2012 Denver Broncos Draft Selections

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Denver Broncos walked away with seven players from this year's selection meeting. Twice the Broncos traded out of their slot in the first round, so on the first night of the draft, the Broncos didn't make a pick. The Broncos ended up with 2 second round picks, one third rounder, two fourth round picks, and one each in the fifth and sixth round. Therefore, they ended up with five picks in the first 108 selections. Here are the Broncos selections with my analysis after each one:

Round 2 Pick #36 overall: Derek Wolfe DT- Cincinnati
-I liked the pick of Wolfe, but there were guys like Jerel Worthy still left on the board. The Broncos said that he is a high motor guy, and he has versatility. The Broncos definitely needed to address the defensive line in this draft, and Wolfe can get to the quarterback from the inside. That is something the Broncos haven't had since Trevor Pryce. I hated that they traded out of the first round, but I do like this pick in the second round.

Round 2 Pick #57 overall: Brock Osweiler QB- Arizona State
-I didn't like this pick at all. It has nothing to do with Osweiler, but why take a QB so early when the plan is that Peyton Manning wants to play at least four or five years. I understand that Manning's health is a concern, but if the Broncos get their money's worth from Peyton, then Osweiler will never see the field as a Broncos starting QB. He is an interesting quarterback prospect, but the knock on him is that he is raw. I don't buy into the notion that he will sit and learn for a few years behind Manning, and then become the next great Broncos QB. Denver could have done more with this pick to help out Manning and their team in 2012.

Round 3 Pick #67 overall: Ronnie Hillman RB- San Diego State
-I like this pick because Hillman is a speedster, and after watching the Broncos get killed by Darren Sproles all those years, I have always craved for Denver to go after that speedy, explosive "scat back" that  can create havoc for a defense. It sounds like he will be able to come in right away and contribute to this offense this year.

Round 4 Pick #101 overall: Omar Bolden CB- Arizona State
-Bolden missed all of last year with an ACL injury, so that might be his biggest knock. You will always need cornerbacks in every draft, so I have no problem with the Broncos taking one in the 4th round. He will put pressure on guys like Syd'quan Thompson and Cassius Vaughn to make the roster. He should be able to at least contribute on special teams.

Round 4 Pick #108 overall: Philip Blake C- Baylor
-The Broncos needed to address their interior line late in the draft, so I agree with this pick. J.D. Walton is a serviceable center right now, but Blake might be able to push him. Plus, Blake can also play guard,so it will add depth and also push Zane Beadles.

Round 5 Pick #137 overall: Malik Jackson DE- Tennessee
-The one thing that stood out about Jackson was that he was recruited by USC, and then left the program and headed to Tennessee. You can't expect this guy to come in and get 10 sacks this year, but he might be able to help add some depth on the defensive line and find some time in certain situations. I don't have any problem with this pick.

Round 6 Pick #188 overall: Danny Trevathan LB- Kentucky
-When I was watching his highlight film on draft day, he looked like a safety. He is like a Wesley Woodyard clone. He will probably make the team and contribute as a special teams player. That is really all you could ask for in a sixth round pick.

Final Draft Thoughts..........
1) I thought Denver would get a defensive lineman and a running back in the first three rounds, and I was correct. Hopefully, Wolfe and Hillman can make some impact this year.

2) Why wouldn't the Broncos go after a guy like Kirk Cousins in the fourth round? That would have made more sense than picking Osweiler in the second round.

3) I wanted Denver to take Donta Hightower from Alabama in the first round. He was there at #25, but as soon as Denver traded back with New England at #31, you knew he wouldn't make it to the Broncos at that spot. Of course, the Pats took him at 25. I still don't understand why the last three regimes in Denver (Mike Shanahan, Josh McDaniels, and John Elway/John Fox) don't value the inside linebacker position. It just boggles my mind.

4) No help at wide receiver or safety in the first three rounds bothers me too. I'm sure the signings of Tight Ends Joel Dreesen and Jacob Tamme in free agency gave the Broncos some wiggle room at receiver. The Broncos main players at  safety are Mike Adams, Rahim Moore, and Quinton Carter. You're telling me that they couldn't have addressed that at some point in the draft?

5) After this draft there are a few things that are apparent: Rahim Moore better step up this year at safety and Nate Irving better step up this year at inside linebacker.

2012 Mock Draft

Mock drafts used to be done by a handful of experts in the draft world. Now, everyone has a mock draft. It is like every waiter in Hollywood has a script in their back pocket. Last year, I did my first ever mock draft for the first round. My results were similar to a lot of other mocks that you see this time of the year. There were some hits and plenty of misses, but it was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed doing it. The fun part about making a mock draft is creating draft day trades. Who the hell knows if they trades would ever be made, but it is certainly part of the fun to try and come up with something different. Without further ado, here is the 2012 Mock Draft:

Round 1

1) Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck- QB Stanford.
-The Colts land the best QB prospect to come out since Peyton Manning. Mark it down: Luck is the real deal. He will throw for 30 touchdowns and 4,000 yards every season. The only question is going to be this: Can he win 12-13 games a year like Manning did. If he does, then they might be building another statue in Indy alongside Manning's.

2) Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III- QB Baylor
-The Redskins and Mike Shanahan get their franchise QB in RG III. RG III has the possibility of becoming one of the most exciting players in all of the NFL. He also brings some credibility and hype back to the struggling Redskins franchise. Luck and RG III will be linked forever, and both might turn out to be franchise level players.

3) Minnesota Vikings TRADE pick to St. Louis Rams. Vikings swap 1st round picks, and the Vikings receive the Rams 3rd round pick (#66 overall.)

St. Louis Rams select Justin Blackmon- WR Oklahoma St
-The Rams move up three picks, and get one of the top blue-chip players on the offensive side of the ball. St. Louis can pair Blackmon with Sam Bradford and give the Rams some young offensive weapons to build this team back up.

4) Cleveland Browns select Trent Richardson- RB Alabama
-The Browns take the next best offensive skill player available in Richardson. They lost Peyton Hillis, and with two first round picks, the Browns can use this pick on giving their offense a much needed spark. Richardson fills in nicely for the departed Peyton Hillis. Plus, when you are the Browns you need any kind of offensive spark.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Morris Claiborne- CB LSU
-Greg Schiano was a DB coach at Penn State before he ended up at Rutgers. He knows defensive talent when he sees it. Another blue-chip player goes off the board, and the Bucs add real talent to their secondary.

6) Minnesota Vikings select Matt Kalil- OT USC
-The Vikings trade back a few picks, get the guy they want, and pick up an extra third rounder to accumulate some other players in this draft. They get a tackle that they can use right away, protect their quarterback, and enhance their team overall.

7) Jacksonville Jaguars select Michael Floyd- WR Notre Dame
-The Jags go against the grain and get Floyd high in this draft. They desperately need some help at wideout, and Floyd brings some instant impact. He will step in right away to help the Jaguar offense.

8) Miami Dolphins TRADE with Kansas City. Miami swaps first round picks with KC, and Miami receives KC's 2nd round pick (44th overall.)

Kansas City Chiefs select Melvin Ingram- OLB South Carolina
-The Chiefs make a big trade up to nab the talent Ingram. KC quietly is building a solid team and making a move for Ingram gives their young defense another playmaker. When a defensive lineman/outside linebacker runs the ball on a fake punt, then you know the kid is a freak. I can see Ingram having a Jevon Kearse type of impact his rookie year.

9) Carolina Panthers select Quinton Coples- DE North Carolina
-Many draft experts are questioning Coples motivation and play, but he is a true pass rushing talent. The Panthers look to turn back the clock and find the next Julius Peppers. Say what you want about Coples, but if he plays to his potential, he could be a very good pass rusher in the league.

10) Buffalo Bills select Reilly Reiff- OT- Iowa
-My friend Scott, a diehard Bills fan, says that Bills GM Buddy Nix loves players from the SEC and the ACC. With that said the Bills have abandoned their offensive line too many times in the past. They need a tackle badly, and Reiff is a guy you can plug in for the next 10 years.

11) Miami Dolphins select Ryan Tannehill- QB Texas A&M
-The Dolphins desperately need something to energize their fanbase. It was reported that they are having trouble holding onto the commitments from their season ticket holders. Like Jake Locker and Christian Ponder, Tannehill probably shouldn't go in the top 15, but this pick makes too much sense for Miami. Tannehill gets reunited with his former college coach Mike Sherman, who is now the OC for the Dolphins.

12) Seattle Seahawks select Fletcher Cox- DT Mississippi St
-Cox has risen up the draft boards the past few months. Seattle gets the next best defensive lineman left on the board, and you can never have enough quality defensive linemen, so this pick could pay huge dividends.

13) Arizona Cardinals TRADE with the New York Jets. Arizona swaps first round picks with the Jets and they also pick up the Jets 2nd round pick (44th overall.)

New York Jets select Mark Barron- S Alabama
-The Jets jump in front of the Cowboys to get Barron. The Jets need to make a splash in this draft because the following reasons:
1-They need to do something to somehow combat the Patriots offense-especially those two TEs
2-They are in dire need of help of some type of impact player in this draft.
3-The only thing they have done so far this offseason is sign Laron Landry and trade for Tim Tebow. They haven't exactly closed the gap on New England or even separated themselves from the Bills.
This would be a fantastic move for the Jets, and it makes too much sense for them to not go up and get Barron.

14) Dallas Cowboys select Stephon Gilmore- CB South Carolina
-After failing to get Barron, the Cowboys still upgrade their secondary with the addition of Gilmore. The Cowboys have needed help in their secondary for a few years now, and Gilmore looks like the perfect fit for them.

15) Philadelphia Eagles select Luke Kuechly- ILB Boston College
-For some reason teams just don't value the inside linebacker position anymore. It is a shame because the best way to stop the run comes from having solid linebackers in your front seven. You can get away with rotational guys at defensive tackle, but you need a stud in the middle. Kuechly looks like he can be  that guy.

16) Arizona Cardinals select David DeCastro- OG Stanford
-The Cards would have loved to pair Larry Fitzgerald with Michael Floyd, but with Floyd off the board, they trade down and add one of the best interior line prospects to come out in the draft in a few years.

17) Cincinnati Bengals select Dre Kirkpatrick- CB Alabama
-Kirkpatrick got busted for pot a few months ago, so he will fit right in with the Bengals. Cincy can't pass up this talent though. He steps at cornerback from day one, and if he keeps his off the field problems away, he will be a very solid pick.

18) San Diego Chargers select Courtney Upshaw-DE Alabama
-The Chargers need help on the pass rush, and Upshaw falls to them at 18. They are going to need to improve in that area because Peyton Manning just waltzed into their division.

19) Chicago Bears select Dontari Poe- DT Memphis
-The Bears also need to upgrade their defensive front, and Poe wowed everyone at the combine. He doesn't have to get a lot of sacks to be a solid player in Chicago. All he has to do is clog things up, take on double teams and let Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher go to work. The Bears added Brandon Marshall this offseason, so they took care of their need at wide receiver.

20) Tennessee Titans TRADE with the New England Patriots. The Titans swap first round picks with New England and they receive one of the Pats 2nd round picks (48th overall.)

New England selects Whitney Mercilus- DE Illinois
-The Pats use their ammunition to trade up and get a pass rusher. The Pats have been dying for a bonafide pass rusher, and Mercilus may be their guy. I'm sure the Pats will make a million trades on draft day, but I think this is the year they finally trade up and grab someone who can make a real impact on the defensive line.

21) Cincinnati Bengals select Kendall Wright- WR Baylor
-The Bengals use their second pick of the night to go get themselves some help at receiver. Now, they can pair Wright and A.J. Green together and give Andy Dalton some real explosive players on offense. Wright can function as a returner too, but let's hope the NFL doesn't do away with all kick returns for the 2012 season.

22) Cleveland Browns select Brandon Weeden- QB Oklahoma St
-You can smell this pick coming from a mile away. If Weeden wasn't 28, then he would be a top 10 pick. Scouts say that he is the second best passer in the draft next to Andrew Luck. If Colt McCoy struggles early, then the Browns can go with Weeden. Hell, he might even beat McCoy out in training camp.

23) Detroit Lions select Cordy Glenn- G/T Georgia
-I love offensive lineman that have the flexibility to play both guard and tackle. I can't wait for NFL Network's Mike Mayock to say "You can kick him inside" about 1,000 times when describing Glenn on draft night. When Matt Stafford is ready to make the jump to the next level, you have to invest in offensive linemen to protect him.

24) Pittsburgh Steelers select Michael Brockers- DT LSU
-The Steelers need to add youth to their defensive front seven. All you have to do is watch the film from last year's playoff loss to the Broncos. They will be delighted that Brockers falls to them.

25) Denver Broncos select Dont'a Hightower- ILB Alabama
-Forget about 3-4 and 4-3 schemes when projecting players. Hightower immediately helps out the Broncos defense. Everyone thinks the Broncos will be going defensive line with their pick, but if they really want to improve their run defense, then they take Hightower. The last time the Broncos were good at stopping the run was in 2005. Ironically, that was the last full season played by MLB Al Wilson. Hightower helps them out right away, and they need linebacker help since D.J. Williams is suspended for the first six games next year. I have a feeling the Broncos don't really need a big time defensive tackle in their minds, and they can always stockpile some of those players later on.

26) Houston Texans select Stephen Hill- WR Georgia Tech
-The Texans have some holes on the defensive side of the ball, but remember they did okay without Mario Williams for much of the season anyway. I suspect they go get themselves another receiver to pair with Andrew Johnson. Gary Kubiak would love to add more depth at wideout, and give the Texans more ammunition for Matt Schaub.

27) Tennessee Titans select Jerel Worthy- DT Michigan State
-It just seems that the Titans are always getting really solid defensive lineman. Add another one in Worthy after the Titans trade back. Don't get too caught up in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. Most teams in the NFL play a lot of nickel fronts anyway. Worthy was a frontrunner to be a top 10 pick just a few months ago.

28) Green Bay Packers select Shea McClellin- DE/OLB Boise St
-The Packers always do a great job with their draft, and there aren't too many holes to fill on a 15-1 team. Look for McClellin to add some help along their defensive line.

29) Baltimore Ravens select Alshon Jeffrey- WR South Carolina
-This may be one of the surprise moves in the first round, but it makes sense to me. Think about it: Anquan Boldin isn't getting any younger, Lee Evans would have sent the Ravens to the Super Bowl if he held on the ball against the Patriots at the end of the AFC Championship Game, and it gives Joe Flacco another weapon to go with Torrey Smith. The Ravens always make smart moves in the draft, and Jeffrey was a consensus top 15 pick before the combine.

30) San Francisco 49ers select Doug Martin- Boise St
-Martin sneaks his way back up into the first round. The 49ers have built themselves on defense, forcing turnovers, special teams play, running the ball, and letting Alex Smith manage the game. I know they have Frank Gore, but you need to have two solid running backs in the NFL. The Niners get a guy who can really add to their offensive philosophy.

31) New England Patriots TRADE with Indianapolis Colts. New England receives Indy's 2nd round pick (34th overall.)

Indianpolis Colts select Jonathan Martin- OT Stanford
-How about the Jedi Master Bill Belichick? The Pats get their second 2nd round pick back, and don't be surprised if the Pats use that pick on Janoris Jenkins. The Colts trade back into the first round to get a tackle to pair with Andrew Luck. Martin is considered a very solid prospect, and the Colts don't want the Giants to get Martin with the last pick in the first round. Plus, Martin reunites with Andrew Luck to give the Colts that precious QB/T combination that a  young team desperately needs. It kind of reminds me of when the Browns got Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn together in the first round. The only difference is that Brady Quinn sucks, and Andrew Luck is pretty damn good.

32) New York Giants select Coby Fleener- TE Stanford
-Certain teams always seem to get guys to fall to them every single year. The Ravens, Patriots, and Packers come to mind. Also, the Giants always seem to be lucky enough to get a certain player that they could use fall to them. Last year, it was Prince Amukamara. This year it will be Fleener. The Giants will add to their running back depth later on in the draft, and they have a legitimate need at TE. Fleener steps right in and adds some more help for Eli Manning and that Giant offense. The Super Bowl Champs get a real solid pick here with Fleener at #32.

*A few last items:

1) It is very hard to predict trades in the draft, but I really wanted to make a trade that saw the Saints getting back into the first round. I think that will be the surprise of the night. Somehow I see the Saints making a move and making a pick in the first round. The problem is that they lost so many picks this year and next year, that it is hard to predict how they are going to do that. We'll see what happens, but don't be surprised if the Saints find their way into the mix on the first night of the draft.

2) It sounds like the Eagles are willing to deal Asante Samuel during the draft weekend. Denver has been rumored to been in the mix, so a Samuel-to-Denver deal could very well happen.

3) It wouldn't shock me to see the Steelers dangle Mike Wallace out there either. Wallace has been very reluctant to sign his Restricted Free Agent tender, and the Steelers are smart with these kind of moves. I would say that it probably won't happen, but there is always the possibility.

4) Another receiver that could be dealt is Santonio Holmes. I don't know who would want him, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Jets did move him for the right deal. It feels like the Jets are going to make a splash at this draft.

5) Finally, I think the Broncos will address the defensive line and wide receiver in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. I would love to see them add a receiver like Joe Adams from Arkansas to replace the departed Eddie Royal, and they certainly could add someone like Brandon Thompson from Clemson to their defensive line on day two. The Broncos like to weal and deal on the second day of the draft, and don't be surprised if they use their two 4th round picks to get back into the third round and add another player. A lot of people see Denver going with a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round, but I am not buying it. They have Willis McGahee, Lance Ball, Knowshon Moreno (Coming back from injury), and Mario Fannin. Fannin was the buzz in training camp last year until he hurt his ankle and was put on Injured Reserve before the season started.

2012 Denver Broncos Schedule

The NFL released the official 2012 schedule on Tuesday Night. We knew who the Broncos were facing and where the games were being played, but now we know the dates and times of the matchups. Here is the Broncos 2012 schedule (All times EST)

Week 1 Sunday September 9th: Pittsburgh at Denver (8:20pm) NBC

Week 2 Monday September 17th: Denver at Atlanta (8:30pm) ESPN

Week 3 Sunday September 23rd: Houston at Denver (4:15pm) CBS

Week 4 Sunday September 30th: Oakland at Denver (4:05pm) CBS

Week 5 Sunday October 7th: Denver at New England (4:15pm) CBS

Week 6 Monday October 15th: Denver at San Diego (8:30pm) ESPN

Week 7 BYE WEEK

Week 8 Sunday October 28th: New Orleans at Denver (8:20pm) NBC

Week 9 Sunday November 4th: Denver at Cincinnati (1:00pm) CBS

Week 10 Sunday November 11th: Denver at Carolina (1:00pm) CBS

Week 11 Sunday November 18th: San Diego at Denver (4:15pm) CBS

Week 12 Sunday November 25th: Denver at Kansas City (1:00pm) CBS

Week 13 Sunday December 2nd: Tampa Bay at Denver (4:05pm) FOX

Week 14 Thursday December 6th: Denver at Oakland (8:20pm) NFL NET

Week 15 Sunday December 16th: Denver at Baltimore (1:00pm) CBS

Week 16 Sunday December 23rd: Cleveland at Denver (4:05pm) CBS

Week 17 Sunday December 30th: Kansas City at Denver (4:15pm) CBS

Schedule Analysis:

-No surprise that the Broncos open at home on NBC's Sunday Night Football against Pittsburgh. This game was rumored a few weeks ago at the Owners meetings, so it is not a shock that Peyton Manning's debut as a Bronco comes in primetime.

-The Broncos have a total a five primetime games this year. They have two on Sunday Night (Pitt and New Orleans at home), two on Monday Night Football (at Atlanta and at San Diego), and one on Thursday Night Football (at Oakland.)

-CBS gets what they want and they get Denver at New England in Week 5. I am a little surprised that this game is so early in the year. I figured that they would wait until to November to schedule this game.

-Three times Denver has back to back road games on the schedule. Weeks 5 and 6 are very tough as the Broncos head to NE and SD. Weeks 9 and 10 feature Denver heading to Cincy and Carolina. Weeks 14 and 15 have Denver heading to Oakland and Baltimore.

-The one good thing about Denver's game at Baltimore is that it is after the Broncos travel to Oakland for a Thursday Night game, so the Broncos will have nine days to get ready for the Ravens.

-The Broncos have two sets of weeks with back to back home games. Weeks 3 and 4 have the Broncos hosting Houston and Oakland, and Weeks 16 and 17 have Denver hosting Cleveland and Kansas City.

-Speaking of the Chiefs, the Broncos host KC for the third time in the last four years in Week 17.

-Denver also travels to San Diego again for another primetime game. This will mark the 6th time in seven seasons that the Broncos head to SD for a primetime matchup.

-The first six games of the season are very tough (Pitt, at Atl, Houston, Oakland, at NE, at SD), but after their bye week, the Broncos hit the sweet spot of their schedule. There are plenty of winnable games after Week 7. Those games include: at Cincy, at Carolina, SD, Tampa Bay, at Oakland, Cleveland and KC). If the Broncos are 4-2 after their first six games, then watch out because they could get on a run.

-An interesting game to look at is the Sunday Night game at home vs. New Orleans. That will be the first game that Joe Vitt comes back as the interim Head Coach for the Saints, and it will also compete head to head with Game 4 of the World Series. Last year, Peyton Manning looked very disgusted as the Saints ran up the score on the hapless Colts 62-7. Manning doesn't forget things like that, and he wouldn't mind burying the Saints on SNF- this time as a Bronco in Denver.

-Everyone always looks at the December portion of the schedule. Denver's December slate looks very manageable: Tampa Bay, at Oakland, at Baltimore, Cleveland, and Kansas City.

-Overall, the Broncos schedule is very tough, but we know that going in. They don't have three straight road games, so that is a good thing. Primetime games don't bother me, and you knew they were going to get a lot of those this year. Plus, I really think their December schedule could set them up for a run into the playoffs. If Manning is healthy, and they can get off to a good start in the first six weeks, then they should be able to have a successful season.

-Now the schedule is set, and the only negative is that we have to wait five months before this whole thing kicks off again.

Draft Positional Cheat Sheet-Defensive Players

Here is the 2012 NFL Draft Positional Cheat Sheet focusing on all of the defensive positions in this year's upcoming draft.

DT

1-Michael Brockers- LSU

2-Devon Still- Penn State

3-Brandon Thompson-Clemson

4-Alameda Ta'amu-Washington

5-Dontari Poe- Memphis

6-Jerel Worthy- Michigan St

7-Josh Chapman- Alabama

8-DaJohn Harris- USC

9-Kendall Reyes- UCONN

10-Mike Martin- Michigan

DE

1-Quinton Coples- UNC

2-Fletcher Cox- Miss State

3-Jared Crick- Nebraska

4-Cam Johnson- UVA

5-Whitney Mercilus- Illionis

6-Andre Branch- Clemson

7-Tyrone Crawford- Boise St

8-Malike Jackson- Tennessee

9-Vinny Curry- Marshall

10-Chandler Jones- Syracuse

OLB

1-Melvin Ingram- South Carolina

2-Courtney Upshaw- Alabama

3-Nick Perry- USC

4-Lavonte David- Nebraska

5-Shea McClellin- Boise St

6-Bruce Irvin- West VA

7-Ronnell Lewis- Oklahoma

8-Zach Brown- UNC

9-Demario Davis- Arkansas St

10-Travis Lewis- Oklahoma

ILB

1-Luke Kuechly- Boston College

2-Dont'a Hightower- Alabama

3-Bobby Wagner- Utah St

4-James-Michael Johnson- Nevada

5-Mychal Kendricks- Cal

6-Emmanuel Acho- Texas

7-Vontaze Burfict- Arizona St

8-Jerry Franklin- Arkansas

9-Nigel Bradham- FSU

10-Tank Carder- TCU

CB

1-Morris Claiborne- LSU

2-Dre Kirkpatrick- Alabama

3-Janoris Jenkins- North Alabama

4-Stephon Gilmore- South Carolina

5-Brandon Boykin- Georgia

6-Josh Robinson- UCF

7-Jamell Fleming- Oklahoma

8-Casey Hayward- Vanderbilt

9-Josh Norman- Coastal Carolina

10-Alfonzo Dennard- Nebraska

FS

1-Markelle Martin- Oklahoma St

2-Christian Thompson- SC State

3-Brandon Taylor- LSU

4-Trenton Robinson- Michigan St

5-Aaron Henry- Wisconsin

6-Janzen Jackson- McNeese St

7-Tramain Thomas- Arkansas

8-Corey Mosely- UVA

9-Tysyn Hartman- Kansas St

10-Bradon Hardin- Oregon St

SS

1-Mark Barron- Alabama

2-Harrison Smith- Notre Dame

3-George Iloka- Boise St

4-Kelcie McCray- Arkansas St

5-Tony Dye- UCLA

6-Antonio Allen- South Carolina

7-Sean Richardson- Vanderbilt

8-Charles Mitchell- Miss St

9-Jerico Nelson- Arkansas

10-Johnny Thomas- Oklahoma St

Draft Positional Cheat Sheet-Offensive Players

The NFL Draft is about two weeks away, so it is time to present the Draft Positional Cheat Sheet for this year's event. This a great tool to use to size up the top 10 players at each position. If you have ever done a fantasy draft, then you know how important and accessible a cheat sheet can be for you. It is no different for the real NFL Draft, so here are the top 10 rankings for each position. I give credit for the nationalfootballpost.com for their tremendous rankings and evaluations. Here are the offensive players for 2012:

QB

1-Andrew Luck- Stanford

2-Robert Griffin III- Baylor

3-Ryan Tannehill- Texans A&M

4-Brandon Weeden- Oklahoma St

5-Kirk Cousins- Michigan St

6-Brock Osweiler- Arizona St

7-Nick Foles- Arizona

8-B.J. Coleman- Tennessee Chattanooga

9-Aaron Corp- Richmond

10-Russell Wilson- Wisconsin

RB (Top 15)

1-Trent Richardson- Alabama

2-David Wilson- Va Tech

3-Lamar Miller- Miami

4-Doug Martin- Boise St

5-Robert Turbin- Utah St

6-Chris Polk- Washington

7-Bernard Pierce- Temple

8-Cyrus Gray- Texas A&M

9-LaMichael James- Oregon

10-Isaiah Pead- Cincinnati

11-Tauren Poole- Tennessee

12-Dan Herron- Ohio St

13-Michael Smith- Utah St

14-Vick Ballard- Mississippi St

15-Brandon Bolden- Ole Miss

FB (Top 5)

1-Evan Rodriguez- Temple

2-Devon Ramsay- UNC

3-Bradie Ewing- Wisconsin

4-Emil Igwenagu- UMASS

5-Cody Johnson- Texas

WR (Top 20)

1-Justin Blackmon- Oklahoma St

2-Michael Floyd- Notre Dame

3-Kendall Wright- Baylor

4-Stephen Hill- Georgia Tech

5-Mohamed Sanu- Rutgers

6-Devon Wylie- Fresno St

7-Joe Adams- Arkansas

8-Jarius Wright- Arkansas

9-Marvin Jones- Cal

10-Rueben Randle- LSU

11-Nick Toon- Wisconsin

12-Alshon Jeffrey- South Carolina

13-Marvin McNutt- Iowa

14-Chris Givens- Wake Forest

15-Brian Quick- App St

16-DeVier Posey- Ohio St

17-Juron Criner- Arizona

18-B.J. Cunningham- Michigan St

19-A.J. Jenkins- Illionis

20-Ryan Broyles- Oklahoma

TE

1-Coby Fleener- Stanford

2-Orson Charles- Georgia

3-Dwayne Allen- Clemson

4-Deangelo Peterson- LSU

5-Ladarius Green- ULL

6-Chase Ford- Miami

7-Rhett Ellison- USC

8-Michael Egnew- Missouri

9-James Hanna- Oklahoma

10-Brian Linthicum- Michigan St

OT

1-Matt Kalil-USC

2-Riley Reiff- Iowa

3-Mike Adams- Ohio St

4-Jonathan Martin- Stanford

5-Mitchell Schwartz- Cal

6-Nate Potter- Boise St

7-Matt McCants- UAB

8-Brandon Mosley- Auburn

9-Andrew Datko- FSU

10-Zebrie Sanders- FSU

OG

1-David DeCastro- Stanford

2-Cordy Glenn- Georgia

3-Amini Silatolu- Midwestern St

4-Brandon Brooks- Miami (Ohio)

5-Kevin Zeitler- Wisconsin

6-Kelechi Osemele- Iowa St

7-Brandon Washington- Miami

8-Lucas Nix- Pittsburgh

9-Jeff Allen- Illinois

10-Tony Bergstrom- Utah

C (Top 8)

1-Peter Konz- Wisconsin

2-Ben Jones- Georgia

3-David Molk- Michigan

4-Michael Brewster- Ohio St

5-David Snow- Texas

6-Quenton Saulsberry- Miss St

7- Phil Blake- Baylor

8-William Vlachos- Alabama

Broncos 2012 Mock Schedule

The NFL is on the verge on releasing the complete 2012 schedule, and it looks like sometime next week, the league will roll it out. The release of the schedule is always a big deal for me. Once the schedule is released, then the new NFL season unofficially kicks off. You can put a date and a time to each opponent, and you can start to look ahead to the possible matchups and scenarios. Over at the great website called the506.com, there are plenty of fans who post their mock schedules. It a ridiculous concept, but it is fun anyway. In the spirit of draft season and mock drafts, here is my mock 2012 Denver Broncos schedule:

Week 1: Sunday September 9th- Pittsburgh at Denver 8:15pm NBC

Week 2: Sunday September 16th- Houston at Denver 4:15pm CBS

Week 3: Sunday September 23rd- Denver at Cincinnati 1:00pm CBS

Week 4: Monday October 1st- Denver at Atlanta 8:30pm ESPN

Week 5: Sunday October 7th- Oakland at Denver 4:15pm CBS

Week 6: Sunday October 14th- Denver at Kansas City 1:00pm CBS

Week 7: Sunday October 21st- Tampa Bay at Denver 4:15pm FOX

Week 8: BYE WEEK

Week 9: Sunday November 4th- Denver at Baltimore 8:15pm NBC

Week 10: Sunday November 11th- Cleveland at Denver 4:05pm CBS

Week 11: Sunday November 18th- Denver at New England 4:15pm CBS

Week 12:Sunday November 26th- San Diego at Denver 4:15pm CBS

Week 13: Thursday November 29th- Denver at Oakland 8:00pm NFL Network

Week 14: Sunday December 9th- Denver at Carolina 1:00pm CBS

Week 15: Monday December 17th- Kansas City at Denver 8:30pm ESPN

Week 16: Sunday December 23rd- New Orleans at Denver 4:15pm FOX

Week 17: Sunday December 30th- Denver at San Diego 4:15pm CBS