I've been meaning to write a Rockies preview for awhile now, but for the life me, I can't figure out this team. I don't know what's going on with them. The Rockies started out slow, struggling to put up runs while the rotation was getting hammered. Then, they started to hit well and received some competent pitching. I was starting to feel optimistic that my initial feelings coming into the season were accurate... and then they lost two-of-three to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Anyway, that's not the topic of discussion here. Tonight, the first round of the bloated NFL draft will take place, and the Broncos have the 25th pick in the draft.
I must confess that I'm not a fan of the draft. I find all the hype to be absurd and annoying. The "evaluations" particularly irk me. It seems like scouts and draft gurus will ignore a lot of things simply if a guy fits a prototype, and some of the knocks on guys are just ridiculous. (For a hilarious mocking of NFL talent scouts, check this out). I was reading something just this morning, and a stud defensive lineman who tore up the SEC was being knocked because his arms were a little short.
Seriously?
This guy made all sorts of plays in the toughest conference in the country, and you might not want to draft him because he doesn't have the wingspan of a condor?
Quarterbacks are especially notorious for this sort of thing. I remember a few years back when Kyle Boller was drafted in the first round. He hadn't done anything noteworthy at Cal and have a completion percentage of just over 50 percent. Jeff Tedford became the coach in Boller's senior year, and Cal had its best season in years, going like 7-5 or 8-4 and making a bowl game, but that was it. No Heisman Trophy or championship. However, since Boller could chuck a football 70 yards, he was worthy of a first-round pick.
Same thing with JaMarcus "Purple Drank" Russell. He didn't have a great college career, only having one decent season, yet he was the number one overall pick. Scouts and coaches were like, "OMGZ!!11!1 He can throw a football 60 yards on his KNEE! And look at his hands! They're ginormous!"
Let me ask you this: how often does a quarterback throw a deep ball from his knees in the NFL? Is that play in the playbook? Russell had bust written all over him, yet scouts became enamored with his physical gifts and ignored all the red flags.
Yet, they never learn.
Kellen Moore is the winningest quarterback in NCAA history, accumulating an astounding 50-3 record during his tenure at Boise State. His three losses were by a combined five points. Five. He is among the leaders in touchdowns, yards, and completion percentage, and is a wizard at running an offense. His anticipation is uncanny, and he is extremely accurate. He knows how to move around the pocket and avoid the rush, and he always knows where everyone is supposed to be on every play. Simply put, he's a football savant who dissects defenses.
However, he's likely not going to be drafted until the third day because he's not tall enough and doesn't have a howitzer for an arm. Ryan Tannehill may go in the top 10 despite only starting for just over a year and converting from wide receiver. Brock Osweiler, whose Sun Devils were mercilessly torn apart by Moore in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, may get drafted in the first or second round based on his "upside". Forget that he's only started 15 games and wasn't all that successful in them; let's draft him because he's a walking cactus that shoots footballs.
In spite of all this, I can't turn away from the draft. It's like a car wreck; I can't take my eyes off of it. As much as I detest the draft hoopla, I've logged into ESPN.com and SI.com about three times a day over the past few weeks to devour new draft information. It's sad, really.
I have to head out now to attend a draft watching party, but before I go, I'll pass along my thoughts on the Broncos' needs here in the first round:
Conventional wisdom says take a defensive tackle. Lord Tebow knows, the Broncos need some. They've avoided tackles like they were the plague the last few years, and teams gouged them with the running game last year. That hole became even bigger when the team's best defensive tackle, Brodrick Bunkley, departed in free agency.
Initially, I was all for drafting a tackle. However, I've rethought that a bit. First-round tackles haven't really fared all that well, so maybe it's better taking a tackle in the later rounds. I get the sense that Michael Brockers and Fletcher Cox are the best tackles available, and both are likely to be gone by the time the Broncos pick. Everyone else isn't really worthy of a first-round pick. There's plenty of depth at the position, too, so if Brockers isn't available (Cox will be gone), then Denver should take a tackle in the second round or later.
I read earlier that the Broncos want to trade back, and while boring, it makes a lot of sense. I'd be okay with that. There are plenty of good players, so adding some picks in the second round would be a good move. Someone like Devon Still of Penn State or Reyes from UConn would make sense there and fill the DT need.
If they choose to stay in the first round, then I would take Boise State running back Doug Martin. He's a stud, and he's been climbing up the draft boards. I don't think he'll be there by the time Denver picks in the second round. He's the complete package. Some of the other running backs (not including Trent Richardson) may be better than him in one area, but he's better than them overall. He's a tough runner who fights for extra yards, catches the ball well, and is a tremendous pass blocker. Plus, he can return kicks; against Arizona State, he took the opening kickoff back for a score. He's a no-frills player who works hard and would be a great fit for the Broncos.
I've read some mock drafts that have Denver taking Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, and my thought is, "No."
Look, I have nothing against Fleener, but the Broncos don't need another tight end. They drafted two or three last year and signed another two this year. It's not a crucial need, and the Broncos have other areas they need to address.
