For my new draft, I’m going to explore other trade avenues the Broncos could follow. To assess the value of draft picks, I will use Profootballtalk.com’s value chart (found here).

I will be using Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft from ESPN.com to predict possible draft spots for the first 20 prospects. 

My mock draft will be focusing on the possibility of Denver moving up, from the No. 12 or No. 18 picks, to grab a lineman in the top 10 picks. 

If Denver tries to trade the No. 12 pick, then they would target picks three through five for Aaron Curry or Michael Crabtree—no QBs! 

This is highly unexpected, but still would be fine for Denver due to having two first-round picks. 

To fully ensure that the Broncos have the chance to choose between the two, they will need to trade for the No. 3 pick currently being held by Kansas City, which won’t happen. But stay with me on this one—the Broncos would then need to trade for the No. 2 choice and either jump on Curry, or try to offer the pick to the top three to five teams. 

The No. 2 pick is worth a whopping 2,600 points. After trading their No. 12 pick, this leaves 1,400 points of value for the Broncos to come up with. It would take all of the Bronco’s first-day draft picks to compensate for 1,400 points. There is no value in this trade.

According to Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, Denver can only find value in picks 8-11 for top D-line prospects—again, no QBs! The teams holding picks eight through 11 would be looking to move out of the top 10 because they don’t foresee a good value for these picks. 

The Broncos’ 18th pick is worth 900 points and would end up being the choice that the teams with picks eight through 11 would want to move to.

The players Denver would target in these picks would be (in this order) Brian Orakpo, B.J. Raji, Aaron Maybin, and Robert Ayers. Orakpo and Raji are the only players I would feel happy with Denver moving up to get. 

To fully ensure that the Broncos have the chance to choose between the two, they will need to trade for the No. 8 pick currently being held by Jacksonville. 

After trading the No. 18 pick to the Jags for the No. 8 pick, the Broncos will have to find 500 points to compensate the Jags for the trade. The Broncos would trade their No. 48 and No. 114 round choices and swap their No. 84 pick with the Jags’ No. 72 pick. Denver loses their second and fifth round choices, but moves up 12 spots in the third round and 10 spots in the first round.

Now Denver would have the following draft picks:

No. 8, No. 12, No. 72, No. 79, No. 149, No. 185, and No. 225.

 

Round One

No. 8 Orakpo or Raji. 

I believe that Raji is the most-needed pick here, but both would contribute as starters their rookie season.

No. 12  Tyson Jackson—DE, LSU

I’m sticking with this pick from my previous draft. He will be an awesome DE in the 3-4.

 

Round Three

72.  Jasper Brinkley—ILB, South Carolina

My pick didn’t change. Freaky run stuffer. Jasper is by far the coolest name for a defensive player.

79.  Terrance Taylor—DT, Michigan

My pick didn’t change. Can hold his ground and stuff the gaps. Will work well as a defensive end in the second rotation with Marcus Thomas.

 

Round Five

149.  Rhett Bomar—QB, Sam Houston State

Joe Flacco-type QB. Played in the spread offense his entire career. 6’2″, 225 lbs. is average size. Played at OU, but got kicked off the team for off-field issues. Will have something to prove in the NFL.

 

Round Six

185.  Vaughn Martin—DT, Western Ontario

Freaky size. He would be a big NT prospect behind Raji and Fields.

 

Round Seven

225.  Arian Foster—RB, Tennessee

Once was a top draft prospect; now he may have something to prove. Good blocker and receiver.

235.  Pierre Walters—LB, Eastern Illinois

Lance Briggs-esque size. Could be a freak. Could be a bust.

 

All in all, this could happen—and Denver would have blue-chip talent on their D-line.

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