2021 Broncos Forum College Prospects Thread

[BroncoBruin]

For me...

1 - Trevor Lawrence (unlikely but obvious)

Top 2-5 - Justin Fields, Penei Sewell (if we’re 3-4 wins bad the offense needed desperate help at either QB or tackle)

Top 6-10- (Defensive BPA) Micah Parsons, Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain, Gregory Rousseau, etc.

 

Maybe another OT puts himself in that range but I suspect we miss out on the top QBs and Sewell and are more in range to get a cornerstone defensive piece. As bleak as it looks right now, Lock is probably starting at least the last 9 games of the season, Bouye and Lindsay will be back and all the units should improve with collective experience. If Lock can build off his progress through 6 games, there are enough winnable games late in the season to cost them a top 5 pick in my opinion. I wouldn’t be surprised if this team is frisky in December again. 

Edited September 28, 2020 by BroncoBruin

[Broncofan]

44 minutes ago, BroncoBruin said:

For me...

1 - Trevor Lawrence (unlikely but obvious)

Top 2-5 - Justin Fields, Penei Sewell (if we’re 3-4 wins bad the offense needed desperate help at either QB or tackle)

Top 6-10- (Defensive BPA) Micah Parsons, Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain, Gregory Rousseau, etc.

 

Maybe another OT puts himself in that range but I suspect we miss out on the top QBs and Sewell and are more in range to get a cornerstone defensive piece. As bleak as it looks right now, Lock is probably starting at least the last 9 games of the season, Bouye and Lindsay will be back and all the units should improve with collective experience. If Lock can build off his progress through 6 games, there are enough winnable games late in the season to cost them a top 5 pick in my opinion. I wouldn’t be surprised if this team is frisky in December again. 

The flip side is that if Lock doesn't return, a top 5 pick is very much in range, and honestly even a top 3 pick isn't crazy.   This O without Lock led to a 2-9 start, and one where Rivers' TO's handed us 1 of the W's.    

Honestly, at this stage, I just hope none of our other core young guys gets hurt.    As long as they develop and go into 2021 healthy, I'll take that and anything else is gravy.

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Broncofan

[BroncoBruin]

2 hours ago, Broncofan said:

The flip side is that if Lock doesn't return, a top 5 pick is very much in range, and honestly even a top 3 pick isn't crazy.   This O without Lock led to a 2-9 start, and one where Rivers' TO's handed us 1 of the W's.    

Honestly, at this stage, I just hope none of our other core young guys gets hurt.    As long as they develop and go into 2021 healthy, I'll take that and anything else is gravy.

 

Has it been suggested anywhere that they would shut him down? Everything I’ve heard is he’s back after the bye if they want to be extra cautious. They can’t afford to not evaluate him.

[BroncoBruin]

And for Drew it’s really a weird situation where the team preaching patience probably isn’t in his best interest. Every game Drew misses gets us closer to a potential replacement. 

[Broncofan]

1 hour ago, BroncoBruin said:

Has it been suggested anywhere that they would shut him down? Everything I’ve heard is he’s back after the bye if they want to be extra cautious. They can’t afford to not evaluate him.

A labrum injury is no guarantee to be ok.   The protocol involves rest for 2 weeks then resumption of light throwing / more.   The likely return if rehab works is 5-8 weeks.   
 

Here’s the kicker - any setbacks during this process and you get shut down.  And then likely a scope - there the season  is pretty much done.  The 5-8 week timeframe and confirmation of labrum injury is a lot more worrisome.   The injury mechanism never was compatible with AC separation.
 

If the labrum tear is super small then rehab works.   But labrum injuries in the throwing shoulder are not guaranteed at all to be ok.   You have to see if pain returns as you ramp up.    

 

EDIT:   The end part of Renck's blurb is very telling - Lock's return is at least several weeks away.

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Broncofan

[bMiller031]

3 hours ago, Broncofan said:

The flip side is that if Lock doesn't return, a top 5 pick is very much in range, and honestly even a top 3 pick isn't crazy.   

Agree.  If Lock doesn't return I think it's more likely we lose 14+ games than pick outside of top 5.  W/ these injuries, a Driskell/Rypien-led team will be lucky to sneak out w/ any non-NYJ victories, IMO.

Edited September 28, 2020 by bMiller031

[broncos67]

13 hours ago, bMiller031 said:

Agree.  If Lock doesn't return I think it's more likely we lose 14+ games than pick outside of top 5.  W/ these injuries, a Driskell/Rypien-led team will be lucky to sneak out w/ any non-NYJ victories, IMO.

If Lock doesn't return there's a chance we don't win a single game, and that includes the Jets and Dolphins games.

[BroncosFan2010]

4 hours ago, broncos67 said:

If Lock doesn't return there's a chance we don't win a single game, and that includes the Jets and Dolphins games.

Its very hard to go 0-16. We will find a way to slip into a win or two this year. 

[BroncoBruin]

Man, Dylan Moses has looked terrible so far this season. 

[Cutler06]

2 hours ago, BroncoBruin said:

Man, Dylan Moses has looked terrible so far this season. 

Maybe he could be our 2nd or 3rd round pick then

[germ-x]

12 hours ago, BroncoBruin said:

Man, Dylan Moses has looked terrible so far this season. 

I haven’t really focused on any game to see how players are doing.  Watched the Alabama game last night more as background noise while getting some things done, but Devontae Smith is just a good football player.  

Kind of reminds me of Robert Woods in that a bunch of other players get all the attention, but Woods/Smith just keep producing.

[broncosfan_101]

What’s everyone projecting for team needs in the draft? I feel like the top of our roster is in an unusual state of flux, with decisions needed on Von, Casey, Bouye, Harris, Simmons, Jackson, AJ Johnson, Lindsay, and Bolles. If I had to guess, my top 3 needs would be:

1. CB - When Bouye’s been on the field, meh. But then also considering injury history and contract, I think he’s a pretty easy cut. So while I think Ojemudia can play, and Callahan has been wonderful, a 3rd corner is a must.

2. RT/OL - This unit needs more difference makers. Bolles is great, but we’re lacking studs after him (and even he’ll need to be tagged to stick around). If Risner is healthy, this is a disappointing year for him. Cush looks lost. Ja’Wuan James will have played basically no football for 24 months. Glasgow’s versatility could be real valuable, as he can fix our biggest weakness by sliding to centre, as long as we find a replacement at guard. 

3. ILB - Josey Jewell tries, man. He’s just not good enough. Ideally we find someone who can cover TE’s/RB’s at the 2nd level. 

[lomaxgrUK]

This is all dependent on who we retain. I am just ignoring the QB question intentionally. My needs are based on:

Core Players Retained
Bolles, Simmons, Dotson

Core Players Cut/Not re-signed
Shelby Harris, Casey, Bouye (not at all sure on this)

Tier 1

1. 3-4 DE x2 - without Harris (who is going to get PAID and I imagine he hates us for not already paying him) and Casey (Walker also likely to walk) we're left without bodies and difference makers. The Steelers have the best Defense in the NFL, and it starts with Heyward and Tuitt.
2. CB (x2 if Bouye leaves) - clearly short on bodies again. Callahan is playing really well but is an injury waiting to happen. Bassey seems to have Fangio's support but I am not convinced.

Tier 2

3. ILB - I think Johnson is more of an issue than Jewell. The latter has taken impressive strides this year. He can play at different levels of a Defense; Johnson is totally lost if he isn't going forward. Jewell vs a RB in man coverage isn't an issue; it is when Johnson is the ILB.
4. Outside pass rusher - Von is on mega money, coming off injury and is getting on. Chubb (in my opinion) isn't a dynamic pass rush threat. Reed is a bang average player, and Attaochu shouldn't be in an NFL rotation.

Tier 3 

5. Safety - Jackson will be 34 next year. He's still playing at a high level, but the drop off can come at any point at that age. We've got very little talent at Safety after Simmons and Jackson.
6. RT - Dotson has filled in admirably, so I can see him being retained. James hasn't played in 2 years, but we can't cut him. He has a cap hit of $13m but it's $19m in dead cap if we cut him, so he's going to be on the roster. Perhaps we draft a mid/late round guy and hope we get lucky.
7. Center - Cush has struggled for sure. I just can't see us giving up high draft capital again when it's often a position that takes a bit of time to adjust at the NFL level.
8. NT - Purcell is great, but we're short of size outside of him.

 

[broncosfan_101]

I wouldn’t come to the same conclusion on Harris. Sure, we didn’t pay him, but neither did anyone else. I think he’s a strong candidate to return (for big money). 
I also absolutely do not see it with Jewell, especially compared with Johnson. AJ’s a keeper, Jewell is a depth ST’er. 
And Dotson’s been real good, but he’ll also be 36 next season, without a track record of elite play. He could easily be walking off a cliff some time soon.

[lomaxgrUK]

38 minutes ago, broncosfan_101 said:

I wouldn’t come to the same conclusion on Harris. Sure, we didn’t pay him, but neither did anyone else. I think he’s a strong candidate to return (for big money). 
I also absolutely do not see it with Jewell, especially compared with Johnson. AJ’s a keeper, Jewell is a depth ST’er. 
And Dotson’s been real good, but he’ll also be 36 next season, without a track record of elite play. He could easily be walking off a cliff some time soon.

What specifically don't you see with Jewell? He's shown this year he can play in space so much better than Johnson and he can hang with inline TEs. Johnson gets picked on time after by RBs in coverage, never mind TEs. The notion that there are ILBs out there that can run with move TEs is a fallacy, really. There are probably less than 3 ILBs in the NFL that can cover move TEs in man coverage and are 3 down players. It's easy to find a franchise QB as it is to find one of them. 

Either way, I don't think ILB is a bigger need than DE even if we do re-sign Harris. I like Shelby; especially on the money we've had him in the past. But he isn't a game wrecker. We need a wrecker on the inside like Chris Jones, Hayward, Tuitt, Hicks, Donald, Cox, Buckner, Jarrett, Allen, etc. DreMont Jones flashes, but he isn't an every down DE in a 3-4 like those names I have mentioned.

Re: RT - I hear you, but I don't think it's a bigger need than every position I listed. Between James and Dotson, I think we can get by. But, I wouldn't mind spending a 1st round pick on any of the positions I mentioned above from 1-6.