Broncos select punter Riley Dixon with the 228th pick

The Denver Broncos used their final draft pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to once again add depth at a area of upcoming need.

With the 228th overall pick in round seven of the draft, the Broncos selected Riley Dixon, a punter formerly of Syracuse University.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be a Bronco,” Dixon said moments after being selected by Denver. “Its been a long time coming. I walked on to Syracuse and I had a chance to transfer from there. I ended up staying and working my tail off and earning a spot there and eventually a scholarship. The whole process from there, getting an invite to the senior bowl and then the combine is just one of the biggest blessings.”

During his time at Syracuse, he made the team as a walk-on prior to the 2011 season, earned a scholarship by 2013 and was one of the ten semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation’s top college punter. He punted 218 times in his college career for a 42.6-yard average, a long of 75 yards ( a chool record) with 72 of them downed inside the 20 and 50 going over 50 yards.

While the Broncos have eight year veteran punter Britton Colquitt on the team, he accounts for $4 million against the cap in 2016 but only $750,000 in dead cap money according to Spotrac.com. He is also an unrestricted free agent in 2017. Dixon was highly ranked among specialists entering the 2016 draft and presumedly will immediately compete with Colquitt for the starting job.

“I haven’t really looked into too much,” Dixon said of coming in a competing with Colquitt. “I am just looking forward to coming in and competing, wherever you go you are going have someone to compete against.”

When Dixon arrives to Denver it will be his first time not only punting at altitude but even being out in the Western United States.

“I have no experience with that. I actually have never really been out West. I’ve heard good things.”

The Broncos ended the draft with another possible future starter, this time exclusively on special teams with punter Dixon.