In the months before the election, many Americans, and specifically Coloradans, were moved by President Obama’s messages of hope, reassessing the American dream, and change.

In August, the Democratic National Convention was held in Denver, and Obama’s commencement speech was given in the Broncos’ beautiful Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.

Whether Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was in attendance or not I don’t know, but I do know he was swept up in the soon-to-be President’s theme of change.

Bowlen fired long-time, all-time great head coach Mike Shanahan, and with him went exhausted, ineffective ideas and schemes.

With Shanahan came the departure of GMs, yes two, and all previous assistant coaches besides Bobby Turner, running backs coach, and Rick Dennison, special teams coach. Both are tenured, serving Denver as assistant coaches for over a decade each. Included in the firings was Jeremy Bates, offensive play-caller, and the initial request of a trade by Jay Cutler.

In came Josh McDaniels, a young, relatively unproven entity at head coach, able to conceive the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. McDaniels didn’t take much time to make changes of his own, hiring Brian Xanders as GM, and seemingly handing him a list of pink slips to hand out on his first day.

McDaniels and Xanders began to cut the fat off the sluggish, unproductive Broncos team, starting with many defenders. Jamie Winborn, Dwayne Robertson, and Dre’ Bly were the big names to be sent home early, and more have come since then.

Jay Cutler, the latest Denver ex-Bronco, the most prestigious player to leave Broncos country, was unable to swallow his pride and subdue his ego long enough to even look at McDaniels’ extensive and exciting playbook.

McDaniels and Co. were forced into trading away their young gunslinging QB Jay Cutler. Cutler, the one player on the Broncos’ 2008 team that seemed safe, asked to be traded after the month and a half long McJaygate fiasco.

McDaniels and Xander got as close as possible to a “king’s ransom” for the pro bowl quarterback, getting veteran QB Kyle Orton and two first-round draft picks from the Bears.

With the departures came an extensive list of newcomers as well, 16 veteran free agents in all, including Brian Dawkins, Andre Davis, and Chris Simms.

Now, as the draft approaches, beginning tomorrow morning, the Broncos brass must continue to focus on the future of the organization.

2009 will be the first time in Denver Broncos history that the team has two picks in the first-round, and how they use them will be crucial.

Will the Broncos try to package the No. 12 and 18 picks together in order to move up drastically and have a chance at QB Mark Sanchez?

I say no because Denver would be better served taking two players in order to add as much talent as possible. Sayre Bedinger, B/R Broncos Community leader, agrees the Broncos won’t take Sanchez; read his reasons here.

Instead, Denver will use both picks separately and grab two different players-of-need.

Following is my Denver Broncos’ mock draft for 2009. Instead of speculating where Denver will trade picks, which is likely to happen with 10 overall, I will assume the Broncos will pick at the spots they currently own.

 

1. B.J. Raji DT (12th overall)

The Broncos’ biggest weakness at this point is defensive line, and Raji could be a great DT in the NFL.

At 6’2”, 337 pounds, Raji is a beast of a tackle, and can create penetration when needed. In his senior season, Raji had 42 tackles (22 solo), 16 stops behind the line, and a team-high eight sacks.

This young player could be the centerpiece of the Broncos’ new defensive line for years to come.

 

2. Brian Cushing OLB (18th overall)

Denver’s second most glaring weakness currently is at linebacker, and as they shift to the 3-4, an OLB is needed. While Rey Maualuga would be an awesome addition, he will likely go earlier than 18th. Some are predicting just a few earlier, 16th to San Diego.

Cushing though, is a great linebacker, “considered one of the finest strong side outside-linebackers in the game” according to NFL.com. He can blitz, track down running backs, and drop back into pass coverage.

Cushing would be an excellent complement to D.J. Williams on the weak-side, and would definitely improve the Broncos’ defense.

 

3.  Sean Smith CB (48th overall)

Smith, a converted receiver to cornerback, is new to the position but could learn much under Champ Bailey and the other veterans in Denver’s defensive backfield.

He had 46 tackles (23 solo), a forced fumble, nine defended passes, and five interceptions in his senior season in which he started all but one game. At 6’4”, 214 pounds, Smith would be an imposing figure as a corner, matching up well with the bigger receivers in the NFL game today.

The Broncos need a CB, as many of their DBs are aging; if not Smith, look for them to take at least one somewhere.

 

4.  Rashad Johnson S (79th overall)

Johnson could be undersized at 5’11”, 204 pounds, but he left Alabama a captain and was considered the SEC’s premier safety in 2008.

The safety had 89 tackles (60 solo), caused a fumble, and led Alabama with five interceptions and 11 passes defended.

He could be a great complement to Brian Dawkins’ hard hitting style as a safety that can cover.

 

5. Graham Harrell QB (84th overall)

The Broncos need a quarterback somewhere in this draft, so why not Harrell?

In 2008, Harrell passed for 5,111 yards, 45 touchdowns, compared to only nine interceptions for Texas Tech. He is heralded as a strong leader with decent mobility. However, a weakness could be his long ball, as he “does not have a cannon arm” according to NFL.com.

But Harrell would be a nice addition to the Broncos, competing for a job against Orton and Simms.

6.  Derek Walker DE (114th overall)

Walker, at 6’4”, 268 pounds has a legitimate NFL body, and uses his quickness off the ball to get around the edge of offensive tackles.

Walker proved to be versatile in his senior season at Illinois, playing all four lineman positions, and starting every game but one. He had 33 tackles, two fumble recoveries, intercepted a pass, and even blocked a field goal.

Walker would be a welcomed addition to Denver’s front seven.

 

7. Edwin Williams C (149th overall)

Williams was a solid three-year starter for Maryland, and was a first team All-ACC selection his senior year in 2008.

He is a leader on the offensive line, and is alert to blitzes. However, Williams lacks speed and can lunge at second-level defenders at times.

Denver, though, needs a center as Wiegmann enters his 14th season at the position.

 

8. Sam Swank K (185th overall)

The Broncos should take a kicker to compete with second-year player Matt Prater, as Prater missed many key field goals in 2008.

Swank has a legitimate NFL leg, routinely kicking field goals over 50 yards, and could help Denver’s special teams if he were to beat out Prater.

 

9. Curtis Taylor FS (225th overall)

As both of Denver’s safeties are aging, it may be in their best interest to select two. If that is the case, Taylor would be a good find late in the draft. His 6’2”, 209 pound frame is perfect for the position and he is quite athletic.

 

10. Herb Donaldson RB (235th overall)

Donaldson is a relative unknown from Western Illinois, but would improve the Broncos’ depth at running back. He posted over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns his senior season, a prospect that could become valuable later in his career.

So there you have it, my mock draft for 2009. The Broncos could pick any of these players, or none at all. Much of that depends on where players are taken and at what picks.

No matter what though, Denver needs to focus on defense in this draft, adding few offensive players here and there to bolster the squad. However, if they were to move up to take one of the two potentially great QBs, that would be beneficial also.

When all is said and done, the Denver Broncos will be a much improved team after this weekend.

 

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