Will the trade for cornerback A.J. Bouye change the Broncos’ strategy?
Even with a deal in place to acquire Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye, Broncos general manager John Elway has plenty of holes til fill on his team’s depth chart … and plenty of selections in this spring’s NFL Draft to address those needs.
Coming out of the scouting combine and two weeks ahead of free agency, here is our Broncos Mock Draft 2.0, which does not yet factor in trades and compensatory picks:
Round 1 (15th overall) — Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III
After Ruggs turned screens and quick passes into gamebreaking plays throughout his Alabama career, it was no surprise to see him run the fastest 40-yard dash (4.27 seconds) at last week’s scouting combine. Taking an offensive tackle might be the prudent selection, but the early success of 2019 rookie receivers A.J. Brown (Tennessee), DK Metcalf (Seattle) and Deebo Samuel (San Francisco) showed what can be accomplished early on in today’s NFL. Ruggs is that kind of asset.
Round 2 (46th overall) — Oregon G Shane Lemieux
Beat writer Ryan O’Halloran recently detailed why Lemieux could be a good fit for the Broncos. Given that the Broncos have already declined right guard Ron Leary’s option, drafting-and-inserting a rookie could be the best play, especially if New England free agent Joe Thuney is too expensive for Elway’s liking. Lemieux started all 52 games at left guard for Oregon, and his strong hands and upper body will help him at either interior spot in a power running scheme.
Round 3 (77th overall) — Oklahoma DT Neville Gallimore
It’s possible Gallimore turned himself into an early Day 2 pick with his impressive combine performance. At 6-foot-2, 304 pounds, his freakish athleticism (4.79 in the 40) bolstered his college production (8 1/2 sacks, 17 tackles for loss), which was fine but not overwhelming.
Round 3 (83rd overall) — Boston College RB A.J. Dillon
The Broncos could be interested in a power back to deploy Phillip Lindsay to different spots of the offensive formation, but mostly, they need more production than they’ve received from Royce Freeman. Dillon, who ran for 4,382 yards and 38 touchdowns at Boston College, is that kind of player. He weighed in at 247 pounds at the combine but still managed a 4.53-second time in the 40 and a 41-inch vertical jump, adding intrigue to what he could become as a pro.
Round 3 (95th overall) — Missouri TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Everyone has a draft crush, and Okwuegbunam falls into that category here. If things work out as hoped for the Broncos, a Noah Fant-Albert O duo could challenge defenses in many of the same ways as Baltimore’s Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst. That’s good news for quarterback Drew Lock.
Round 4 — Wyoming LB Logan Wilson
A converted defensive back, Wilson had 409 career tackles at Wyoming. Does he have enough athleticism to flourish in the NFL? That’s a fair question, but Wilson consistently worked his way to the right spots in college and should be able to contribute at inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
Round 6 — Iowa CB Michael Ojemudia
Cornerback this late? It became slightly less of a need Tuesday, when the Broncos agreed to trade a fourth-round pick to Jacksonville to acquire Bouye. If they don’t sign another veteran corner, the Broncos could go that route on Day 2. If they opt to wait, they could settle on someone such as Ojemudia, who is better in zone coverage than man, which can be smoothed over in Vic Fangio’s defense. O jemudia had six interceptions in his college career.
Round 7 — Texas Tech OT Terence Steele
Steele is 6-foot-6, 312 pounds with experience at both tackle spots. He could be an insurance policy if right tackle Ja’Wuan James is unable to stay healthy.