Likes and Dislikes- Denver's 2009 Draft

There is no way anyone can give a grade for a team's draft just days and weeks after the event. Just for fun I went back and looked at Mel Kiper's Draft Grades for the 2005 NFL Draft. He gave the Chargers and Giants both C grades and killed them for moves like Justin Tuck -"A reach for an OK player," and criticized the Chargers for a draft that included Shawne Merriman and four other starters. Since 2005, both the Giants and the Chargers have been two of the best teams in the NFL year in and year out. So I'm not going to give out any grades for Denver's 2009 Draft. The next few years will answer those questions. Here is what I liked and disliked about the Broncos selections.

Likes:
1) I liked drafting Knowshon Moreno at #12. He clearly was the best back in the draft. He will obviously improve Denver's running game, and he could be the game breaker we have lacked since Clinton Portis was traded. I always liked Moreno at Georgia, and he might be the feature to this offensive scheme. Denver needs to get back to running the ball and controlling the clock. Moreno could be a big star in Denver.

2) I like drafting Robert Ayers at #18. It seems like a lot of people think Ayers could be one of the safest defensive picks in the draft. I think he obviously will help our D-Line, and he should be a starter at DE in Week 1.

3) I like drafting Alphonso Smith in the 2nd Round. Denver spent a 2nd round pick in 2005 on an undersized, ball hawking, return specialist corner named Darrent Williams. Williams was on his way to being a mainstay in the Denver secondary and one of its most important players when he was gunned down on Jan 1st 2007. The Broncos have been looking for that same type of player ever since. Denver just added a similar type of player in Alphonso Simth. I like corners who can create turnovers and add to the return game. You can never have enough corners in the NFL, and he seems destined to be a nickel corner right away in 2009.

Dislikes:
1) The fact that Denver traded away a 2010 #1 pick to move up in Round 2 in 2009. I don't like trading away 1st round picks unless it is for a player of note in return. Denver should have valued that second number one pick next year instead of giving it up for a 2nd round pick this year, even if they loved Alphonso Smith that much.

2) Denver traded into the 2nd round to draft a blocking Tight End. I have nothing against Richard Quinn from North Carolina, but to trade a third round pick for another second round pick is good, but then to use that to draft a kid who is like a player we already have on our roster (Daniel Graham) is a strange and bizarre move.

3) Denver selected 5 players in the first and second rounds. They only addressed their front seven with one of those picks (Ayers). Names like Ron Brace, Brian Orakpo, Evander Hood, Peria Jerry, Senderrick Marks, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and James Laurinitis were all available at times that Denver made their selections. Let's hope we have a plan for our front seven in 2009.