The questions that the Broncos need answered as testing begins in Indianapolis

The 2019 NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing, and the entire football world has their focus on Indianapolis, where we are sure to have lots of risers and plenty of fallers.

It’s easy to write off The Combine as overrated and somewhat meaningless, but in the greater scheme of things, the event always produces intrigue. As many examples as there are of guys who were unjustly downgraded due to a poor showing in Indy, there are plenty of others who proved their worth and turned out to be future stars.

A great example of this is Darius Slay, the Detroit Lions’ elite corner who would’ve never gone 36th overall if he hadn’t run a 4.36 in Indy. You could even argue Von Miller would’ve never gone second overall if not for his showing, which included one of the greatest three-cone drills the world has ever seen. Local kid Christian McCaffrey likely would not have gone in the top 10 had he not proved his athleticism at the event.

In short, don’t overrate The Combine but don’t underrate it either, it’s a scouting tool and forces us to re-think a prospect’s evaluation.

With that said, here are the biggest storylines we’ll be watching with an eye towards the Denver Broncos.

Separation among the DBs

The Combine always plays a big role in how defensive backs are rated in the draft. Given Denver’s need for more cornerback depth and at safety, they’ll be sure to be watching this group closely.

The top three corners—LSU’s Greedy Williams, Washington’s Byron Murphy and DeAndre Baker from Georgia—could all be in the mix for Denver at 10, and who separates themselves in Indy might just be the Broncos’ guy.

Someone is sure to rise up from behind the top three. Keep an eye on Vanderbilt’s Joejuan Williams, Kentucky’s Lonnie Johnson Jr., Clemson’s Trayvon Mullen, Alabama’s Saivion Smith and Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin. Any and all of those players could rise up in a major way if they show speed, fluid hips, and ball skills in drills.

As far as safeties go, there’s only one contender to go 10th overall, Alabama’s Deionte Thompson, but he will will not be in attendance due to an injury. Players like Florida’s nickel-corner-safety hybrid Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Delaware’s Nasir Adderley, and Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram will be interesting to watch, with the first two expected to impress given their skills to play safety or cornerback.

Looking for range at linebacker

We’ve belabored this point quite a bit since Vic Fangio’s hire, the new head coach needs rangy cover linebackers for his scheme to succeed. Unless the Broncos snatch up LSU phenom Devin White, or we see someone like Michigan’s Devin Bush or Alabama’s Mack Wilson drop to round two, the Broncos will be monitoring the group in Indy closely to see who they can target later on in the draft with the requisite athleticism to cover ground for Fangio’s defense.

A few candidates are small-school stud Terrill Hanks, Stanford’s Bobby Okereke—a program Fangio coached at back in 2010 and is sure to still have plenty of connections with—former Notre Dame safety turned linebacker Dru Tranquill, and Clemson’s Kendall Joseph. All would fit the mold as athletic linebackers with cover skills.

How many true blind-side protectors are there?

This offensive tackle crop is strong and deep, though there are real questions as to how many true left tackles there are in this class—which significantly ups the value of any of those prospects.

Florida’s Jawaan Taylor who was a favorite to be the top tackle taken, isn’t in Indy due to injury, a true bummer. Alabama’s Jonah Williams could be considered at 10th overall if he shows the athleticism required to play in a zone-blocking scheme after demonstrating adequate length at his weigh-ins.

Others who could make themselves lots of money in Indy are West Virginia’s Yodny Cajuste, Ole Miss’ Greg Little, and Washington State’s Andre Dillard, who are the best candidates to stick on the left side if they test at elite levels for the position.

Local product Dalton Risner already showed he has the length to play right tackle at the Senior Bowl, if he can test well athletically, he’ll put to rest any questions regarding his ability to stay at tackle and could go in the top-40 picks. 

Don’t sleep on Alabama State’s Tytus Howard either, the kid impressed us down in Mobile and could see his stock rise in a major way if he keeps that positive momentum going in his favor in Indy.

Where’s the “juice” at receiver?

With Flacco’s big arm and Rich Scangarello’s scheme—which should feature more deep shots—the Broncos are in desperate need of more receivers who can stretch the field. Whether they find someone who fits that mold in Indy could significantly alter how they decide to address the position this offseason, determining if they’ll draft someone or open up the checkbook in free agency.

The 2019 WR class is strong with quality depth but made up of mostly big-bodied receivers who don’t all possess the requisite speed to stretch the field.

Two who do possess that kind of “juice” are South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel and underutilized Ohio State team captain Terry McLaurin, who both stood out at the Senior Bowl. In a receiver class with little separation at the top, others are certain to emerge through the athletic testing and drills. This is one of the most intriguing groups that’ll be in Indy.

How special is this tight end class?

This 2019 tight end class is good, really good, and could have multiple first rounders, something we don’t see most years.

For the Broncos to spend a high pick on one of the top TEs they’ll have to show out. Scangarello saw first hand what speed can do at the position with George Kittle last year, who ran a 4.52 40 back in 2017. If Denver’s looking to spend their high second rounder on a TE, this week will prove to be of great importance in identifying one who can be a mismatch in the passing game.

Does Haskins look the part against air?

Of course, Kyler Murray’s measurements were the biggest storyline in Indianapolis, but after he measured in at just 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds, news came out that the Heisman winner will not be participating in any drills.

On the contrary, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins will be throwing in Indy. Given his strength as a pocket passer, this will be Haskins’ time to shine and prove his arm is a class above the rest. Considering the young QB only has a year of tape for evaluators to go off of, his combine performance will be particularly important in assuring teams that he’s the real deal. If he does that, don’t be surprised if trade talks at the top of the draft start to head up with teams falling over themselves to draft the former Buckeye.

Missouri’s Drew Lock will also be throwing in Indy. Lock has been rumored for months to have caught John Elway’s attention, though it’s unsure if that’s still the case considering the GM decided to acquire Joe Flacco shortly after watching Lock at the Senior Bowl. Lock’s strong arm should impress in passing drills as long as he can lead his receivers, showing improved touch and crisper footwork than he did in Mobile.

Duke’s Daniel Jones needs to impress to stay in the first-round conversation after disappointing a bit during the week of practice at the Senior Bowl. The biggest thing for the 6-foot-5 QB is demonstrating he has the arm strength to play big boy football when it counts in December and January.

With Flacco on board, the Broncos will be watching more than just the top quarterbacks, who impresses out of the second-tier of QBs will be fascinating to watch and could just be Denver’s next developmental signal-caller.