Broncos Draft Coverage

It’s easy for Bronco fans to seem a little disheartened the way things have gone since the end of the 2007 season. Losing what some consider a key loss on offense in Javon Walker—which is a really huge stretch calling him key to anything—and the retirement of Matt Lepsis are certainly not going to help the young Jay Cutler. Brandon Marshall has gotten himself in a little bit of trouble and the 2008 draft picks don’t really show much flash.
But the good news is that this draft really did benefit the Broncos. They may not have added the flashy first rounders as a few teams did but they did come away having filled a few gaps. And that’ really all you can hope for as a fan.
 
Here’s a look at a few of the guys that should make an immediate impact.

Round 1: Ryan Clady- Boise State, Offensive Tackle, 6’6”, 320 pounds

This mammoth will plug the hole at left tackle immediately. While many draft experts had expected the Broncos to take another tackle, Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, Denver liked the former BSU Bronco because of his quick feet and agility. Clady was a second team All-America in 2007 and should be able to get adjusted to the Broncos zone-blocking system in no time.

Grade: B+

Round 2: Eddie Royal-Virginia Tech, Wide Receiver/Return Specialist

With the 42 pick in the second round the Broncos didn’t surprise anyone by taking a wide receiver. It’s definitely a position that needed to be addressed especially considering the loss of Javon Walker. Behind Marshall, the second best receiver on the team is probably a tight end. Royal didn’t have excellent numbers as a receiver his senior year but certainly showed some explosiveness on special teams. This is why the Broncos drafted him while other skilled receivers were still on the board. The Broncos have lost games solely based on their special teams and Royal could be the guy who evens things out. His size (5’9” 184 pounds) is an issue but his speed (4.39 in the 40) could make up for it. Marshall can now stick to what he’s good at and become a true possession receiver while Royal stretches the field as a deep threat.

Grade: B-

Round 5: Ryan Torain- Arizona State, Running Back

It’s hard to doubt Denver’s ability to draft successful running backs as they continuously plug guys in there and get 1,000-yard seasons. Torain has gone on the record stating that he is a good back for the Broncos’ system and that his versatility will help him succeed. He runs downfield yet is able to catch passes out of the backfield. Hopefully Torain will give Travis Henry the balance he needs to be successful all the while producing on his own. Scouts were very high on Torain after his junior season and if he can come back from surgery on his foot, he has the ability to make plays with his physical style of play. No matter what, he’s NOT going to be the next Maurice Clarrett. We’ve got that going for us--which is nice.

Grade: C

Check back next week for more on the draft, including free agent signings.