Broncos draft recap

Coach McDaniels, I hope you know what you're doing.

Coming into this year's draft, the number one concern for the Broncos, according to most analysts, is defense. And what did the Broncos take with their first pick? That's right, a running back.

Wait, what?

A look at the Broncos picks:

First round, No. 12 pick: RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, 5'11", 217 lb.
As my friend Dan said, the best defense is a great offense and taking Moreno surely helps that cause. The running back was a big-time playmaker in college, and should give the Broncos their first true big-name back since Clinton Portis. That said, I'm confused why the Broncos grabbed him so high. Moreno was projected to be available in the 20s and Texas DE Brian Orakpo was still available.

First round, No. 18 overall: DE Robert Ayers, Tennessee, 6'3", 270 lb.
Ayers isn't exactly the pass rusher the Broncos so desperately need. He lacks that elite first step speed and didn't get many sacks last year at Tenn. But he is a big-time hitter and a solid run stopper, something Denver will need going into a 3-4 defense. Still, I would've liked to have seen them go with someone like USC LB Rey Maualuga here.

Second round, No. 37 overall: CB Alphonso Smith Jr., Wake Forest, 5'9", 193 lb.
With Dre Bly gone, the Broncos needs someone to eventually take his place. Smith is a ballhawking shutdown corner -- he actually broke Bly's ACC record for career interceptions with 21. While he may be pretty short for a corner, so was Bly (5'10") and former Broncos CB Darrent Williams (5'8"). I like this pick, but Maualuga was still available here.

Second round, No. 48 overall: S Darcel McBath, Texas Tech, 6'1", 196 lb.
McBath is a solid, well-rounded safety who has the potential to take over as a starting in a year or two. Scouts say he's not a dominant hitter, but being around Brian Dawkins may help that.

Second round, No. 64 overall: TE Richard Quinn, North Carolina, 6'4", 260 lb.
Quinn is an excellent blocking tight end, but he's not much of a receiver. I'm confused by this pick, the Broncos already have Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham on the roster. There were a number of defensive lineman who could've been taken here.

Fourth round, No. 114 overall: S David Bruton, Notre Dame, 6'2", 219 lb.
He's big and he hits hard, exactly what Denver needs in the secondary. He's not the fastest person out there, so coverage will be a weakpoint.

Fourth round, No. 132 overall: G Seth Olsen, Iowa, 6'5", 306 lb.
Depth on the line is something the Broncos need and Olsen provides that. He's versatile, being able to play both guard and tackle.

Fifth round, No. 141 overall: WR Kenny McKinley, South Carolina, 6'0", 189 lb.
Solid route runner with sure hands. Kinda thin, but athletic.

Sixth round, No. 174 overall: QB Tom Brandstater, Fresno State, 6'5", 220 lb.
He's built like a prototypical quarterback: big and strong. McDaniels seems to be able to get the best out of his quarterbacks, so this could be a good pick. Regardless, Brandstater will probably be the No. 3 QB for a while.

Seventh round, No. 225 overall: C Blake Schlueter, TCU, 6'2", 290 lb.
He's quick, agile and a little undersized -- typical lineman for the Broncos' blocking scheme.

Analysis
While Denver did shore up some of its defensive needs, getting a pass rusher wasn't one of them. Getting Orakpo and Maualuga in the first round would've greatly helped. Moreno is an interesting pick, especially with the number of RBs they have on the roster already. Then again, it's been a long time since Denver's had a RB of his pedigree on the team.

It wasn't a great draft, but it wasn't horrible. Getting Smith in the second round is nice, but giving up their first round pick is risky. McDaniels has a lot of confidence in his team to give up a potentially top 10 pick.

Who they should pick up
K Louie Sakoda, Utah, 5'9", 176 lb.
Matt Prater tailed off at the end of last season, so why not get someone to give him a run for his money in the preseason. Sakoda is the most decorated college kicker to come out this year, so why not give him a chance?

FS Otis Wiley, Michigan State 6'2", 210 lb.
Big free safety who has a lot of potential if he stays healthy.

And who they should've picked up
DT George "The Rabid Goldfish" Hypolite, Colorado, 6'2", 270 lb.
He's small for the 3-4 scheme, but it'd just be cool to have "The Rabid Goldfish" on the team.

Nuggets are golden

Who would’ve thunk it that when the Nuggets traded away Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups and Marcus Camby for, well, nothing really, that they would actually improve?

I admit it, when we sent Camby to the Clippers, I called it the “worst trade in Nuggets history.” But having Nene and Kenyon Martin healthy, and Chris Andersen ranked second in the league in blocks (Camby finished fourth), the Nuggs have effectively become better as a whole while saving quite a bit of money.

Most of that credit, however, should go to Billups, who’s shown why he’s one of the league’s best point guards. Beyond his stats on the court (17.9 ppg, 6.4 apg), he’s emerged as the clubhouse’s leader; a voice everyone in the locker room listens to because he commands authority — and has two championship rings to back it up.

Carmelo Anthony has become a more well-rounded player because of it. Not needing to drop 30 every game, he helps by crashing the boards and being a more efficient player all around.
And heading into the playoffs, the team looks to be on a roll, led by J.R. Smith, who’s averaging 25 ppg in the month of April.

While this the Lakers are far and away the best team in the conference, Denver looks like it has the ability to beat any other team in the west. It could be a fun playoff season in Denver — finally.

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The illmatic Kim Jong Il struts his stuff on the dance floor. Gotta love Danny Cho and the Far-East Movement.