Denver Broncos Face Upcoming Draft with No. 2 Pick

As we look ahead to the 2011 football season even though the owners and players are at odds it makes sense to me to look at the teams in depth with a little history and examination and see where they may be headed in the upcoming draft.

I've been a fan of the Denver Broncos when my Bears aren't playing them ever since the "Orange Crush" days. That was one of the most interesting defenses I'd seen.

2010 Season Overview

The 2010 season was anything but kind to the Broncos. They struggled and lost their coach midseason due to controversy and faced defensive problems all year long. They finished the season 4-12, a franchise record for losses in a season, and suffered what was arguably the worst blowout of the season, losing to division rival Oakland 59-14. There was some success offensively: The Broncos lost five games by eight points or less.

The Good

The Broncos have depth at quarterback. Quarterback Kyle Orton (ex-Bear whom I love), had an explosive, if inconsistent, season, and was on track to finish with more than 5,000 yards. They also have a potential franchise quarterback in Tim Tebow. Their third stringer, former Browns starter Brady Quinn, is capable of stepping in and performing if necessary. The Broncos also have a veteran receiver in Brandon Lloyd, who had one of the best seasons for his position in 2010. They have excellent tackles, particularly Pro Bowler Ryan Clady. Defensively, they do have two of the NFL's most distinguished defensive backs of the last decade in safety Brian Dawkins and cornerback Champ Bailey. Bailey is a household name for sports fans.

The Bad

The Broncos had problems with their defense. Well, they had the worst defense in 2010 for points allowed - I guess that's a bad defense. Denver had a bad pass defense coupled with a terrible rush defense, and they gave up more yards than any team in the league.

Draft Outlook

And, here's the news. The Broncos hold the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, and, similar to Carolina, have the advantage of desperately needing a defensive end. This is an advantage because the defensive line is extremely deep and talented in this draft, so I could see Denver going this direction. However, cornerback Patrick Peterson out of LSU is a good choice for a team in need of another cornerback, and, the lure of a Champ Bailey-Patrick Peterson tandem may be too strong to ignore.

Hopefully, you can see that Denver needs defense and yet despite three good quarterbacks there are rumors they might go after another QB.

It makes me think John Elway who has taken a bigger interest in the team is looking for that certain person.

Reference:

SBNation.com Website, Joel Thorman, "2011 NFL Draft: Could Denver Broncos Go Quarterback At No. 2?"