Month: April 2016

1st Annual Thin Air Mock Draft Challenge

Happy Draft Day, Broncos fans! As promised, here is your opportunity to enter a 1st round mock draft for the chance to win… well, nothing, actually. Maybe some message board bragging rights? Maybe if you win this, the next time someone tells you that you don’t know what you’re talking about, you can say “SCOREBOARD, JAMOKE!” Then again, I doubt that would gain you much credibility. It’s a cruel world, but I digress.

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Seven Round Bronco Draft

Somewhere across the vast multiverse, this draft class has already happened. In this reality, as in our own, quarterbacks are a dear commodity. After seeing Paxton Lynch come off the board in the top ten and Connor Cook go to the Jets @ 20, the Broncos shift gears.  They make pick number 31 available and the Cowboys come calling with an offer. Denver sends picks 31, 63 and 144 to Dallas and get back selections 34, 67 and 101. It checks out. The Cowboys use the 31st pick on Christian Hackenberg.

2-34 – Karl Joseph, SS, West Virginia

Team captain. Big time hitter. Excellent range. The only thing keeping him out of the first round are his size limitations and injury history. I think many teams will be simultaneously scared away and enticed by the Bob Sanders comp that’s been floating around.  Sanders was First Team All-Pro twice, but those were also the only two full seasons of his injury truncated career.

3-67 – Christian Westerman, C/G, Arizona State

Very strong with huge hands. Quick and aggressive in seeking targets at the second level. Football bloodlines. The game means a lot to him. Outstanding fit for what we do in Denver. Somewhat undersized for an interior player and may be maxed out physically.

3-94 – Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech

Amazingly productive college career. Fourth all time in the NCAA in touchdowns. Tough, versatile and extremely determined runner. Understands the game and competes hard all the time. One of the best receiving backs in the draft. Extensive use in college may be red flag, but didn’t have any crazy 400+ touch seasons like Derrick Henry. Fumbled 13 times over last three years. Pass protection must improve.

Honestly, I just really hope we select a running back relatively high in this draft. I like Dixon a lot and would be fine with trading up 10-20 spots to get him, but I would also be satisfied with Devontae Booker, Jordan Howard or C.J. Prosise here, or possibly Paul Perkins later in the draft. I think we really missed the boat by not drafting a runner from last year’s deep class. If Anderson or Hillman go down, we really don’t have another back to step in and take significant carries. If it was going to happen for Kapri or Juwon, I think it would have already.

3-98 – Kamalei Correa, DE/OLB, Boise State

High energy edge rusher with a non-stop motor. 19 sacks and five forced fumbles over the last two seasons. Needs to refine his skills and use his hands better. Shorter than you would like with short arms and can become wired to blockers. Must improve functional football strength to complement his excellent movement skills.

4-101 – Jacoby Brissett, QB, N.C. State

Well built and athletic. Holds the ball high and effortlessly powers football downfield. Has all the physical tools and intangibles of Dak Prescott, but better natural accuracy. Developed a bad case of happy feet playing behind shaky offensive line. Needs to take advantage of quick release with better decisions. Takes too many sacks trying to make things happen instead of checking down or throwing the ball away. Must become better at locating secondary and tertiary receivers under pressure. Floor is high quality backup, but could develop into a starter in a couple seasons. Will likely be completely overwhelmed by speed of pro game as a rookie.

5-136 – Matt Judon, DE, Grand Valley State

Yes, Grand Valley State. The only school to recruit him. Division II monster who won the Gene Upshaw Trophy and utterly dominated his competition. 20 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss led all college lineman. Didn’t simply overwhelm overmatched opposition, has an assortment of pass rush moves. Excelled at the Combine. His 4.73 40 time was fifth best among DE; 30 reps tied for fifth; 35 inch vertical tied for fourth. He also interviewed well. Team captain. I would love to see Bill Kollar mold him into an NFL player.

5-157 – Nick Kwiatkoski, ILB, West Virginia

Another Mountaineer. Like Kenneth Dixon, Nick had an extremely productive college career. He racked up 295 tackles the last three seasons. He had 11 tackles for loss in 2015. A WR and safety in high school, he understands the passing game and is alert and active in zone coverage. He isn’t a burner, posting a 4.73 40 @ the Combine, but he plays much faster because he doesn’t take many false steps. He also has excellent timing as a blitzer, collecting four sacks last season. Played every LB position and is a film room junkie. Team captain who will endear himself to the coaching staff immediately.

 

6-219 – Ben Braunecker, TE, Harvard

Check out the big brain on Ben. Smart as you would expect, but also quite a physical specimen. Dominated his lower level of competition, but also tested well in everything @ the Combine. Seems to really enjoy blocking. Plays with a chip on his shoulder and with something to prove. Very productive in college and performance was peaking at end of senior season.

7-228 – Drew Kaser, P, Texas A&M

Booming leg, as you would expect from any punter worthy of a draft pick. Might even be worth picking with our sixth rounder. Broke some of Shane Lechler’s records in college. Never had a punt blocked. Not Britton Colquitt.

7-253 – Cody Core, WR, Mississippi

Overshadowed by Laquon Treadwell. Humble kid who might not leave a lasting impression in interviews. Tall with long arms and a good leaper. Could be a nice red zone target. Willing blocker. Would contribute immediately on special teams. 18 career ST stops @ Mississippi. Football pedigree. Also lettered in baseball. Ran a 4.47 @ the Combine, but is not shifty or sudden. More of a straight line speed guy.

Well, cross these names off your big boards, Maniacs. I’ve just put the whammy on the Broncos drafting any of them, but that doesn’t preclude them acquiring one or all of these guys in a couple years after they bitterly disappoint elsewhere.

For entertainment purposes only. Please, no wagering.

 

The Broncos 20 Best Value Picks

The NFL draft is tomorrow and all our eyes will be on what the Broncos do, of course.

But one thing that’s always worth watching is whether or not the Broncos will find value in the later rounds of the draft. And throughout the team’s history, the Broncos have done that a fair amount.

In fact, there are a number of players the Broncos have drafted who turned into great value picks, some which one might call draft day steals.

I have ranked those players who I believe are the best value picks the Broncos have ever made. My criteria is that the player could not be taken in the first three rounds and did not spend the bulk of his career as a depth player. I did not include any players in the pre-merger era because so many of those players didn’t sign with the Broncos.

So here’s my ranking of the Broncos 20 Best Value Picks.
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Happy 1st Birthday, Thin Air!

On this day one year ago, many of us became refugees from It’s All Over, Fat Man! when it decided to call it a career.  I was determined to not let that refugee status last very long, having created this website on the fly.  In that one-year time span, quite a lot has happened. (Of which this was of the upmost importance!)

I’ll keep it brief: I did not want this anniversary to go by unnoticed, and I wanted to thank you all for your constant participation in both articles and comments.  I hope your experience here has been positive, and we can continue to improve upon the community we’ve built.  I’ll wrap it up by saying that the Denver Broncos should never be counted out.

On Goodell: It’s Called Consistency, Folks

By now, you all know that Tom Brady’s Ballghazi suspension has been reinstated. Before people get tuned up with their opinions, let’s talk about something else.

You remember how the Denver Broncos were penalized for salary cap violations dating back to their Super Bowls win during the John Elway-Terrell Davis-Mike Shanahan era, right? Let me ask you to consider a few things.

Consider what would have happened if ESPN had decided to make a major uproar over the violations and how they impacted the integrity of the game. Consider what would have happened if social media was all around and people were flooding their feeds and timelines with memes about how the Broncos were cheaters. Consider what would have happened if the Internet was as widely used as it is now and everyone gave their hot takes about the implications of the Broncos’ machinations.

Finally, consider what would have happened if Roger Goodell, not Paul Tagliabue, was the NFL commissioner at the time the violations were first reported.
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