Broncos Select Patrick Surtain II in First Round

 The Broncos stood pat at #9 and didn't trade up or trade down. They also didn't take a QB with Justin Fields and Mac Jones available. Instead, they took one of the best players on the board with the pick of CB Patrick Surtain II from Alabama. Surtain will come in and compete for playing time in a secondary that also includes newly signed free agents, Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby, and nickel corner, Bryce Callahan. Surtain will most likely make an immediate impact and be a key part of the secondary for years to come. It's a solid and safe pick for the Broncos, but you have to wonder if new GM George Paton might have made a mistake on passing up a QB like Fields or even a RT like Rashawn Slater. In any event, only time will tell, and the Broncos got a really good player at #9. 

Broncos Trade for Teddy Bridgewater

 The Broncos traded a 2021 6th round pick to the Panthers for QB Teddy Bridgewater. The Panthers agreed to pay $7 million of his salary and Denver is only on the hook for $3 million. Even with the timing of the trade, the day before the draft, this move doesn't take the Broncos out of the running for drafting a QB at #9 in the 1st round this year. It also gives the Broncos flexibility in that if they don't select a QB in the 1st round this year, then Bridgewater can come in and compete with Drew Lock for the starting job this fall. My take on it is this: If Bridgewater comes in as a backup to Lock, then I'm fine with that. Run it back with Lock and you have Bridgewater as that hedge in case Lock fails or gets hurt. If Bridgewater beats out Lock and starts Week 1, then this is another boring, uninspiring QB move the Broncos have made along the lines of Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, and Case Keenum. My hope is that Lock wins the job, becomes the man, and establishes himself as the QB in Denver, and Bridgewater is the backup in case anything happens to Lock. Hopefully, that is how this will play out.

2021 Mock Draft

Here we go with my 2021 NFL Mock Draft......

Round 1

1) Jacksonville Jaguars select Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson: The best QB prospect since Andrew Luck goes to one of the worst teams in the NFL over the last 10 years. Could be a franchise-defining moment in Jacksonville.

2) New York Jets select Zach Wilson, QB, BYU: The Jets already dealt Sam Darnold to the Panthers in early April and paved the way to start fresh with a new franchise QB.

3) San Francisco 49ers select Trey Lance, QB, Ohio State: A lot of talk and speculation had the 49ers going with either Jones or Trey Lance. Kyle Shanahan goes with Lance, who he will develop for a year.

4) Atlanta Falcons select Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida: The Falcons flirt with taking a QB, but go with a generational talent at TE.

5) Cincinnati Bengals select Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU: The Bengals give Joe Burrow some weapons but adding the best WR in the draft.

6) Miami Dolphins select Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama: The Dolphins need weapons on offense and they add Waddle to the mix to help Tua grow.

7) *TRADE* Detroit Lions trade with the Los Angeles Chargers . The Lions receive this year's 1st round selection (#13 overall), a 2nd round selection (#47 overall), and 2022 1st round selection. 

Los Angeles Chargers selects Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon: The Chargers need help on the offensive line to protect Justin Herbert and they trade up to do it.

8) *TRADE Carolina Panthers trade with the Chicago Bears. The Panthers receiver this year's 1st round selection (#20 overall), a 3rd round selection (#83 overall), and a 2022 1st round selection. 

Chicago Bears select Justin Fields, QB, North Dakota State: The Bears moved on from Mitch Trubisky and now look to find that long-term answer at QB in Fields.

9) *TRADE*Denver Broncos trade with the Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos receive this year's 1st round selection (#16 overall),  and a 2nd round selection (#49 overall), and a 2022 2nd round selection.

Arizona Cardinals select Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama: The Cardinals are looking for explosiveness in their receiving corps and they trade up to get the Heisman winner.

10) Dallas Cowboys select Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama: Dallas needs immediate help on defense and Surtain can help achieve that

11) New York Giants select Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern: The Giants need to add to their offensive line to protect Daniel Jones.

12) Philadelphia Eagles select Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina: The Eagles flirt with the idea of QB here, but decide to go with Horn to bolster the secondary.

13) Detroit Lions select Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State: The Lions look to continue to build toughness and add Parsons to their defense.

14) Minnesota Vikings select Kwity Paye Edge, Michigan: The Vikings need help on defense and go with a pass rusher in Paye.

15) New England Patriots select Mac Jones, QB, Alabama: The Patriots have Jones fall in their lap at #15 and have their potential QB of the future.

16) Denver Broncos select Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame: Denver trades back and continues to add defensive playmakers with the versatile Owusu-Koromoah.

17) Las Vegas Raiders select Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech: The Raiders need help on defense and they go with one of the top CBs in the draft in Farley.

18) *TRADE* Miami Dolphins trade with Cleveland Browns. Miami receives this year's 1st round selection (#26 overall),  and a 4th round pick (#110 overall), and a 2022 2nd round selection.

Cleveland Browns select Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama: The Browns feel like they are contenders and they trade up in the draft to get this year's best defensive tackle prospect. 

19) Detroit Lions select Craig Newsome, CB, Northwestern: Lions go defense with both 1st round selections. 

20) Carolina Panthers select Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC: The Panthers trade back and get an offensive lineman to protect newly acquired Sam Darnold.

21) *TRADE* Indianapolis Colts trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts receive the Ravens two 1st round selections (#27 overall and #31 overall), and a 2022 2nd round selection.

Baltimore Ravens select select  Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota: The Ravens need outside playmakers for Lamar Jackson, and they trade up to get one in Bateman.

22) Tennessee Titans select Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami: The Titans need a lot of help on defense and get a premier pass rusher in the process. 

23) *TRADE*  New York Jets trade with the Green Bay Packers. The Jets receive the Packers 1st round selection (#29 overall), a 4th round selection (#142) and a 5th round selection (#173 overall)

Green Bay Packers select Elijah Moore, WR, Mississippi: This time the Packers give Aaron Rodgers some more weapons at WR and trade up to get Moore.

24) Pittsburgh Steelers select Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia: The Steelers need to replenish their pass rush, and they get an edge rusher in the latter part of Round 1. 

25) Jacksonville Jaguars select Trevon Moehrig, Safety, TCU: The Jags add to their secondary and safety spot. 

26) Miami Dolphins select Greg Rousseau, Edge, Miami: The Dolphins go with a pass rusher after adding a wideout with their first pick.

27) Indianapolis Colts select Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech: The Colts trade back and still get the OT they covet in Darrisaw.

28) New Orleans Saints select Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State: The Saints will address the WR spot in later rounds, so they grab a top CB in Samuel here.

29) New York Jets select Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky: The Jets traded back and accumulated more picks for the later rounds, so they add a LB here with their second draft pick in the Round 1.

30) Buffalo Bills select Najee Harris, RB, Alabama: The Bills don't have a lot of holes, so they add a RB here at the backend of Round 1 to take the pressure off of Josh Allen

31) Indianapolis Colts select Joe Tryon, Edge, Washington: By trading back the Ravens, the Colts pick up the Ravens second 1st rounder, and they use that to nab a pass rusher. 

32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama: All 22 starters are returning for the Super Bowl Champions, so they take Dickerson, the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. 

NFL Draft Cheat Sheet-Offensive Players

Here is the Cheat Sheet for the Offensive players available in this year's draft.... 

Quarterback

1) Trevor Lawrence-Clemson

2) Zach Wilson-BYU

3) Justin Fields-Ohio State

4) Mac Jones-Alabama

5) Trey Lance- North Dakota State

Running Back

1) Travis Etienne-Clemson

2) Najee Harris-Alabama

3) Javonte Williams- North Carolina

4) Michael Carter-North Carolina

5) Kenneth Gainwell-Memphis

6) Rhamondre Stevenson-Oklahoma

7) Trey Sermon-Ohio State

8) Jaret Patterson-Buffalo

9) Kylin Hill-Mississippi State

10) Khalil Herbert-Virginia Tech

11) Demetric Felton-UCLA

12) Jermar Jefferson-Oregon State

13) Chuba Hubbard-Oklahoma State

Wide Receiver

1)Ja'Marr Chase-LSU

2) Jaylen Waddle-Alabama

3) DeVonta Smith-Alabama

4) Rondale Moore-Purdue

5) Kadarius Toney-Florida

6) Rashad Bateman-Minnesota

7) Elijah Moore-Ole Miss

8) Tylan Wallace-Oklahoma State

9) Terrence Marshall Jr.- LSU

10) D'Wayne Eskridge-Western Michigan

11) Amari Rodgers-Clemson

12) Sage Surratt-Wake Forest

13) Marlon Williams-Central Florida

14) Amon Ra St.Brown-USC

15) Ihmir Smith-Marsette-Iowa

16) Seth Williams-Auburn

17) Dazz Newsome-North Carolina

18) Damonte Coxie-Memphis

19) Cornell Powell-Clemson

20) Tamorrion Terry-Florida State

Tight End

1) Kyle Pitts-Florida

2) Pat Freiermuth-Penn State

3) Brevin Jordan-Miami

4) Tommy Tremble-Notre Dame

5) Hunter Long-Boston College 

6) Tre McKitty-Georgia

7) Kenny Yeboah-Ole Miss

8) Quintin Morris-Bowling Green

9) Nick Eubanks-Michigan

10) Pro Wells-TCU

Offensive Tackle

1) Penei Sewell-Oregon

2) Christian Darrisaw-Virginia Tech

3) Rashawn Slater-Northwestern

4) Jalen Mayfield-Michigan

5) Teven Jenkins-Oklahoma State

6) Dillon Radunz-North Dakota State

7) Liam Eichenberg-Notre Dame

8) Samuel Cosmi-Texas

9) Jackson Carman-Clemson

10) Alex Leatherwood-Alabama

Center/Guard

1) Alijah Vera-Tucker-USC

2) Landon Dickerson-Alabama

3) Wyatt Davis-Ohio State

4) Creed Humphrey-Oklahoma

5) Josh Myers-Ohio State

6) Trey Smith-Tennessee

7) Aaron Banks-Notre Dame

8) Ben Cleveland-Georgia

9) David Moore-Grambling

10) Tommy Kraemer-Notre Dame

NFL Draft Cheat Sheet-Defensive Players

Here is my annual NFL Draft Cheat Sheet with rankings of the top players at each position. Here is the list of the defensive players available.....

 EDGE

1) Kwity Paye-Michigan

2) Jaelen Phillips-Miami

3) Azeez Ojulari-Georgia

4) Greg Rousseau-Miami

5) Joe Tryon-Washington

6) Joseph Ossai-Texas

7) Jayson Oweh-Penn State

8) Quincy Roche-Miami

9) Ronnie Perkins-Oklahoma

10) Jordan Smith-UAB

Interior Defensive Line

1) Levi Onwuzurike-Washington

2) Christian Barmore-Alabama

3) Tommy Togiai-Ohio State

4) Daviyon Nixon-Iowa

5) Tyler Shevlin-LSU

6) Jay Tufele-USC

7) Osa Odighizuwa-UCLA

8) Darius Stills-West Virginia

9) Marvin Wilson-Florida State

10) Milton Williams-Louisiana Tech

Linebacker

1) Micah Parsons-Penn State

2) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah-Notre Dame

3) Baron Browning-Ohio State

4) Zaven Collins-TCU

5) Nick Bolton-Missouri

6) Cameron McGrone-Michigan

7) Jabril Cox-LSU

8) Jamin Davis-Kentucky

9) Pete Werner-Ohio State

10) Dylan Moses-Alabama

Cornerback

1) Caleb Farley-Virginia Tech

2) Patrick Surtain II-Alabama

3) Tyson Campbell-Georgia

4) Asante Samuel Jr.-Florida State

5) Jaycee Horn-South Carolina

6) Greg Newsome-Northwestern

7) Ifeatu Melifonwu-Syracuse

8) Elijah Molden-Washington

9) Eric Stokes-Georgia

10) Thomas Graham-Oregon

11) Paulson Adebo-Stanford

12) Marco Wilson-Florida

13) Shaun Wade-Ohio State

14) Shakur Brown-Michigan State

15) Camryn Bynum-California

16) Kary Vincent Jr.-LSU

17) Trill Williams-Syracuse

18) Aaron Robinson-UCF

19) Israel Mukuamu-South Carolina

20) Benjamin St-Juste-Minnesota 

Safety

1) Trevon Moehrig-TCU

2) Jevon Holland-Oregon

3) Richie Grant-Central Florida

4) Hamsah Nasirildeen-Florida State

5) Josh Bledsoe-Missouri

6) James Wiggins-Cincinnati

7) Talanoa Hufanga-USC

8) Andre Cisco-Syracuse

9) Jamar Johnson-Indiana

10) Richard LaCounte III-Georgia

Broncos Draft Strategy-My Take

 As we hit the meat of the NFL Draft season, and the first round of the draft is only three weeks ago, teams are starting to organize their boards and formulate their plan. The Broncos are picking 9th in the first round, and they have addressed a few of their needs in the offseason so far. So, where does that leave the Broncos and what they will do with their first round pick? Here is what I would do if I was making the decision.....

1) Stay at the 9th pick and pick the best player available that falls to you. With QBs going 1-2-3, and the possibility of four or even five QBs gone by the time Denver picks at nine, then the Broncos are in position to get a top-notch player in this draft. Maybe it is one of the premier Offensive Tackles (Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater) or maybe it is one of the premier Edge rushers like Kwity Paye or Linebackers like Micah Parson. In any case, with the QBs going off the board early, and the amount of Wide Receivers and Cornerbacks potentially going that high, the Broncos are in good shape to pick a really, elite-level player. 

2) Stay at the 9th pick and pick Justin Fields if he drops that far. The expectation is that Fields will be gone before Denver picks at nine, but there has been some momentum as of late that Fields could be the one QB that drops in the first round. We know Trevor Lawrence is going #1 to Jacksonville. We know Zach Wilson is going #2 to the Jets. We know San Francisco is taking a QB at #3, and many believe it will be Mac Jones. That leaves the possibility of Trey Lance and Justin Fields dropping. Of course, there can be and most likely will be a team that trades up to get one of those guys, but if Fields slips, and he is sitting there at nine, then I think the Broncos should pull the trigger. Why? The answer is that I think Fields is a better prospect than Trey Lance and even Mac Jones. If he has the potential to change your franchise, and he falls into your lap, then the Broncos should take him and see if he can change the outcome of this franchise.

3) Trade down from the 9th pick, accumulate more picks in this draft and even try to acquire another first round pick in the 2022 draft. If Fields is gone and the Broncos aren't sold on the QB that is left, if that QB is even still available at that point, and they feel that they can get a similar player later in the first round if they trade down, then that would be a solid move in my opinion. Pick up extra picks this year-on Day 2- and address some areas like LB, Safety, and Running Back. If the Broncos can get an extra first round pick next year, then that would be a huge bonus. If this year blows up, and we need to go QB next year, then we will have some ammunition to move up and go get our guy in the 2022 draft.