The All-Star circuit showed a player who would be a perfect Bronco

I’ve got another year in the books of traveling to the East-West Shrine Bowl and Reese’s Senior Bowl. There have been quite a few observations I’ve made about this incoming draft class, and I’m starting to see what the best strategy for the Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL Draft could be. Here are some of my thoughts from the last seven days, two states traveled, and two important All-Star games.

***

Varying Opinions

I was disappointed in Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at the Senior Bowl. I came into the week thinking he could catapult himself into the top-10 of the NFL Draft, but now I don’t think that’s the case. His film will get him drafted in the first round, but there’s more to work on than some originally thought. Other reports will say he’s a top-15 pick, but that’s where he should have always been. I think he was good enough at the Senior Bowl, but he did not put on a show the way I saw a guy like Justin Herbert do years ago.

***

Donald-Like

I’ve seen some great defenders at the Senior Bowl over the years. I remember seeing Von Miller dominate in 2011, and I was the first to report the Broncos had interest in him. The most-dominant player I’ve seen in 18 years of travel has easily been Aaron Donald in 2014. I’m not saying he’s the next Donald, but there was certainly a ton of disruptive play from Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson. He was constantly blowing up plays in team drills. During one-on-one drills, which I affectionately call “the pit,” Robinson was unblockable. After a week of practice, Robinson has worked his way into the first-round conversation.

***

New Weapon

Teams aren’t going to let tight ends who are weapons in the passing game slip too far in the draft. We’ve seen guys like Trey McBride or Sam LaPorta fall a bit too far in recent years, but those players only lasted until the second round. I’m not sure where TCU’s Jared Wiley is going to land in the draft, but teams were alerted to his presence in a big way during the week. Wiley plays like a super-sized wide receiver. In fact, there were several times he ran receiver-like routes and got open with ease against linebackers tasked with covering him. He’s an effort blocker right now, and that skill can improve, but any team selecting him in the draft won’t be focused on having him block. The dude is a weapon, and I like what he showed all over the field but especially in the red zone.

***

Mad Max

One of my favorite players this week was Rutgers cornerback Max Melton. First off, he was the fastest player on the field every day. That’s not just naked-eye observations, but the GPS trackers on the players showed that Melton was regularly running around 21 miles per hour at his top speed. Okay, so he’s fast, but can he play football? The answer is assuredly and resoundingly “yes!” Melton has not just a speed guy who could stay in the back pocket of receivers – he was feisty on the field. He’s not afraid of being physical with a receiver because he can recover with speed if he misses on a jam. That is a refreshing quality to see in a day and age where press coverage isn’t as overwhelming as it used to be.

***

Broncos Better Draft Him

I’m calling my shot (again). The Broncos need to draft USC running back MarShawn Lloyd. There’s no live tackling, but Lloyd is proven on film to be tough to bring down. You can see his natural instincts, vision and ability to create his own space during practice. I like the way he catches the ball during practice, and he will quickly turn upfield to gain more yardage after the catch. Most importantly (in an All-Star format), Lloyd showed well in backs-on-backers. These pass-protection drills will expose weaknesses in players on both sides of the ball. Lloyd proved that he could close the gap quickly, use his punch, keep his base, and do his best to protect his quarterback. He can play. He can play early. He can be a Pro Bowl talent. Denver needs a back like that.

Follow @CecilLammey