The first round came and went with the Denver Broncos walking away as winners.
They landed the overall best defensive player in the entire NFL Draft — and maybe the best player, period — with Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall. John Elway passed on a two passers, taking the safe pick with Chubb.
Today, in the second and third rounds, the Broncos can knock this draft completely out of the park if they find a way to land guard Will Hernandez.
Denver is the eighth team to select in tonight’s second round, and even though they drafted a beast in Chubb, there were more glaring needs than at defensive end. Namely, offensive guard, linebacker, and a franchise quarterback.
Now, Elway can look like a complete genius if he has Hernandez continue to fall to him at No. 40. The only problem is that Hernandez, who was picked by many “experts” to go in the first round, already has fallen a good distance. As of now, he’s one of the top-three players left on the draft board, meaning the Broncos may have to move up if they want him.
And they do want him. Hernandez is regarded the third-best guard in this draft, behind Quentin Nelson (No. 6 overall) and Isaiah Wynn (No. 23), even though Wynn played tackle in college. Hernandez, who played all four years at the University of Texas-El Paso, is heralded for his strength, able to move even the biggest interior defenders with ease. He’s a bulldozer in the run game, perfectly suited for the power — which the Broncos used more of last year — although some scouts are worried about his “short” arms at 32″ long.
Check out this video of Hernandez completely manhandling this defensive lineman.
When the 2nd rep of the ballgame occurs and you realize it’s gonna be a looong day 🤕 #torque pic.twitter.com/AwjyfPhJ31
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) April 21, 2018
If Hernandez doesn’t fall all the way to No. 40, or if the Broncos don’t move up to nab him, they could instead decide to go after Connor Williams. Williams played tackle at Texas, but at 6’5″ and 310 pounds, he could be moved inside at the next level. Another reason he’s projected at guard is his left knee injury in 2017, keeping him out of all but five games of action last year. Go back to 2016 and Williams was a consensus first-team All-American at left tackle, but after losing some lateral mobility, guard seems to be the fit for him.
Another guard Denver could consider, though likely later than 40, is Braden Smith out of Auburn.
Without a doubt, the Broncos’ offensive line continues to be a work in progress. They’ve shuffled the pieces around more than a blackjack dealer in Black Hawk the last few years, and consistency can’t be overrated in either the run-blocking or pass-protection departments. Getting Hernandez would fill in the final puzzle piece remaining in the Broncos’ offensive line after acquiring Jared Veldheer earlier in the offseason to play right tackle.
Round 2 of the NFL Draft kicks off at 7 p.m. MT.