The Denver Broncos may only be a few weeks removed from their victory in Super Bowl 50, but with the NFL Draft now two months away the Broncos are already looking to the future. That future may come in the form of a Buckeye or two, it appears.
Benjamin Allbright of The Big Show on Mile High Sports AM 1340 radio joined The Morning Huddle with David Hurlbut on Monday live from the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine and said the Broncos were talking looks at several players coming out of Ohio State University.
This should come as no surprise, as few schools have been able to match the number of draft picks Ohio State has produced. In the past 10 drafts, 54 Buckeyes have had their names called by NFL teams, 13 of them first rounders.
“The Broncos sent a lot of scouts to Ohio State over the course of the season,” said Allbright. “Maybe they’re looking at running back Ezekiel Elliot.”
Elliot would be a great addition for the Broncos, but odds appear slim he falls as far as pick No. 31 – Denver’s first selection. The 6-foot-1 junior rushed for 1,824 yards during the 2015 campaign, his second consecutive season churning out 1,800+ yards. It seems likely he will be snatched up long before GM John Elway steps up the to the Podium.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper has the Broncos selecting offensive tackle Taylor Decker with the final pick of the first round. Decker has excelled as a run blocker in college, and his size (6-foot-7, 320 pounds) potentialy makes him a true road grater at right tackle. With Ryan Clady’s future in doubt, Decker could provide a long-term answer at right tackle for Denver.
Allbright also suggested the possibility of Denver drafting quarterback Cardale Jones. “The Broncos could be looking at him in the later rounds to be a project,” added Allbright.
The 6-foot-5 signal caller was impressive as he led the Buckeyes to the 2015 National Championship, but lost the starting job to J.T. Barrett earlier this season. Should Jones find himself in Denver, he would most likely hold the clipboard for someone else, be it Brock Osweiler or someone else.
In total, Ohio State had 14 players at the combine. While these three are certainly intriguing possibilities, other candidates including inside linebacker Josh Perry could be catching their attention.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com predicts Denver will go with Darron Lee, an outside linebacker for the Buckeyes.
Sadly, it looks like defensive end Joey Bosa will be gone within the first five picks. Bosa would have made a nice complement to Derek Wolfe and Von Miller, in the event the Broncos have to move on from Malik Jackson.
Listen to the full discussion on the combine with Benjamin Allbright in the podcast below.
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