3 Reese’s Senior Bowl offensive prospects the Broncos should target

Author’s note: The 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl is underway this week in Mobile, Alabama. Like the East-West Shrine Game, I’ve covered the Senior Bowl for 11 years in a row. It’s the biggest stop on what I call my “All-Star Road Trip,” mainly because of the elite-level talent that regularly is featured in this game.

The Denver Broncos are always represented well at this game. In fact, general manager John Elway was seen prominently near the 50-yard line for each of the first two practices. While other executives may sit in the stands or the press box (or skip the game), Elway is front and center, getting a first-hand look at the college talent on display.

This is an incredibly deep and talented draft class at certain positions, and the Broncos will be continuing to search for better talent on offense. The best senior prospects are here in Mobile, and there are more than a few offensive players the Broncos should be considering from this game.

Here are three offensive players the Broncos should target from the Senior Bowl:

O.J. Howard, tight end, Alabama

The Broncos could take a skill position player in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Even though most mock drafts at this time have Denver taking an offensive tackle, that may not be the direction they go with their first pick. Instead of helping their offensive line, the Broncos could choose to boost their passing attack.

O.J. Howard may be the best tight end in this draft class. That says a lot considering this is the best tight end class we’ve seen in a long time. Most of the time, there are only a few tight ends worth considering through the draft. This year, the tight end class is at least 10 deep with players who could turn out to be not only starters but real weapons in the NFL.

I wrote the word “Thor” next to Howard’s name as he walked across the stage at the weight in on Tuesday morning. At 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds, Howard looks chiseled like a Greek god of thunder. That strength stands out on the field when he gets his pads on and towers over some of the players tasked with covering him.

Howard is an interesting prospect because he was largely seen as a career disappointment at Alabama before their College Football Playoff game against Clemson in 2016. In that game, Howard had the biggest game of his career with 5 catches for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. He didn’t do much this past season, but once again he had more than 100 yards receiving against Clemson in the national championship game.

Can the Broncos unlock his obvious potential? Howard has everything it takes to be a complete tight end in the pros. He’s a plus athlete and a strong-willed blocker. However, his lack of consistency is certainly a concern for any pro team considering his services.

The depth of this class could lead a team to pass on a talent like Howard. He’s also getting a run for his money in practice by Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram. Howard may have more upside, but it’s Engram who is shining the most in practice this week.

The Broncos need more pass-catching weapons, no matter who wins the starting quarterback position. Howard is a fine all-around player and could step in to start from Day One with the Broncos.

At this time, Howard is seen as a first-round pick by NFLDraftScout.com.

Artavis Scott, wide receiver, Clemson

At this time of year, you can hear buzz surrounding certain prospects and the teams that like them. In addition, here at the Senior Bowl you can clearly see which players the teams spend the most time with. Every team’s scouts can be seen by reporters or even fans talking to the prospects in the team hotel lobby.

Artavis Scott was seen talking to Broncos officials for about 30 minutes on Monday. It doesn’t mean the team is going to pick him at some point in the draft, but it does mean they’re initially interested. He’s also earned Denver’s attention on the field in Mobile.

Scott is stoutly built for a slot receiver. In fact, I would classify him as a power/slot receiver in the mold of a player like Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate. Like Tate, Scott has a powerful stride and a running back-like skill set with the ball in his hands in the open field. Scott can break tackles and make defenders grasp for air after the catch.

The Broncos need to find a third weapon behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in the passing game. Adding a slot receiver with dangerous speed and quickness would make the offense even more dangerous in 2017.

Scott is projected to be a fourth-round pick by NFLDraftScout.com.

Tony Garcia, offensive tackle, Troy

This is not a great offensive tackle class. There are currently three offensive tackles (Cam Robinson, Ryan Ramczyk, Garrett Bolles) projected by NFLDraftScout.com to be taken in the first round of the draft. However, there may be another player who joins the ranks of top picks.

Antonio “Tony” Garcia has size that immediately jumps off the page. He stands at 6-foot-6 and weighed in on Tuesday morning at 293 pounds. He’s big, but Garcia is not carrying bad weight, which helps his athleticism on the field.

He has great footwork, which allows him to shadow speed rushers around the edge. With an 80-inch wingspan, Garcia has the long arms to reach out and control defenders. He stays wide when attacked by power rushers and is difficult to move off his mark. Garcia is known as a nasty player and regularly plays to the whistle.

Many Broncos fans want the team to find help on the offensive line. Most of that aid may come through free agency, but the Broncos won’t pass up on talented players in the draft — even developmental prospects who may not start during their rookie season.

Garcia has tremendous upside if he plays up to his full potential as a pro.

NFLDraftScout.com has him graded as a second- or third-round pick.

Honorable mentions

Ryan Switzer is one of the quickest players at this game. The North Carolina wide receiver has been breaking ankles regularly in practice.

Even though he checks in at only 179 pounds, Switzer is too quick to jam at the line of scrimmage. He’s got incredible foot frequency and can change direction on a dime.

Switzer could help the Broncos as a slot receiver or return man.

Forrest Lamp, a guard from Western Kentucky, may be one of the highest rated players in this game, regardless of position. He’s seen as a top-30 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and Lamp should be a first-round pick.

His short arms will be held against him when breaking down the positives and negatives of his game. However, Lamp has great strength and athleticism when playing inside at guard.

As NFL.com reported, Lamp suffered a high-ankle sprain during the first day of practice for the Senior Bowl.

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