ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The countdown to this year’s NFL draft is in the final days with the Denver Broncos poised to use 10 picks to create the 2015 draft class, whether that means packaging some for a trade or simply picking the 10 players they believe can pump up the roster.
So, with the bulk of their work in free agency done, this is the fourth of a position-by-position look at where things stand on the roster and what draft prospects could be a fit for the Broncos.
Today: Tight ends.
Friday: Offensive line.
At the moment: There is no question the position has been a focus of the Broncos’ work in free agency. As the Broncos elected to let starters like tight end Julius Thomas, guard Orlando Franklin, safety Rahim Moore and defensive tackle Terrance Knighton head into the open market to sign elsewhere in free agency, they elected to re-sign tight end Virgil Green to a three-year, $8.4 million deal.
Green is just the kind of receiver/blocker combination the Broncos want in the new offense that figures to be in two-tight end sets far more than last season. In 2014, the Broncos had just three games, regular-season and playoff game combined, when they were in a two-tight end formation more than they lined up with three wide receivers in the formation.
But they also signed Owen Daniels in free agency to be a starter, as well as the addition of James Casey, who will likely line up at fullback in the new scheme as much, or even more, as he does at tight end. Dominique Jones spent much of last year on the Broncos' practice squad with a brief cameo on the active roster.
And Joe Don Duncan, who came into the 2014 draft with some medical concerns after knee (surgery in 2012) and foot injuries in college, was signed as a developmental prospect.
Need factor: Despite having five tight ends on the current roster, the Broncos will give a long look to the position in the draft because there are some players on the draft board who certainly fit what they need done in the offense and could well be the best players available when some of the Broncos' 10 picks roll around.
Green, Daniels and Casey figure to make the final roster when the cuts come to 53 players at the end of the preseason, but that would still leave room for one more player if the Broncos keep at least four.
Names to keep handy: Minnesota’s Maxx Williams is the front-burner name at the position and is expected to be off the board by the time the Broncos pick in the first round -- at 28th overall. Williams ran a 4.78 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.
He led the run-heavy Gophers in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in each of the past two years. He does need some polish as a blocker, especially on the move as he would be in the Broncos’ new scheme.
Michigan’s Devin Funchess is a tweener prospect some teams see as a big wide receiver -- he’s 6-foot-4 ¼ and 232 pounds. He did his best work out of the slot much of the time and would be a catch-first prospect for the Broncos, at least initially until they could try to dial him in a little more as a blocker.
Down the board a bit, the best fit of all for the Broncos may be former Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell. Bell, a good enough athlete to complete 60.1 percent of his passes and throw for 1,648 yards in 2013 after he had 24 rushing touchdowns combined in 2012 and 2013, moved to tight end for his final season at the school.
He finished with just 16 catches in ’14, but he showed enough at 6-6, 252 pounds to warrant a long look for the Broncos.
Iowa State's E.J. Bibbs also showed himself to be an efficient receiver who has good footwork as a zone blocker as well. Notre Dame’s Ben Koyack, too, is a player who has the blocker/receiver characteristics the Broncos are searching for.
Though Koyack had a quiet life as a receiver in the Irish offense for his first three years -- one, three and 10 catches, respectively -- he has plenty of room on the developmental curve. The question will be how much do the Broncos believe he can grow as a player given he had one catch of more than 25 yards in his collegiate career.
