With interviews, the Broncos draft board is starting to come together

The Denver Broncos are busy putting together their draft board. General manager George Paton is a film junkie and he loves breaking down tape on the incoming college prospects. He’s a grinder and now is the time where he can shine.

We’ve all heard how he’s going to be measured but aggressive in free agency, but what about his process for the 2021 NFL Draft? With no Scouting Combine and limited Pro Days, the NFL pre-draft process is much different this year. Thanks to the internet, some great reporting from trusted sources like The Draft Network and ESPN analysts like Jim Nagy or Yahoo! Sports Eric Edholm, we know which teams some players are talking to.

Here’s the latest list of players the Broncos have been in contract with as they prepare for the draft.

***

Dax Milne | WR | BYU

Brigham Young wide receiver Dax Milne is scheduled to meet virtually with New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Washington Football Team, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks. That’s a lot of attention and for good reason – Milne is a big-play receiver who can score from anywhere on the field. That’s one of the reasons why he was the favorite target of potential top-five pick Zach Wilson at BYU.

He doesn’t win with speed, although he’s fast enough to get the job done. Milne regularly makes plays with guile, setting up defenders with good footwork through the route tree. He’s a smart player who knows how to get open against all sorts of coverage, selling one thing and then turning the route into something else. He’s seen as a mid-round pick and a potential gem in the draft just like other mid-round guys with guile (Keenan Allen) were in years past.

Dax Milne gon be a steal for someone in the mid-rounds https://t.co/v95pBbU3et

— R T 🇭🇹 {Draft SZN🔴⚫️} (@rtrammell20) March 4, 2021

After going back-to-back wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft with Jerry Jeudy in the first round and K.J. Hamler in the second round, the Broncos interest in the wide receiver position is quite interesting. It’s made even more noteworthy because Milne was Wilson’s favorite target in college.

Has Paton fallen in love with Wilson like most everyone else has? Certain draft analysts and media members are late to the party with Wilson. He’s looked like a stud since he started playing for BYU and now could be the No. 2 pick in the draft.

If the Broncos moved up for Wilson, he could be a starter from day one and potentially a franchise quarterback. It would make a lot of sense to add his favorite target in the mid rounds if that’s the case.

***

Trey Sermon | RB | Ohio State

Ohio State running back Trey Sermon said he met with every team at the Senior Bowl and has also had virtual meetings with multiple teams but did not disclose the teams. It’s not known if the Broncos are one of the teams having virtual meetings with him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Sermon was red-hot in big games for the Buckeyes and that has his draft stock on the rise compared to where it was at the beginning of his senior season.

Sermon can be an early-down lead back in the NFL. He’s a powerful player with great contact balance who can make a living between the tackles at the pro level. Sermon is the type of player who can grind down an opponent and get stronger as the game goes on. He’s not effective as a receiving back, so working in a running-back-by-committee would be the best plan for him.

Trey Sermon runs with strong, active eyes. Everything in his head is a step ahead of the defense and even where his body is moving at the time. Unlocks Matrix plays like this pic.twitter.com/dFr8qhW2xD

— J Moyer (@JMoyerFB) March 4, 2021

I believe the Broncos are taking a running back in this draft. Who knows what happens to last year’s starter Melvin Gordon and who knows if Phillip Lindsay is going to return to the team since he’s a restricted free agent. I believe we could see Gordon get released and Lindsay stay with hopefully a larger role once again.

That’s where a guy like Sermon would be a great fit. Lindsay could be the starter and receiving weapon for the Broncos offense, and Sermon could be the power back and short-yardage specialist. If the Broncos were to give Lindsay an extension, then this duo could be a nice combination for the next few years.

***

Zaven Collins | LB | Tulsa

Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins has met with or is scheduled to meet virtually with the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. The reason for the interest is well-deserved and Collins could be a player who goes off the board a lot sooner than some think.

A former high school quarterback (and safety/linebacker), Collins finished his college career winning the Bronko Nagurski Award as the best defensive player in college football. He’s a new-generation linebacker as Collins is 260 pounds and capable of moving all over the field. As a pass-rusher, he wins with quickness, speed and power. That power also helps him set the edge as a run defender – but that’s not all! Collins can be tasked with dropping in coverage with success due to his length and burst to the ball.

Zaven Collins was comfortably the best player on the football field in every game he played in.

Perfect fit for a blitz/man heavy defense (Baltimore/Miami) that should come off the board in picks 20 – 40. pic.twitter.com/HjhUa9Mxra

— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) February 21, 2021

The Broncos need pass-rushing help, and they may be willing to spend a premium pick to do that. I could see the Broncos spending the No. 9 overall pick on a starting cornerback like Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) or Patrick Surtain II (Alabama), and then trading back into the end of the first round to take Collins off the board. In fact, that doesn’t sound like a bad plan at all and would certainly give the Fangio defense the shot in the arm they need.

***

Quinn Meinerz | C/OG | Wisconsin-Whitewater

Wisconsin-Whitewater center/offensive guard Quinn Meinerz had his pro day on Tuesday and all 32 teams were in attendance. He is a powerful player who can thrive in a system that highlights that asset. Meinerz loves to bully defenders and will mix it up inside with the best of them.

He splashed onto the scene back in January and Meinerz has proven that he can play against top competition and thrive. He’s got a great personality and mindset when it comes to dominating football. Meinerz has no problem with the nastiness required to play on the inside, and he’s athletic enough to be used effectively as a pulling guard or center. He’s a smart player and the versatility to play three different positions on the interior of the offensive line has made teams take notice – including the Broncos.

Quinn Meinerz was 4.95 and 4.99 on first 40 attempt and 4.92 twice on second run (shown here). He’s now officially big AND fast. 💰💰💰#QuinnsDraftStartedInMobile pic.twitter.com/sCMqGKCJUH

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 9, 2021

Meinerz is a Division-III prospect who has the makings of a Pro Bowl player in the NFL. When I watched him during the week of practice for the Senior Bowl earlier this year, he reminded me of Ali Marpet from years ago in Mobile. Like Meinerz, Marpet was a Division-III prospect (Hobart) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made him a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

It would not be a surprise to see Meinerz go in the second or third round for teams interested in interior offensive line help. The Broncos drafted Netane Muti last year, and he’s a player with tremendous upside – but also an injury history that is so long it reads like “Infinite Jest.” Having a guy like Meinerz on your roster makes a lot of sense for the Broncos and learning from offensive line coach Mike Munchak could make him a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

Related

Broncos No. 31 in the NFL in ESPN’s under-25 Power RankingsThere’s one thing standing between the Broncos and a Super BowlBroncos Country should be careful when wishing for more downfield passesBroncos’ Robinson ‘looks like a future starter,’ so, can they get him more reps?Rockies ride Goodman’s 31st homer to win over NationalsRockies don’t necessarily need to trade 2x All-Star Hunter Goodman