Denver Broncos Honest Draft Recap Rounds 5-7
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I will break this honest review into two separate chunks, this article will be for rounds five, six and seven. the previous four picks were reviewed in the article before this one. I will review each pick, talk about team needs addressed, players that were maybe passed in favor of the player sele
cted, the players strengths and weaknesses, and give each a perceived grade based on the criteria above. I don’t claim to have future sight, so obviously can only grade and speculate based on film the players put out in college and assuming each player works hard and is given some form of opportunity.
The draft is an absolute crap shoot, most people recognize that 1/3 of the league today is comprised of first round draft picks, but the other 2/3 come from the later rounds. This stat is somewhat misleading because obviously significantly more players are selected in rounds 2-7, so of course there are more players from those rounds, but the likelihood of a player taken in the first round being successful is higher than a player taken in a later round. That doesn’t mean later round players cannot be successful, it means the statistical analysis suggests it is much more probably a first rounder is a hall of famer or even a starter than a player taken later in the draft.
In my previous article before the draft, I spotlighted some positions that I believed to be positions of need that differed from many in Broncos Country, but I feel justified in my analysis after not a single inside linebacker or offensive tackle was selected. I spotlighted a tight end, defensive end, cornerback and running back as positions of need. My article was written before the Broncos resigned Melvin Gordon III and so that position was no longer required to get running back depth. I didn’t see outside linebacker as a position of need because the team resigned Malik Reed, found a gem in last draft in Jonathan Cooper, and had converted Baron Browning to a pass rusher in the off-season, but the draft is full of surprises! With that out of the way, here are the last five picks the Broncos selected in the 2022 NFL draft.
152nd overall Delarrin Turner-Yell – Safety Oklahoma
Delarrin Turner-Yell was teammates with the Broncos first selection Nik Bonitto at Oklahoma so they are afforded the luxury of learning the NFL with familiar faces around. He really only ran the forty-yard dash at the combine, a 4.49, and chose to not workout almost everything else, which I believe means he wants his tape to do the talking. According to his draft profile, he has the traits and measurables to develop into an above average backup in the NFL which is promising.
While watching his highlight film, it looks like this guy likes to fly around and crack bodies. I believed George Paton and the coaching staff used rounds 4-7 to shore up some weaknesses on special teams, and this dude seems like a good option for gunner and a big play maker on kickoff and punt coverage. I liked that the team was drafting guys with a purpose and finding guys that could fill a hole, but that had NFL bodies and the play a style to wreak havoc on special teams units. I think attacking the third phase of football in this draft is a true sign that the team doesn’t have many holes and using draft capital to make a splash and supply special teams coordinator, Dwayne Stukes, with the talent to succeed.
I really only had two issues with this pick, first this team drafted two safeties in the 2021 draft with Caden Sterns and Jamar Johnson, who were both standout rookies last season, so it feels a little weird to invest the 5th pink in the draft into a position that our depth feels pretty solid already. Not to mention the team re-signed Kareem Jackson 20 days before the draft. Now, I am one who has been very observant of George Paton drafting for the future, so there is a serious likelihood that Kjax doesn’t return next season and Delarrin and Jamar Johnson take the backup roles while Caden Sterns slots in as the starter.
Second gripe with this pick is that I think the general opinion is he was a major reach at pick 152. PFF didn’t have this guy in their top 250 players on their final big board publication. NFL Mock Draft database had Turner-Yell ranked as the 249th best player in this draft. If he pans out as a star, nobody will remember that he was a reach here, but my problem is that I really liked Zyon McCullum and he had fallen to a spot that made a ton of sense to pick. I also think there were a ton of mock drafts that had Denver selecting a Punter this draft and possibly saving $3 million dollars by cutting punter Sam Martin. With two punters being selected in the 22 picks before and the consensus top punter in the country still on the board I’d have loved to see Matt Araiza blasting balls at high altitude.
Grade: B-
162nd overall Montrell Washington – Wide Receiver Samford
Only ten pick later and sticking with the theme that the team absolutely drafted for special teams, they go out and snag an electric receiver that was most likely drafted for his punt return prowess. The team lost their punt returner from the last few years, Diontae Spencer, and I believe they got an absolute specialist in Montrell. Now, I again love the idea of investing draft capital in special teams especially considering how much of a headache that phase of the game has been for the last three seasons with Tom McMahon running the show. I do think that this kid does look special and the return game does take a different kind of person, only time will tell him NFL legacy. This pick was acquired by trading back with the Houston Texans.
This dude could pan out to be an absolute steal this draft, his resume is incredibly respectable leading the FCS in all-purpose yards in 2021 and netting three return touchdowns. He is incredibly fast and has that unique vision that can see holes before they develop. I listened to an interview with him and he talked about refusing to fair catch and that he wants to take every ball to the house. Im sure that attitude is just for the reporters or the sound bite, but the confidence is exciting. In his introductory press conference my man talked about how he loves to watch Devin Hester film. You get me half of the returner that Hester was and this guy’s grade shoots up to an A.
That being said, I think he is small which is always scary for NFL longevity and appears he was very much over drafted. He doesn’t have an NFL draft profile, he wasn’t on the PFF top-250 players list, and many believed this could have been a priority UDFA signing. NFL Mock Draft Database had him as the 641st best player in this draft. I think this is the kind of pick that the GM has kept his eyes on all season and fallen in love with and just wants to make sure they get their guy, because they believe he is a difference maker. Seeing is believing and if he takes some punts or kicks to the house, people will forget he was considered a reach at this pick.
Grade: B-
171st overall Luke Wattenberg – Center Washington
This is the biggest head scratcher to me, the team traded up nine spots from the draft pick acquired in the Colts trade at the end of day two (they also acquired a 3rd rounder next season). I have absolutely nothing wrong with the player, but the position was not one of need and they traded up to select the Center from Washington. This roster has Lloyd Cushenberry III and invested a third round pick last draft in Quinn Meinerz, who is a guard/center combo bench guy. Now, lets say Luke Wattenberg is an absolute animal and he ends up battling Quinn in training camp and takes his roster spot as a depth guy, that’s a great use of this draft spot. But, I just think that the energy around the Broncos this off-season has been that Lloyd Cushenberry is a serviceable starter and that Meinerz is a very talented backup that has position fluidity.
That being said, I watched his highlight tape and Luke Wattenberg does look like he has that nastiness you love to see in linemen. He reads defensive line games pretty well and moves his feet to keep a low center of gravity and attack defensive linemen with powerful hands. He plays both Center and Guard which gives him versatility and additional value as a backup, which could mean that he is gunning for Netane Muti’s roster spot as the second right guard behind Graham Glasgow. When your backup lineman have versatility, the team is afforded more confidence in carrying those players on the game day roster to cover any injuries that might arise.
NFL Mock Draft Database had this guy ranked as the 314th best player in the draft. He didn’t have an NFL draft profile. He was not on PFF’s top 250 big board and for the third selection in a row, considered a big time reach. I maintain my previous complaint about this draft selection, because he was a reach, at a position I would argue wasn’t a roster hole, that the team traded up for, with players on the board I would have loved to see drafted instead. Matt Araiza was draft nine picks later by the Buffalo Bills, and another pick that I really liked, defensive end Kingsley Enagbare, went eight picks after he was selected. Now it isn’t fair to judge him before he’s played a down, but I do feel like this wasn’t the right selection by George Paton.
Grade C-
206th overall Matt Henningsen – Defensive End Wisconsin
Got a draft profile on this one! Matt Henningsen was dubbed an average backup and special teamer based on NFL.com. NFL Mock draft Database had him as the 266th best player but he again wasnt on the PFF top 250 players. That being said, he seems to be a big moto guy that has career productivity to make him an intriguing prospect.
Career stats: 92 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 4 PD, 3 FR, 2 TD
At 6’3″ and 290lbs this dude does seem to have a good NFL size and the energy and attitude to burst onto the scene. I think he could be a good special teamer as well, showing that he has that never stop moving energy and a motor to fly around the field. 7th rounders are supposed to be special teamers or fringe roster / practice squad guys.
His draft profile calls him a defensive end and his position on our defensive depth chart appears to be a DT battling with DeShawn Williamson, McTelvin Agim, and Jonathan Harris for a roster spot.
Grade: B
232nd overall Faion Hicks – Cornerback Wisconsin
This is a small cornerback that ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his pro day and seems to have a lot of potential. NFL.com had him listed as a priority free agent signing and he serves as the Broncos last selection in this draft. He was a redshirt senior playing at Wisconsin, where Matt Henningsen also played, playing his entire collegiate football career at Wisconsin. Faion joins his draft mate, Melvin Gordon, and Russell Wilson as Badgers on the current Denver Broncos squad!
Time will tell, but the 5’10” 195 lb cornerback, that can absolutely fly around the field, will have an opportunity to make an impact on special teams and contribute in the back half of the cornerback rotation if he can carve out his niche. He looks, based on his highlights, like he likes to tackle and played gunner in college on punt coverage!
The team definitely prioritized special teams this back half of the draft getting athletes that have motors or specialists that will improve the team in other non-traditional ways. Lets hope these guys figure out and embrace their role and can help the Broncos get back into the playoffs!
Grade: B
Overall Rounds 5-7 Grade – B-
Overall draft Grade – A-
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