course, Woodyard should have too, then, but he got benched last year... Rating: B-

7) Matt Paradis, C - Here's your practice squad project. Paradis was a walk-on defensive lineman at Boise State and switched to center, winning MWC honors at the position. He went from corn-fed cattle rancher playing 8-man football As someone else posted in another thread the Broncos were ecstatic when he came in for his visit at 300 pounds instead of 280. We were his ONLY team visit, and Fox and the O-line coaches apparently loved him. He's smart enough to pick up the offense quickly but I don't know if he's strong enough to anchor the middle of the line. He has good movement skills for the ZBS parts of the blocking scheme, but we'll see. Again, as a project I don't mind him. He should be able to be stashed on the PS, and we'll see what he blossoms into later. Rating: C+

7) Corey Nelson, LB - fast, light, hits hard, pursues well. Looks like Danny Trevathan's backup, if he can make the team. I hope Barrow doesn't take this the wrong way, but Nelson probably hits harder than Lamin (at least in the games I watched). Nelson plays like a strong safety on blitzes and at the line of scrimmage. Being as light-in-the-pants as he is, he's pretty easily blocked if you get your hands on him - but you'd better get your hands on him. He ripped his pec (ouch) and being a lighter guy taking on much bigger ones, I can see that sort of thing happening again. Still, we like the aggressive little guys at LB, and Nelson has a shot to make the team on special teams. Rating: C

I wanted a starting CB and WR, an OL and some LBs. We got all that. I would have taken slightly different players at those positions, perhaps, but I want to see how they're used and how they grow before panning anything. I tend to pan drafts when all your players will have trouble being starters, or you take 3 DBs in a shallow DB draft (thanks Shanny). Or you trade for terrible backup blocking TEs and cornerbacks who don't stay with the team a year (thanks McDaniels). We didn't go all screwy, and we stuck to our board.

We picked up a buncha talented players at the top with room to grow, and some backups and practice squad guys later. And don't forget the UDFA market, where we added some interesting players (which doesn't always happen on Super Bowl contenders - UDFAs have a better chance to make the rosters of terrible teams, so if they have multiple offers they tend to take worse organizations). Kapri Bibbs, Shaq Barrett, Isaiah Burse... those guys and more have a chance to make this team and contribute. I don't feel like we killed the draft, but if you get 2 or 3 starters and some backups out of the draft, isn't that kinda killing it? It doesn't get a lot better. So, my final feelings rating: B. I was thinking B-, but then I went back and looked at Latimer again, and man does that kid have talent. Roby shows it too, more last year than this one. Two #2 starters at their positions makes it a good draft even if everybody else fails. Let's hope all that talent shines on Sundays.

~G

Just wanted through this out there. Bobby wagner is 6' 240 lbs. Luke kuechly is 6'3 2375lb. Travathan 6'1 240 lbs. Barrow is 6-1 237 lbs. Size matters but skills and build matter foe a 3 down LB as well. Can Barrow be it. He seemed like a guy who was targeted and team was most excited to land. He may be the guy they want at MLB.

I still kind of hate we took a receiver. At least that high. I would of preferred a MLB more.

I think the Broncos absolutely think he can be a middle linebacker. I'm not sure I agree with them - MLB is more instincts than combine skills (see: Vilma over DJ at the position) and I don't know that Barrow has the instincts I want there. But he's extremely familiar with playing the pass, and if we believe he can handle the Mike then fine. On film, he's bigger in college than either Woodyard or Trevathan were. Al Wilson was 6', 240 and he was plenty big.

Barrow's size is not the reason I'm a little leery of him at the position, but I agree the team seemed thrilled to get him and fired up about his possibilities inside. Until I see how they're going to coach him, how he reacts and what's expected of him, there's no reason to quibble with it in the 5th.

~G

Originally Posted by G_Money

I think the Broncos absolutely think he can be a middle linebacker. I'm not sure I agree with them - MLB is more instincts than combine skills (see: Vilma over DJ at the position) and I don't know that Barrow has the instincts I want there. But he's extremely familiar with playing the pass, and if we believe he can handle the Mike then fine. On film, he's bigger in college than either Woodyard or Trevathan were. Al Wilson was 6', 240 and he was plenty big.

Barrow's size is not the reason I'm a little leery of him at the position, but I agree the team seemed thrilled to get him and fired up about his possibilities inside. Until I see how they're going to coach him, how he reacts and what's expected of him, there's no reason to quibble with it in the 5th.

~G

He has decent instincts from what I read. I hope he is smart. Can he get off blocks and not whiff tackles (mays)? Can he read the QB? He is a coverage LB so these other things are my questions.

Originally Posted by Northman

I still kind of hate we took a receiver. At least that high. I would of preferred a MLB more.

The only MLB worth taking in the second was Borland, who keeps having shoulder trouble because he's a short dude playing a bigger man's game. I like Borland. He's a warrior (overused phrase, but it fits). He fights on every down.

If he'd still been there when we drafted in the 3rd would we have taken him? Now we'll never know.

But talent-wise, Latimer vs. Borland isn't a question. Borland is maxxing out his skillset trying to be Mike Singletary, and I wish him all the luck in the world. I like the guy.

Latimer is scratching the surface of what he can be. He played high-school ball on a team of 14 people coached by like the math teacher. He played offense, defense, and occasionally punted.

He has the same growth to get in his game that DT had as a blocking wideout for run-happy Georgia Tech. Thomas didn't even know what a route tree was - look at him now.

I wanted a couple different guys, but Latimer is absolutely intriguing at the pick - moreso than any of the available linebackers. I wish there had been one to take, but if we didn't like Borland's ability to stay on the field then there weren't any. Can't just wish em into existence.

~G

Originally Posted by NightTerror218

He has decent instincts from what I read. I hope he is smart. Can he get off blocks and not whiff tackles (mays)? Can he read the QB? He is a coverage LB so these other things are my questions.

I watched several LSU games this year. I dunno - average instincts? When he sees the play happening he's quick to the ball, but otherwise he sort of plugs-first and hopes he guessed right (a la Mays).

He brings down the guy he goes after though. It's that whole lion-dragging-down-an-antelope tackling technique, but the guy goes down. Really curious to see how he fits into what we're trying to do when camp rolls around.

~G

This thread is the dumb.

Why is everyone (read: Joel, our very own chicken little) so hung up on MLB when we'll be in the nickel more often than not? Sure, a nice big MLB that can hurt people would be awesome, but not when he's on the bench because we need more DBs on the field.

Beyond silly. To say that Ware is equivalent to Ayers? Now I know this is nothing more than a stupid joke, nobody can possibly be that blind/uninformed.

A single comment from Joel is more to read than some entire threads. Waste of time.