1st: Ryan Clady/OT Boise St. I was having a hard time picking between Clady and Jonathan Stewart but there's no debating that Clady is probably the
right pick. He's been described as a dancing bear--huge frame, long arms and tremendous footwork. He's ideal for the Broncos zone blocking scheme
and assuming he keeps his head on straight, should be a fixture on the line for the next decade. Jacko's Grade: A
2nd: Eddie Royal/WR Va Tech. With Walker going to the dark side and Marshall still acting like my 5 year old, I can see why Shanny opted for a WR. But
with both Limas Sweed and DeSean Jackson still on the board, it's hard to see him go for another would-be WR/Returner combo. Royal is fast but small
and probably would have slid to the end of the round. Jacko's Grade: C+
4th: Kory Lichtensteiger/C Bowling Green. Another reach pick at a position that is generally not a high priority. But this guy's resume (long time starter,
scrappy and mean but undersized) sounds exactly the same as Tom Nalen when he came out. With this likely Nalen's final season, getting another
decent C/G option makes sense and the Broncos usually know how to scout OL's. Jacko's Grade: B-
4th: Jack Williams/CB Kent. Williams is a true speedburner who slipped this far because of injuries. He's a bit small but very athletic. I really liked the
mid-round CB's this year--the draft seemed loaded with super fast, undersized guys from small schools who could perform just as well as the guys who
went off the board in round one. So I'm glad we snagged one of them and rolled the dice. Jacko's Grade: B.
5th: Ryan Torian/RB Arizona St. Torain lost a lot of momentum when he got hurt early during his senior year. He's not exactly loaded with speed but he
is a good cut-back player who likes to run north-south. I don't expect much from him this year but you never know with a Denver-drafted RB. Jacko's
Grade: B-
5th: Carlton Powell/DT Va Tech. Kind of an undersized guy who lacks a major pass-rushing burst. Decent run stuffer. Looks to me like a career back-up
if he makes the team. Jacko's Grade: C.
6th: Spencer Larson/LB Arizona. A solid inside backer who plays with a real mean streak. Good speed but he can over-pursue at times. Solid pick that
should make the team. Jacko's Grade: B.
6th: Josh Barrett/S Arizona St. Barrett would have gone much earlier in the draft if not for a serious knee injury that ruined his senior year. Barrett has it
all on paper--good size, blazing speed and toughness but that was before the injury. I like this pick a lot at this stage. High risk-high reward. Jacko's
Grade: B+.
7th: Peyton Hillis/FB Arkansas. This is another solid late round pick, as Hillis was ranked by some as the best FB in the draft. He's a solid all-around
player and should make the squad and contribute on special teams early. Jacko's Grade: B.
Final Analysis: Overall, I generally like this draft from top to bottom, although I may have gone somewhere else with the #2 selection (I'm going on the
record that I'd have taken Limas Sweed). But it's nice to see the Broncos actually draft a lot of players and make good solid picks vs. their usual all-risky
picks kind of draft. They seemed to keep that every-other-pick this year. Jacko's Grade: B.
right pick. He's been described as a dancing bear--huge frame, long arms and tremendous footwork. He's ideal for the Broncos zone blocking scheme
and assuming he keeps his head on straight, should be a fixture on the line for the next decade. Jacko's Grade: A
2nd: Eddie Royal/WR Va Tech. With Walker going to the dark side and Marshall still acting like my 5 year old, I can see why Shanny opted for a WR. But
with both Limas Sweed and DeSean Jackson still on the board, it's hard to see him go for another would-be WR/Returner combo. Royal is fast but small
and probably would have slid to the end of the round. Jacko's Grade: C+
4th: Kory Lichtensteiger/C Bowling Green. Another reach pick at a position that is generally not a high priority. But this guy's resume (long time starter,
scrappy and mean but undersized) sounds exactly the same as Tom Nalen when he came out. With this likely Nalen's final season, getting another
decent C/G option makes sense and the Broncos usually know how to scout OL's. Jacko's Grade: B-
4th: Jack Williams/CB Kent. Williams is a true speedburner who slipped this far because of injuries. He's a bit small but very athletic. I really liked the
mid-round CB's this year--the draft seemed loaded with super fast, undersized guys from small schools who could perform just as well as the guys who
went off the board in round one. So I'm glad we snagged one of them and rolled the dice. Jacko's Grade: B.
5th: Ryan Torian/RB Arizona St. Torain lost a lot of momentum when he got hurt early during his senior year. He's not exactly loaded with speed but he
is a good cut-back player who likes to run north-south. I don't expect much from him this year but you never know with a Denver-drafted RB. Jacko's
Grade: B-
5th: Carlton Powell/DT Va Tech. Kind of an undersized guy who lacks a major pass-rushing burst. Decent run stuffer. Looks to me like a career back-up
if he makes the team. Jacko's Grade: C.
6th: Spencer Larson/LB Arizona. A solid inside backer who plays with a real mean streak. Good speed but he can over-pursue at times. Solid pick that
should make the team. Jacko's Grade: B.
6th: Josh Barrett/S Arizona St. Barrett would have gone much earlier in the draft if not for a serious knee injury that ruined his senior year. Barrett has it
all on paper--good size, blazing speed and toughness but that was before the injury. I like this pick a lot at this stage. High risk-high reward. Jacko's
Grade: B+.
7th: Peyton Hillis/FB Arkansas. This is another solid late round pick, as Hillis was ranked by some as the best FB in the draft. He's a solid all-around
player and should make the squad and contribute on special teams early. Jacko's Grade: B.
Final Analysis: Overall, I generally like this draft from top to bottom, although I may have gone somewhere else with the #2 selection (I'm going on the
record that I'd have taken Limas Sweed). But it's nice to see the Broncos actually draft a lot of players and make good solid picks vs. their usual all-risky
picks kind of draft. They seemed to keep that every-other-pick this year. Jacko's Grade: B.
| Jacko's Original 2008 Draft Analysis |