If Dre’Mont Jones leaves, these D-linemen could be in Broncos’ draft focus

INDIANAPOLIS — Folks, it might be time to add another need to the Broncos’ shopping list.

And that means it’s time to take a long, hard look at interior defensive linemen who could be on the board when the Broncos finally make their choice in the NFL Draft.

With every passing day, it seems more likely that Dre’Mont Jones will hit the market. Optimists will say, “test the market.” For a player of Jones’ prominence and skill set, a “test” usually means a contract somewhere else.

You’re not likely to find an interior pass rusher of Jones’ quality on the free-agent market. Certainly not one of his proven production level.

But you CAN develop one.

Which brings us to the position group that led off on-field Combine workouts Thursday: interior defensive line. The Broncos don’t choose until pick 67, but that’s OK; remember, they found Jones with the No. 71 choice in 2019.

So, that means two players who dominated conversation Thursday — Pitt’s Calijah Kancey and Clemson’s Bryan Bresee — aren’t in the mix unless the Broncos somehow move into the top half of the first round.

But there’s talent to be had. And two players who might fit the bill are Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton and West Virginia’s Dante Stills.

Both popped on the radar during the all-star circuit a few weeks ago. Stills was a beast in Shrine Bowl practices. Constantly disruptive. Few players on the field in Las Vegas could match Stills’ energy, power and verve.

.@WVUfootball’s Dante Stills had another good day @ShrineBowl practice, and he brought the intensity as he blows up this run play (warning: some salty language). pic.twitter.com/UGqQEHcVof

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 29, 2023

Benton had some dominant work during Senior Bowl week. His hands are quick and violent. He moves like a player 30 or 40 pounds lighter than the 309 pounds he carries.

Here is every one-on-one pass rush snap for #Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton at the Senior Bowl: pic.twitter.com/dA9SRJeUj9

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 2, 2023

Both took the field Thursday and backed it up.

Benton was in the top 10 in 40-yard dash time and 10-yard split among interior defensive linemen, despite weighing more than nine of the 15 players in the position group who ran Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium. But some of his best work came in the position drills, where his cuts were sharp and his movement fluid and lithe — reflecting what we saw in Mobile.

This overhead angle of the hoop drill. 🎥👀 @keeanu_benton | @BadgerFootball

📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/99eFLeq97z

— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2023

What’s more, both scored highly on the Relative Athletic Score metric — an overall measurement the Broncos appear to value in their evaluation. Thirteen of George Paton’s 19 draft picks have had RAS scores of 7.50 or higher.

The bench press is pending for defensive tackles. They’ll do that on Friday. But so far, they fit the profile.

First, Benton — who could sneak into the second round, but is very much in the pool of players who could be available when the Broncos pick.

Stills could linger into Round 4. Why would he last? Because he could be viewed as a “tweener,” as he comes up short in one area: weight.

At 286 pounds, he is the second-lightest interior defensive lineman in Indianapolis this week. So, his 40-yard dash — 4.85 seconds, third-best among interior D-linemen — was expected. His 10-yard split of 1.72 seconds was solid.

What one looks for in the early months of the year is this: Do the athletic measurables and workout performance align with the film? And if there is a difference between Combine performance and film — either in college or at a postseason all-star game practice — why is that?

The easiest situation is when the answer to the first question is, “Yes.”

And late Thursday afternoon inside Lucas Oil Stadium, Stills and Benton proved that they are in the affirmative. For a position that could have a gaping hole, either one would be a good fit if the Broncos must reset up front without Jones.

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