It seems the Denver Broncos may be talking a chance on some risky prospects in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft Friday evening. According to Mile High Sports’ own Benjamin Allbright, the Broncos may be interested in taking either Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon or Ashland University tight end Adam Shaheen. In the football world, Oklahoma and Ashland couldn’t be more different.
Honest to God, a little birdie just chirped Shaheen to DEN tonight to me
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) April 28, 2017
To say the least, the Broncos would be dipping into two vastly different worlds if they picked up Mixon or Shaheen. For starters, the University of Oklahoma’s 2016 enrollment of 31,250 students quintuples Ashland’s meager student body of 6,000. With the Oklahoma Sooners you have one of the most decorated college football programs of all time. With 46 conference titles, seven national championships, 43 first-round draft picks (three of which were number one picks), and 35 players currently in the NFL, they are among the cream of the crop when it comes to football talent. And then you have the Eagles of Ashland University in little Ashland, Ohio. Eight players have appeared in the NFL from Ashland, but this may not be what they’re most known for. Ed Barreto became the oldest player to play in an NCAA football game at the age of 60 in 1997.
The tweet reveals the Broncos may be content with drafting a player with a checkered past. Aside from his run-in with the law, Mixon is an incredibly talented running back the Broncos could utilize right away. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound back puts his powerful frame to good use at one of the power football programs in the country; he can lower the pads and force his way through tacklers for the extra yard. His swift change-of-pace speed and crisp route-running ability also make him an ideal receiving option. Mixon may not be available when Denver’s pick rolls around, as the Broncos have the 51st pick, but Allbright also revealed the Broncos may be willing to trade up for him.
As far as Shaheen goes, the Broncos would need to show some patience. Coming from a Division II program to the NFL is vastly different than coming from a school like Oklahoma, and Shaheen would need an adjustment period of sorts. Nonetheless, he is a massive target that could be a dangerous red-zone threat. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 278 pounds, his 32.5-inch vertical leap would make jump balls an easy feat on smaller linebackers near the goal line. Also, his surprising 4.79 40-yard dash would make him a potential down-field matchup problem. A standout basketball player in high school, he brings some of that athleticism and footwork to the gridiron as well. With Miami’s David Njoku, Ole Miss’ Evan Engram and Alabama’s O.J. Howard all off the board, Shaheen may be the best tight end still available.
The Broncos own picks No. 51 (Rd. 2, No. 19), No. 82 (Rd. 3, No. 18) and No. 101 (Rd. 3, No. 37) on Friday.