Thread: Broncos 2009 Draft - Thanks McDingleberry

Two days away from what will hopefully be a glorious draft. ESPN posted an article listing the draft bust for each team, and for the Broncos they selected Alphonso Smith from 2009. This was McD's first draft and looking back i cant overstate how horrible it was.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bi...ziels-not-one/
"Alphonso Smith, CB, 37th overall, 2009: This pick embodies all that was wrong with the Josh McDaniels era. Smith was a smallish, undersized cornerback who was in Denver for just one season before he was traded to the Lions. Compounding matters: The Broncos gave up a 2010 first-round pick to get Smith and that pick would turn out to be Earl Thomas."

My pick for biggest draft bust is the Richard Quinn pick from the same year. I remember when he was drafted the analysts seemed to have no idea who he was. I think he had 9 career receptions in college and ended up with 1 NFL reception.

Was 2009 the worst draft in Broncos history? Knowshawn was decent and Brute turned out to be a great special teams player but this looks pretty bad considering they had 5 picks in the first two rounds.

2009 - DENVER BRONCOS
RD SEL # PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL
1 12 Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia
1 18 Robert Ayers LB Tennessee
2 37 Alphonso Smith DB Wake Forest
2 48 Darcel McBath DB Texas Tech
2 64 Richard Quinn TE North Carolina
4 114 David Bruton DB Notre Dame
4 132 Seth Olsen G Iowa
5 141 Kenny McKinley WR South Carolina
6 174 Tom Brandstater QB Fresno State
7 225 Blake Schlueter C Texas Christian

Ayers and Moreno were both solid contributors

Originally Posted by Al Wilson 4 Mayor

Ayers and Moreno were both solid contributors

Now you've gone and done it...

That draft was pretty bad. Drafting Tebow in the first round the next year was a disaster.

Of the 74 picks made by the Broncos between 2005 and 2014, here is the rank of each of those picks compared to expected contribution from that draft pick.

#73 (Quinn), #69 (McBath), #68 (McKinley), #64 (Brandstater), #57 (Ayers), #62 (Schlueter), #48 (A. Smith), #46 (Bruton), #29 (Olsen), #18 (Moreno).

Ranking draft class years from 2005 and 2014, the 2009 class was the 2d worse based on average pick quality after the 2013 class of Sly Williams, Montee Ball, Kayvon, Q. Smith, T. King, V. Painter, and Zac Dysert. But the 2009 class had 10 picks compared to the 7 picks in the 2013 Broncos class.

The 2010 class with Tebow (....and DT, Decker, Beadles, JD Walton, and P Cox) was actually the 2d best draft class during that 10 year span, behind the 2006 class with Marshall and Doom.

Based on comparing actual AV compared to projected AV.

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

Of the 74 picks made by the Broncos between 2005 and 2014, here is the rank of each of those picks compared to expected contribution from that draft pick.

#73 (Quinn), #69 (McBath), #68 (McKinley), #64 (Brandstater), #57 (Ayers), #62 (Schlueter), #48 (A. Smith), #46 (Bruton), #29 (Olsen), #18 (Moreno).

Ranking draft class years from 2005 and 2014, the 2009 class was the 2d worse based on average pick quality after the 2013 class of Sly Williams, Montee Ball, Kayvon, Q. Smith, T. King, V. Painter, and Zac Dysert. But the 2009 class had 10 picks compared to the 7 picks in the 2013 Broncos class.

The 2010 class with Tebow (....and DT, Decker, Beadles, JD Walton, and P Cox) was actually the 2d best draft class during that 10 year span, behind the 2006 class with Marshall and Doom.

Good stuff, thanks for the thorough breakdown. 2013 is pretty brutal with exception of Kayvon and Sly.

Sly was a decent not excellent pick, #24 of 74, but Kayvon was below average at #49 of 74 in terms of their measurable contribution. I think that undersells Kayvon as a player, a guy I like a lot (miss u bro)...but you can only grade based on contribution. He didn't play that many snaps outside of special teams, like 5-10% of defensive plays.

Originally Posted by Al Wilson 4 Mayor

Ayers and Moreno were both solid contributors

Ayers 12 sacks over 5 seasons doesn't qualify as "solid" in my book. He was a disappointment.

Originally Posted by Buff

Ayers 12 sacks over 5 seasons doesn't qualify as "solid" in my book. He was a disappointment.

The AV tells the same story. Average of 3.6 per year, which is below "just a guy" level. Below what you expect for a first rounder. You need them to at least be starters (e.g. Sly Williams) with 6+ AV's (incidentally, Sly's average yearly AV has been 6.1).

The first five picks weren't the right selections:

1 (12) Knowshon Moreno: A fairly good player, but Orakpo would have been the better selection.
1 (18) Robert Ayers: Good DE, but wrong for a 3-4. Alex Mack should have been the pick. Denver was switching blocking schemes, and that moron McDiaper kept the same line in there.
2 (37) Alphonso Smith: Terrible pick and trade. However, if they drafted Shady here, that trade is probably forgotten today.
2 (48) Darcel McBath: I thought that this pick would work out, but he was a total bust. Sebastian Vollmer or Phil Loadholt would have been better here (and then trade away RT Ryan Harris away for value. He fit better in a zone scheme)
2 (64) Richard Quinn: Another idiotic pick. I think I read somewhere that Quinn didn't even expected to be drafted. If that's true, then it makes McDiaper look even worse. Pot Roast or Louis Vasquez should have been the pick.

That Alphonso Smith trade was such a bush league trade - among the worst in franchise history arguably. "Here's a 1st next year (#14) for your 2nd this year (#37) because we're impatient and lazy."

Then we unloaded Smith in year 2 because he was such a dumpster fire.

Who was that 1st next year, anyway?

I'll look it up.

Earl Thomas? The all-pro safety instrumental to Seattle's SB victory over the Broncos?

If the Broncos had drafted Orakpo instead of Knowshon Moreno they would not have another Super Bowl ring.

Think about that.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

If the Broncos had drafted Orakpo instead of Knowshon Moreno they would not have another Super Bowl ring.

Think about that.

Please go on with your flawed and silly logic.

Originally Posted by Buff

Please go on with your flawed and silly logic.

Elway drafts Darius if they have Orakpo.