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MarsLineman has you set, in two parts, for some of the prospects the Broncos should pursue during the 2020 NFL Draft, based upon his novel biomechanics research. In Part 2, Mars also lays out one sample battle plan for the Broncos to take to have a successful draft.

In this piece, I’ll expand upon that battle plan, taking a look at the current needs of the Broncos, as well as other teams that may be relevant competitors for the talent that has been identified as high quality.

Continue reading A Needs Based (And Biomechanically Assisted) 2020 NFL Draft Battle Plan For The Broncos

WRs continued

(to read part 1, click here)

Tee Higgins (lateral oriented posterior dominant) shows very high levels of lateral posterior efficiency (both thoracic and lumbar), which combined with his 6’4” frame and leaping ability gives him arguably the greatest ‘above the rim’ ability of anyone in this class of WRs. A long strider with surprising strength as a runner with the ball in his hands, Higgins shows the ability to grow into an excellent route runner, although at present his anterior lumbar areas (particularly medial) appear a bit under-developed. In a career-long sense, Higgins may belong at the top of tier 1 as one of the best candidates to become a very productive long-term WR (particularly paired with a strong-armed QB like Lock). But he may be forced to settle for red zone production and deep shots as a rookie, until his route-running sudden-ness (anterior efficiency) catches up with his impressive lateral posterior frame.

Continue reading Biomechanical Draft Preview 2020 (Part 2)

Edit: I decided since this is a Broncos blog we should add a Broncos tiebreaker. Specify who the Broncos first three picks are and what number pick they’ll be

Happy Draft week, Broncos fans! I thought I’d go ahead and post the mod draft challenge SMA has set up in years past. I copy and pasted most of his post from last year, so rules will work the same. SMA, if you want to take this back over, let me know and I’d be happy to relinquish the duties.

I have never done the mock draft before, but with no sports to root for for the past month, and nothing on the horizon, this seemed like a must do to make the draft as exciting as possible

These mock drafts really are a good time. Much like fantasy football or NCAA tourney brackets, they give you a rooting interest in the Draft. All of a sudden you’ll find yourself caring about who the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft, and shouting “THAT’S RIGHT, KIPER!” and “YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT, TODD!” at your television, and any loved ones who share your home will no longer have any doubt that you’ve lost your damn mind.

Continue reading 5th Annual Thin Air Mock Draft Challenge

As was argued in the three part biomechanical borrowing series, projecting NFL success for college WRs is very difficult, due to the inherent demands of the position making early success a poor long-term predictor. This then, is my attempt to find the WRs that show the best long-term projection, using criteria as outlined in part 3 of the biomechanical borrowing series. The WRs are broken down into 3 categories

Continue reading Biomechanical Draft Preview 2020 (Part 1)

Among football positions, wide receiver benefits uniquely from biomechanical borrowing. The same kind of exaggerated dramatic movements that make an actor communicative on stage, help wide receivers free themselves from defenders– both at the line of scrimmage and when breaking into routes. Dramatic sudden movement helps wide receivers to quickly/ cleanly get off the line of scrimmage, sudden exaggerated movement helps wide receivers break free of coverage on a route, and borrowed movement helps again (in a slightly different manner) when trying to secure the ball. As such, young wide receivers are subject to many of the same pitfalls of youth borrowing as actors and prodigies. And evaluating young wide receivers for their potential as adult professionals is made difficult by the inherent tradeoffs of becoming successful at a position that benefits so strongly from this borrowing.

Continue reading Prodigies, Child Actors, and Wide Receivers: Biomechanical Borrowing During Development (Part 3)

The Art of Exaggeration

If you’ve ever been backstage after a play– and before the actors take off their makeup– you’re familiar with the concept of ‘stage makeup’. Actors onstage use enormous quantities of makeup (so much so that it looks grotesque up close), so that when seen at a distance in a large theatre, they appear expressive and natural.

Continue reading Prodigies, Child Actors, and Wide Receivers: Biomechanical Borrowing During Development (Part 2)

In order to introduce biomechanical borrowing from an individual’s perspective, please allow me to offer my own experience as an example

Continue reading Prodigies, Child Actors, and Wide Receivers: Biomechanical Borrowing During Development

Source: The #Broncos have signed former #Steelers and #Seahawks TE Nick Vannett on a 2-year deal.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 21, 2020

Nick Vannett deal with Broncos: 2 yrs, $5.7 million
2020: $1.75 signing bonus; $1 mill salary ($750k gu); $250k per game roster. Total: $3 million.
2021: $2.75m salary (non-guaranteed)#9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) March 21, 2020