Based off of John Elway’s track record, there’s a pretty good chance that he’s going to be going with a defender when the Broncos come up on the clock for the first time at this year’s NFL draft. Since he first returned to Colorado, that’s exactly what he’s done each year, starting with Von Miller and on up to Shane Ray.
Where would he go, though? The defense is stacked, and there aren’t many holes in need of an immediate fix. The secondary may be the league’s best and the pass rush is legendary. Maybe linebacker would be a place to look, but there won’t be much value left on the board when Denver comes up at No. 31.
So defensive line is the way to go.
While this draft may only have a handful of truly elite prospects, it’s a very deep class across the board, especially at the defensive tackle position. In fact, there’s a legitimate chance that seven defensive tackles will be selected in the first round, and another three or four could be looking at the second round. There are guys that’ll be drafted in the third and fourth round who may have been early second rounders in another draft class.
And that’s all good news for Elway and the Broncos. It means that not only will they have the opportunity to draft a great talent with their first pick, but they could also wait a few rounds or so and end up with a guy who looks more like a first-round talent than a fourth.
So with that said, here are five defensive tackles the Broncos should be targeting when the draft rolls around in a few weeks.
5. Maliek Collins (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 3rd/4th HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-2/311 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 86 total tackles; 21.5 tackles for a loss; 8.0 sacks; 1 forced fumbles
Maliek Collins isn’t your prototypical run-stuffing defensive tackle; at his size, he often gets pushed around by double teams and isn’t the type of guy that’s going to match power with power. That said, he’s an athlete, and that’s something you take a risk on.
Collins is the type of guy you look for on the beginning of Day 3 and hope his strengths end up outweighing his weaknesses. It’s a gamble, yes, but if you end up with an athletic, pass-rushing defensive tackle that can slide outside and play some defensive end, you’re going to be plenty happy.
4. Kenny Clark (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 1st/2nd HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3/314 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 159 total tackles; 20.0 tackles for a loss; 8.0; 6.5sacks; 1 forced fumbles
If you’re looking for versatility, Kenny Clark is your guy. A two-year starter at UCLA, Clark spent time at defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle; in the NFL, he should be able to adapt to most any scheme.
Clark will likely be available a No. 31 for the Denver Broncos, and they’d be wrong to not at least consider him. He’s got just about everything you’d want in a defensive lineman, including burst and and power, and while he may not be as agile as a guy like Collins, he gets the job done more often than not.
3. Chris Jones (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 2nd/3rd HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-6/310 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 94 total tackles; 17.5 tackles for a loss; 8.5 sacks; 10 passes deflected
Chris Jones has it all … until he doesn’t.
Good Chris Jones is a top 15 player. Bad Chris Jones is a third-rounder. NFL teams will bet on the higher upside.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 13, 2016
Jones, who only started his final year at Mississippi State, flashes elite, top-tier talent all the time. He looks like the type of guy you can build your defensive front around for a decade. And then, a play later, he looks lost.
He hasn’t yet put it all together, and the question is: Will he?
If the Broncos find themselves thinking yes, then grabbing him at the backend of the second round could become the steal of the draft.
2. Vernon Butler (Senior)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgOxjWwxtVo
PROJECTED ROUND: 1st/2nd HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-4/323 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 168 total tackles; 28.5 tackles for a loss; 5.0 sacks; 1 forced fumbles; 3 passes deflected
Vernon Butler may be a big man, but he’s more than just a run-stuffing nose tackle; this is a guy who can play all over the defensive line, and dominate.
Now, he may not rack up a ton of sacks — he only had five in four years at Mississippi State — but he’s going to collapse the pocket on a consistent basis. With a power-agility combo that not many tackles in this class can match, the upside with Butler is through the roof.
At pick 31, Butler could end up being the guy they always hoped Sylvester Williams would be.
1. Willie Henry (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 5th HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3/303 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 85 total tackles; 18.0 tackles for a loss; 9.5 sacks; 2 passes deflected
If the Broncos are going to wait on defensive tackle and allow the depth of the class to reach them in the later rounds, Willie Henry is their guy. He’s a little underdeveloped, but he’s a playmaker, and that’s the kind of guy you’re looking for in the later rounds.
A three-year starter for the Wolverines, Henry helped lead one of the nation’s best defenses last season, with 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Henry won’t be a starter day one, but he will be a contributor. And if he can fine tune his technique and fill out his frame a bit more, he’ll outproduce all expectations.