Lammey: DL Slayton shines as Shrine Game practices continue in Tampa

My favorite time of year is here. That’s right, once again I’m on the road for what I call the “All-Star Road Trip.”

For the 14th year in a row, I’m attending the East-West Shrine Game with an eye on some of the talent entering the 2019 NFL draft.

The second day of practice was all about defense, and there are many players the Denver Broncos should be interested in on that side of the ball.

Here’s my report:

Under pressure

It is all about getting after the quarterback in the NFL. The Broncos can create great edge pressure, but they might be looking for help on the defensive line to create interior pressure.

Enter Syracuse defensive lineman Chris Slayton.

Measuring in at 6-foot-4-inches and 309 pounds, Slayton is built well and doesn’t carry a lot of bad weight. He has the strength to be disruptive immediately after the snap and the length to bat down passes — or at least block passing lanes — if he doesn’t get to the quarterback.

Denver may be looking for defensive line help this offseason with the future of guys like Domata Peko (free agent) and Derek Wolfe (big cap hit) up in the air for 2019. Perhaps adding someone like Slayton in the mid-rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft would be wise.

Can I get some help, please?

In the past, I’ve seen some great talent in the secondary featured at this game. Guys like Kam Chancellor and Josh Norman have starred during the week of practices at the Shrine Game.

This year, that standout player from the secondary is Jimmy Moreland from James Madison.

What Moreland lacks in size (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) he more than makes up for in heart. He seems to be around the ball on most plays near him, and he plays with a ton of bravado. Moreland will tell opposing wide receivers he is going to make a play, he’ll knock the ball away or pick it off, and then he’ll talk about how he knew that was going to happen.

With all the questions for the Broncos secondary in 2019, Moreland is a player they should be monitoring closely.

Broncos buzz

The Broncos have interest in Missouri quarterback Drew Lock. It may be the worst kept secret in the scouting community. Most people I talk to down here in Tampa, whether it’s scouts or media, brings up the Broncos need at the quarterback position as they try to find the long-term answer at the position.

One director of player personnel I talked to Tuesday had a lot of good things to say about Lock:

“He’s got a big arm and the confidence to make any throw. I can see why (John) Elway would like him.”

Lock is likely to be a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and could certainly be on the radar for the Broncos with the No. 10-overall pick. I’ll see him at the Senior Bowl practices next week, but there’s already a ton of buzz building about the young passer.

Check back for more from Tampa tomorrow.

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