The Lead
With no first- or second-round picks in this year's draft, there's greater pressure for the Broncos to hit on the handful that they do have, especially in the third round, where the team has back-to-back picks at Nos. 67 and 68.
With that in mind, as the NFL.com’s Chad Reuter identified the “ideal top two picks” for each team, we got a look at some potential best fits for the Broncos there.
Reuter selected Wisconsin defensive lineman Keeanu Benton and Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett.
"Benton is being projected to go in the second, but so was Dre'Mont Jones, who fell to Denver in the early third four years ago," Reuter wrote. "The former Badger can play multiple spots in a three-man front. Bennett would contribute immediately for Denver because of his 4.3 speed and tenacity knocking away passes (24 in three years with the Terps)."
Benton appeared in 24 games over the past two seasons and recorded 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks over that span for the Badgers.
"He's solid and has flashed starting potential, but he needs to become a more consistently impactful force in the middle to make noise as an NFL starter," NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote of Benton.
In the past two seasons, Bennett has also been productive, with 22 passes defensed over that time. He also recorded five interceptions.
"He has good size, but his coverage strength is a mix and match of man and zone with both featuring inconsistencies that will likely follow him into an NFL camp," Zierlein wrote.
Below the Fold
The 33rd Team — which offers content from current and former players, coaches and executives — provided an interesting look back at the 2018 NFL Draft. The outlet re-drafted the first round, and the Broncos ended up with a different player in orange and blue. Denver's original pick, Bradley Chubb, went off the board even earlier, as The 33rd Team slated him at No. 4 to the Cleveland Browns. With Chubb gone — and Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson picked first and second, respectively — the Broncos pivoted position groups. In the mock exercise, Denver picked cornerback Jaire Alexander, who in reality went 18th overall to the Packers. Alexander has made a pair of Pro Bowl selections in his career.
