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Marcus Davenport

Draft Notes: Broncos, Davenport, Giants

April 14th, 2018 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

If the Broncos do not see the quarterback they prefer still on the board by the time their No. 5 pick rolls around, Albert Breer of SI.com hears the team is a prime candidate to trade down. Breer mentions Quenton Nelson or Denzel Ward as names connected to the Broncos. If Denver were to move down and target one of these players, however, they could be vulnerable to another team selecting either. The Bears, who hold the eighth pick, have met with both of these prospects. Nelson would slide in as the highest-ceiling O-line prospect the Broncos have had in many years, likely being a Day 1 starter at left guard, while Ward would be thrust into the pipeline behind Chris Harris and Bradley Roby. The Broncos signed Tramaine Brock in March, but the cornerback’s deal is only for one year.

Here’s more from Denver and the latest from the draft world:

  • As for the quarterback the Broncos may be eyeing, Mike Klis of 9News writes Case Keenum‘s honeymoon would be short-lived if Baker Mayfield were still on the board at No. 5. The Broncos brass “loved” Mayfield’s playmaking ability before they proceeded to spend extensive time with him in the pre-draft process. With a dinner and official visit set up for Monday and Tuesday of next week, the Broncos will have met with Mayfield four times this offseason — coaching him at the Senior Bowl, conducing a Combine interview and sending representatives to his pro day.
  • While a report earlier this offseason pegged Josh Rosen as the Broncos’ preferred quarterback prospect, Klis writes that if the UCLA talent is still there at No. 5, that may trigger a trade-down sequence. Rosen being viewed as a player who could start early in his rookie year may not line up with the Broncos’ timeline, with the team guaranteeing Keenum $25MM, per Klis.
  • The other team that’s possibly eyeing a quarterback but isn’t certain to select one with its top-five pick, the Giants may have a bit of a divide about which one they prefer. They’ve been connected to Sam Darnold for weeks, and Breer notes Dave Gettleman is indeed high on the 20-year-old USC product. But he adds Giants coaches have expressed support for Josh Allen. While running back might not be the best investment with a No. 2 overall choice, Breer notes the Giants’ coaching staff and front office contingents are sold on Saquon Barkley. The Penn State standout visited the Giants earlier this week.
  • Marcus Davenport worked out for the 49ers recently, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. San Francisco is doing extensive work researching the defensive end prospects in this draft. While Bradley Chubb is not expected to be on the board by the time the 49ers pick at No. 9, they spent multiple days with Arden Key this week. They also worked out Florida State defensive end Josh Sweat, with Barrows writing the 49ers “would love” to add an outside rusher and are examining several prospects closely at this spot.
  • A source close to John Dorsey informed Breer that it is looking like a Darnold-or-Allen debate for the Browns at No. 1. Said source indicated Dorsey is high on Darnold but also is intrigued by Allen’s upside. And he has a history as an exec of taking potential over production.

Draft Rumors: Allen, Rosen, Smith, OL

February 1st, 2018 at 9:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Super Bowl LII three days away, the next wave of NFL players will begin to take center stage in news cycles as the Combine approaches. And no position, per usual, will be analyzed like quarterback. This year, though, there are several first-round passers expected, with a few vying for the No. 1 overall pick. Here’s the latest on the draft:

  • A source whose team has a top-five draft choice told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller he expects Josh Allen to be drafted in the top two. This would gel with what ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. expects, having placed the Wyoming talent as Cleveland-bound. Miller has Allen as the third quarterback on his big board, behind Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen.
  • On Rosen, evaluators may be more interested in how he conducts himself during the pre-draft process. Having proven to possess an elite skill set as a prospect, the outspoken UCLA product has skeptics in the evaluation community. Multiple executives and scouts say Rosen’s style will turn off teams during interviews. “Scouts might like Rosen, but coaches won’t because he’s stubborn and cocky and he thinks he’s smarter than them,” a scout told Miller. This is far from the first time Rosen’s perceived attitude problem has landed on the NFL radar.
  • Roquan Smith may have stood out for Georgia during the Bulldogs’ best season in over a decade, but where he lands on draft boards will be up for debate. One NFC scout expressed concerns about Smith’s size. “You’re going to have to convince me he can get off blockers because he didn’t against Notre Dame or Oklahoma.” Another scout told Miller he views the early-entry linebacker as having “Ryan Shazier– or Shaq Thompson-like athleticism.” After a 137-tackle, 6.5-sack season with an SEC team, Smith figures to be an early-first-round selection.
  • Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport could fall into the high-ceiling/low-floor category among some evaluators. DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline notes some teams were not impressed with the smaller-school talent at the Senior Bowl.
  • Conversely, Nevada offensive lineman Austin Corbett used Senior Bowl practices to shoot up to a Day 2 selection, with Pauline writing that Corbett “dominated everybody” while lining up at center, guard or right tackle.