We made it. The end of the first round and, since we’ve been doing the entire draft, the end of our mock draft. Only it really isn’t. I have draft redos of the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams coming as neither of theirs hold up after the blockbuster trade that went down last week.
Right before the actual draft I’ll put up my final first-round mock draft and we’ll all see how I do. In recent years I’ve gone a good 3-of-32 which, it turns out, makes me one of the top mock drafters in the world. It’s that hard a thing to do.
By virtue of their Super Bowl 50 Championship the Denver Broncos have earned the final pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. Here’s my Perfect Mock Draft for them.
To see every team’s Perfect Draft click here.
Round 1, Pick 31 – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
2015: 66.8 completion percentage, 3,778 yards, 28 touchdowns, four interceptions, 87 rushes, 239 yards, two touchdowns, 6-foot-7, 244 pounds
The Broncos get lucky in a draft that I think is pretty deep (like four or five guys deep) in potential starting quarterbacks. Denver has to take one at this spot and according to the board of my perfect mocks, Lynch is available here. The Memphis QB has size, athleticism and the brains to succeed in the NFL. He can make all the throws but maybe most importantly for a rookie quarterback, he protects the ball. In three years at Memphis he only threw 23 interceptions and 10 of those came as a freshman. Denver may end up trading for Nick Foles or making some other move for a stopgap starter, but Lynch is a quarterback of the future with a sky-high ceiling.
Round 2, Pick 63 – Alex Collins, RB, Arkansas
2015: 271 carries, 1,577 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 20 touchdowns, 13 catches, 95 yards, 5-foot-10, 217 pounds
Collins carried the Arkansas offense to respectability last season and was the reason they were in every game. On a down year for the team he was a star, which should make his production even more impressive since every team the Razorbacks faced knew what was coming. Collins should have no trouble stepping right into the Broncos backfield from Arkansas pro-style offense and his 4.59 speed is all he needs to put up about 1,200 yards as a rookie.
Round 3, Pick 94 – Antwaun Woods, DT, USC
2015: 38 tackles, six for a loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery, 6-foot-0, 318 pounds
Losing Malik Jackson at the start of free agency literally leaves a gaping hole in the front of Denver’s defense. Woods doesn’t fill it completely, but he can at least slow the leak as he develops. If all he does is eat up a couple of blockers he’ll be worth the pick.
Round 3, Pick 98 – B.J. Goodson, ILB, Clemson
2015: 108 tackles, 14 for a loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, three passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumbles, 6-foot-1, 242 pounds
Inside linebacker is another spot the Broncos must address in the draft and Goodson is a potential star. He was a standout on the second best college football team in the country and racked up over 100 tackles against top-level opponents.
Round 4, Pick 136 – Devon Cajuste, TE/WR, Stanford
2015: 27 catches, 383 yards, three touchdowns, 6-foot-4, 234 pounds
Cajuste is a hybrid-style player. He’s listed as a wide receiver on some draft boards but should end up a tight end in the Broncos scheme. He’s Stanford smart, a good blocker and comes from a pro-style offense where he was a consistent first-down producer, averaging 14.2 yards per catch as a senior and leading the country with 22.9 yards per catch as a sophomore.
Round 5, Pick 144 – Ryan Smith, CB, North Carolina Central
2015: 52 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, two interceptions, nine passes defended, 5-foot-11, 189 pounds
Smith is a prototype NFL cornerback prospect who switched to football late in life. He was a basketball star in high school and only played football his senior season which explains how he ended up at a small school. His 4.45 speed and sky-high 36-inch vertical would have landed him on any FBS team.
Round 6, Pick 219 – Demarcus Robinson, WR, Florida
2015: 47 catches, 520 yards, two touchdowns, 6-foot-1, 203 pounds
Denver has elite starters at both wideout spots, but need plenty of help in the slot. Past Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas there’s a monster drop off with only seven-year vet Jordan Norwood catching more than 100 yards worth of passes all season. Picking Robinson here is all about value. The Broncos have a ton of picks and not a ton of holes. No reason to pass on the highest-ranked guy on the board in the sixth round. Robinson is another good possession receiver, averaging 11.1 yards per catch last season against SEC defensive backs and linebackers.
Round 7, Pick 231 – Anthony Brown, CB, Purdue
2015: 60 tackles, one for a loss, four interceptions, six passes defended, one fumble recovery, 5-foot-11, 192 pounds
Brown is another project prototype that could pay dividends down the road. He has a knack for finding the ball and isn’t afraid to lay into a running back.
Round 7, Pick 238 – Stephane Nembot, OT, Colorado
2015: Started 37 straight games at right or left tackle, 6-foot-6, 322 pounds
Nembot has an alien name, but he could turn into a monster player. He’s crazy smart, speaks at least 12 different languages and has the prototype frame, size and strength to develop into a quality tackle.
Round 7, Pick 253 – Greg Milhouse Jr., DT, Campbell
2015: 48 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, five sacks, 6-foot-1, 295 pounds
Milhouse was a standout at a small school, but has the body type and size to develop into a quality lineman in the NFL. The Broncos need bodies to develop and Milhouse is a solid final pick.
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