Four burning questions for the Broncos heading into the combine
Mar 1, 2022, 6:38 AM
The Scouting Combine kicked off on Monday and it runs for a week. Things start out slowly in Indianapolis, but as the week goes on things ramp up on and off the field.
The Combine was initially started as a medical checkup for NFL teams. Today, the Combine is a TV event and one of the most heavily attended events by the media who cover the league. On the field, players compete in front of scouts for a chance to cement or improve their draft stock. After hours, Indianapolis is a hotbed of information as scouts and general managers mingle into the wee hours of the morning.
Here are the four burning Broncos questions entering Indy.
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Small Hands, Big Dreams
Kenny Pickett has small hands. He’s double jointed, but his hands measure in just a little over 8.25 inches – and anything under 9.0 inches is considered small for hand size in the NFL. This was something Jared Goff got touchy about years ago at the Combine, and Pickett did not get his hands measured at the Senior Bowl earlier this year.
Does this matter? Well, yes and no is the correct answer. Pickett did struggle in the rain at the Senior Bowl, and he does wear gloves on both of his hands. It’s a concern for teams who play in cold weather conditions as smaller hands can lead to ball security issues.
It doesn’t matter because on film I’ve seen Pickett rip the ball into tight windows multiple times and there seems to be little to no control issues when he’s playing in less-than-ideal conditions. I personally am not dinging Pickett in the pre-draft process for his hand size, and he remains my No. 1 quarterback in this draft class. I have him graded as a late first-round pick but believe he could go in the top-10 in this quarterback desperate league – no matter what size his hands measure at the Combine.
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Linebacker Help Featured
There are some great inside linebackers near the top of this draft. Even if the Broncos decide to keep Josey Jewell with a new contract before the start of free agency, I think inside linebacker is a position they need to consider at some point in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Looking over recent mock drafts, Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd is a popular pick for the Broncos at No. 9 overall. His instincts for playing football are off the charts, and Lloyd is at his best when he can diagnose and attack the ball-carrier. He’s a sound tackler who improved his coverage ability in 2021 and known as a strong leader, someone who could be perfect for the Broncos linebacking corps.
In addition to Lloyd, Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean is a player the Broncos could consider early in the draft. Dean can pretty much do everything you need a linebacker to do in the NFL. He can get to the ball quickly, has the speed to stay with tight ends in coverage and he can rush the quarterback. Dean has the sideline-to-sideline ability and the quickness to be a three-down playmaker for any team who adds him.
Both Lloyd and Dean will be popular players to talk to at the Combine. If the Broncos fall in love with either one, we could see them targeted with a top-10 pick.
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Pick Six
This is a strong edge class. If you need a pass-rusher, like the Broncos do, then the 2022 NFL Draft has what you need. In fact, this draft class has six edge players who could go in the top 20. The first day of the draft may be full, not of quarterbacks but of the guys who chase them down.
The Broncos have a need when it comes to pass-rushers. They have Bradley Chubb as their top rusher, but he’s in the final year of his contract and has yet to play up to his full potential in the pros – largely due to injury. Malik Reed is currently penciled in on the other side, but the Broncos could easily upgrade that spot with a high draft pick.
Michigan’s Aiden Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux could be the No. 1 overall pick, and both will more than likely be gone by the time the Broncos pick in the first round. There’s a chance Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson – one of my favorite players from the Senior Bowl – could be gone by No. 9 overall as well. Behind those three, Georgia’s Travon Walker, Michigan’s David Ojabo and Purdue’s George Karlaftis should be picked in the top 20. I doubt the Broncos move back, but if they do then an edge player – and a damn good one – could still be on their radar.
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Rodgers Decision
The final burning question around the Broncos this week will be about a player who hasn’t worked out at the Combine in around 20 years. Everyone wants to know what Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will decide about his future – and when will he come to that decision.
On Monday, NFL Network was reporting the Packers are preparing to make Rodgers an offer that could make him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. The offer is going to be a short-term extension, but they are more than willing to pay the price so Rodgers doesn’t ask for a trade. The Packers have been feverishly working to get under the cap after starting the offseason nearly $60 million over the cap. That number now sits at $30.4 million over the cap, so clearly they’ve got more work to do if they’re going to pay Rodgers around $50 million annually.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week in his pre-combine press conference that Rodgers was never promised that a trade would be facilitated after the 2021 season. When Gutekunst said that it led some who cover the Packers to speculate Rodgers would be upset with that revelation.
Nobody knows what Rodgers is going to do. We’re all still waiting for his decision, and deals get done when NFL teams get together – just like they do at the Combine.
If and when Rodgers gives the word to ask for a trade, the Broncos will be ready to pounce on the back-to-back MVP. If he chooses to stay, they’ll continue to do their homework on rookie quarterbacks as they prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft.
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