He’s been coached by Pete Carroll and Ken Norton Jr in a system that has steadily produced top notch linebackers.

In 2008 he was awarded the Chuck Bednarik Award, annually given to the No. 1 overall defensive player in the country, as judged by NCAA coaches and college football experts across the nation.

In the 2008 Rose Bowl, he emerged as the defensive player of the game.

He’s been hailed as the next Junior Seau.

At No. 12 in the 2009 draft, the Denver Broncos will scoop up the phenom that is Rey Maualuga.

His intense and emotional play at inside linebacker is precisely what the Broncos need to turn around the lackluster and uninspired defense of seasons past.

His numbers are stellar, and there’s no doubt that Maualuga will make a major impact on whatever team picks him up in the first round.

Denver fans are hoping he lands with the Broncos, and thus begins to lift the team out of the quagmire of the past few years.

After securing a playmaker at LB, the attention turns to a defensive end who can rush the passer and garner some serious attention from across the line.

Will Everette Brown still be around at No. 18 for the Broncos? If he is, the Mile High team will snag him up without flinching. He’s a pass rushing force, who could immediately step in and give opposing teams something to seriously think about.

He’ll rack up sacks, and also contribute to a healthy infusion of behind the line tackles.

This guy fits squarely into the Broncos new hybrid OLB/DE scheme. He can perform with a fist in the dirt, or standing up. He’s projected to go between 10-30, so there’s a chance the boys in Orange can get this player.

Outside of somehow picking up B.J. Raji at No. 12 (he’ll be gone by then), getting these two players would, in and of themselves, make the 2009 Denver Broncos draft a major success.

The secondary seems to be fairly cinched up for the year, what with Dawkins, Goodman, and Hill newly signed, and Champ still around. The Broncos are improved here, and though not set for the future, are solid for a year or two.

Later in the draft, the Broncos will add some depth at CB or safety, but they’ll not attack here in the draft. Maybe next year.

With Maualuga and Brown plugged into Nolan’s 3-4, and the seasoned secondary prowling the backfield, the Denver Bronco’s will noticeably improve on defense this year.

They may not rise to the top of the AFC, but they will be respectable and formidable on the field.

Picks 12 and 18 could make all the difference.

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