The BTSC Mock Draft is back with the recently re-organized Denver Broncos' pick being submitted by newer contributer airholmes. Many thanks to him for the pick and for his recent fanpost contributions. The way our mock has been going, just about every pick has had some sort of controversy and this pick will certainly not change that. Airholmes submitted his pick before the Culter trade was completed so it has been updated to reflect Culter's move to the Bears. Up next is the Washington Redskins which I am responsible for, so look out for the next pick in a few hours. -DYM-
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The Denver Broncos had an excellent offense last year, but they couldn't get any sort of running game going. Their defense though was absolutely horrible. Now I know Matthew Stafford is still on the board, and the Broncos just completed a trade with the Bears for two first round picks, a third round pick, and Kyle Orton for Jay Culter and a fifth round draft pick. McDaniel's comes from New England where they have been able to find Quarterbacks that fit their system without having to use high draft picks; i.e.: Tom Brady & Matt Cassell. So many expect Orton and veteran Chris Simms to compete for the starting spot going into the 2009 season. So a first round QB is probably doubtful.
On defense, besides DJ Williams, they had no run stuffer and no real tackler. Williams had 93 tackles. I really don't think that Knowshon Moreno or Chris Wells can make an instant impact at the RB position. Moreno has speed and Wells has power. They both had a good college career, but neither look like they are much better than a 3rd down back in the NFL. I had Derrick Ward on this list, but then he got signed by the Bucs. I expected them to look at Dominic Rhodes, Ricky Williams, Rudi Johnson, Kevin Jones, Cedric Benson, and even Correll Buckhalter. According to ESPN.com, the Broncos have signed LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter. Jordan has agreed with Denver on a two-year, $2.5 million deal. He was with Josh McDaniels with the Patroits. Jordan wasn't on my list, but Buckhalter was. Correll was the back-up for the Eagles behind Brian Westbrook. They are also discussing with former Cardinal J.J. Arrington. Even if they don't sign him, they don't are pretty much set. Below I talked about Donald Brown in the 2nd Round. Tatum Bell is gone. Selvin Young didn't do that bad, In 8 games as mainly a back-up, he had 61 attempts for 303 yards and 1 TD. That is 5.0 yards per carry.
They might draft a Donald Brown or Shone Greene in the 2nd round. I actually think Brown has more potential than any other RB in the Draft. But this is a 1st Round Mock Draft. So I'm leaving the RB position alone (but look for them to draft Brown in the 2nd round).The Broncos didn't really have a safety, but now with the addition of Brian Dawkins, they are pretty solid (but look for a youth movement in the later rounds.) Linebacker Andra Davis, safety Renaldo Hill, and defensive tackle Darrell Reid all join the Broncos from different teams around the league. (This info came from Broncos.com.) We already know that they have to focus on a defensive position. Champ Bailey could help another CB if they draft one, but they are solid there.
A real need is another run stuffer, an interceptor, a strong linebacker type player, and who better than Rey Maualuga? Maualuga has great size and power. He may not have the exact sideline-to-sideline speed you want in a linebacker (who is almost always running), but does have good short-area quickness. He is surprisingly smooth for such a big linebacker. Maualuga is 6' 2'' and 255lbs. He is known for his emotional intensity both on the field and off. Kind of like Kevin Garnett in the NBA. In my opinion, he has improved his instincts as a blitzer. He can put tons of pressure on a QB and get to the RB before they break through any open windows. Maualuga is a great middle linebacker prospect and he gets better every game. He should get more experience so he can form into a much better player. Maualuga finished the 2008 season with 80 tackles, including 2 INT and 0 sacks . Maualuga has shown that he has plenty of instincts. We have also seen he has an incredible knack for finding the ball. He would immediately help the team's defensive struggles.
Now, they have signed Andra Davis. Davis is a linebacker, but I don't know how long he'll last or how long he'll stay a Bronco. He is old, but Williams is young and they have other LB prospects. Davis wan't bad with the Browns last year he had 90 tackles and 1 interception.
Josh McDaniels know the reason the Broncos fell to 8-8 last year was because of Defensive struggles, especially their non existents defensive line. If B.J. Raji falls to No. 12 they might take him, If he can stay healthy, he can be a dominant DT for years to come. He would be my top pick for the Broncos but in this mock draft the Raiders have already taken him.
I say the Broncos need to take a d-lineman. They have absolutely no one on that line. I think they may take a lineman in both the 1st and 2nd rounds. They might look at RB in the second round, but Brown might not be there. The best NT is already taken, but their need is so great that they must take a DE. Aaron Maybin is seen by many (me in paticular) as the best DE in the Draft. Now there is some debating if it's him or Brian Orakpo. In our mock draft this debate has been made easier for the Broncos with the Browns picking Orakpo at #5. I really though that Maybin would be a great pick but unfortunately for me and the Broncos', the Bills took him one pick earlier.
The reasons I prefer Maybin to any other DE in the draft is his speed, and ability to breakthrough the o-line. I see him as a James Harrison like defensive end. He will get to the QB because he has tremendous speed and can burn a hole in the line. Even if he doesn't get the sack or tackle for loss he'll be taking up 2 lineman, and creating chaos. He, in my opinion, is the best possible option for the Broncos. He has the frame to add more bulk without losing any speed, which is a great asset because he's just not very heavy for a DE. Although, maybe it is better he keep his body the way it is. He does his best work coming off the edge and simply running by offensive tackles. Can you give me a "James Harrison?" The fact that he doesn't have to go around is an even better attribute. He has excellent technique, and does a good job of using his hands to keep blockers from cutting his feet out from under him. He had great stats this year with 49 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and even breaking up 3 passes in coverage. Orakpo and Maybin are probably the top two at their position and either one could fall to this spot in the real draft. In the real draft an NFL GM's opinion is all that matters and they don't need to follow what Mel Kiper or Mike Mayock have to say.
Since Brown, Orakapo, Raji, and Maybin are all gone, I do like Rey Maualuga, but they just have to many problems on the d-line. Now there are a lot of mock drafts pointing Tyson Jackson to them but he has some issues surronding him like every other D-Line prospect left. So, what about one of he best under-the-radar guys like Michael Johnson. All of his stats are better than Jackson. He had 9 sacks, 45 tackles, and surprisingly an INT returned for 26 yards. 45 tackles is a lot for a DE, and a 26 yard interception return is even more rare. 
He is 6' 7" and 260lbs, which is ideal size to say the least. With that size he can shove 260 lbs on top of someone and just run over the o-line. The only other guys in this draft that can match Johnson's speed and athleticism are Orakpo and Maybin. He had 4.75 40 time which is very fast for a 6' 7" 260lbs guy. Orakpo beats him by just 0.05 seconds. If you watch him you'll see a pure pass rusher, but he's shown he's able to play both the run and the pass well. He's huge with long arms and big hands. He's a good DE overall. He's got a great burst. He just rams into the o-line. He's strong enough to push his blocker backwards. Now I would take Maybin or Brown, but Johnson is a safe pick. He may not have the biggest stats, but he isn't a guy that will just be a bust.
So, the Denver Broncos with the 12th overall pick select Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
BTSC 2009 Community Mock Draft Team Selections
#1) Detroit Lions - Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
#2) St. Louis Rams - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
#3) Kansas City Chiefs - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
#4) Seattle Seahawks - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
#5) Cleveland Browns - Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas
#6) Cincinnati Bengals - Jeremy Maclin, WR/KR, Missouri
#7) Oakland Raiders - B.J. Rahi, DT, Boston College
#8) Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
#9) Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
#10) San Francisco 49ers - Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State