First mock from NFL Network has Broncos going defense in round one
Jan 22, 2023, 11:33 AM
It’s draft season! That’s the best time of year for me, and with the draft means we are about to be buried in an avalanche of mock drafts from around the web.
I don’t pay attention to many of these mocks. Most are ridiculous, and if I don’t know who the writer is (and I know most everyone relevant in the draft world), then I especially don’t care about the mock.
One of the best draft analysts out there is Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network. A former scout for the Eagles and the Ravens, Jeremiah began his media career with regular appearances for two seasons on my podcast “The Audible” around a decade ago. Jeremiah is a dear friend, one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and he’s an incredibly hard worker. There are not many in this business that will know what Jeremiah knows.
My mock draft 1.0 is out now. Let’s dive in 🧵 pic.twitter.com/e5tgMDedEo
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 20, 2023
So, when Jeremiah releases his first mock draft of the year, I pay attention. The Denver Broncos will have a pick near the end of the first round. They have the pick from the San Francisco 49ers from the trade with the Miami Dolphins for edge Bradley Chubb. In his first mock, Jeremiah has the Broncos going in a direction some might be surprised in.
Instead of going with a right tackle, Jeremiah has the Broncos going with LSU edge B.J. Ojulari near the end of the first round. By the time the Broncos pick in Jeremiah’s mock draft, three offensive tackles have gone off the board and one offensive guard.
I believe the three best OTs in this draft class, Paris Johnson Jr (Ohio State), Peter Skoronski (Northwestern), and Broderick Jones (Georgia) will be gone by the time Denver picks. However, I really love the idea of the Broncos going with Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison on day one of the draft.
It’s a bit surprising that Florida OG O’Cyrus Torrence goes off the board before the Broncos pick in Jeremiah’s first mock. Torrence is easily the best guard in this draft class, but I feel he’s more of a late first-round pick than a mid first-round pick. With a strong performance in the pre-draft process we could see Torrence go around the No. 15 overall pick. Right now, Torrence would still be on the board for me. It’s an outside chance the Broncos go with guard in the draft, but for me I’m focused on finding tackles and edge players early in the draft.
BJ Ojulari went Super Saiyan against Mississippi State pic.twitter.com/FaJxlpfzNu
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) January 18, 2023
Ojulari is a fine player with a good first step. I like the way he times up the snap to get off the line of scrimmage and surprise the tackles he’s facing. He’s been able to get a jump on both left tackles and right tackles at the college level. His first step will translate to the pro level, but he has more than just quickness off the snap.
I like his hand fighting on the way to the quarterback. Ojulari is able to keep fighting with the offensive tackle without getting swallowed up by the larger player. I like the way he can “dip and rip” on his way to the quarterback. Ojulari also has shown multiple moves as a pass-rusher. He knows how to stack moves, and Ojulari can pull out another move when the first move is stunted.
In addition to burst off the line of scrimmage, you can see Ojulari has great burst to the quarterback. When a passer is in his sights, Ojulari will get to him quickly. In addition to sacks, Ojulari can be a disruptive player with strip/sack/forced fumbles. I’d like to see him add 10 pounds of muscle (he checks in around 250 pounds) to hold up to the NFL beating he’s going to take on a weekly basis.
Nobody should expect Randy Gregory to play a full season. It was a bad overpay by Broncos’ general manager George Paton, and the team needs a younger/cheaper option that will be there on game day. I like younger players already on the roster like Baron Browning, but Ojulari has the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowl player while Browning seems more like a solid starter without the upside of the potential first-round pick.
So, Broncos Country, what do you think? I’m certainly not against going edge in round one, but that would be if Harrison was off the board. Hit me up on social networking and let me know what you think!
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