Plainsmen Predictions: Broncos Should Snag Colby Wooden
Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
In case you haven't heard, NFL Mock Draft season is in full swing, and if I have to see one more player go round one just cause they went to Georgia I'm gonna riot. So I decided to focus on our favorite Auburn players from now until Draft Day. Next in the series is Colby Wooden.
Coming in from Lawrenceville, GA, Colby turned in a solid Junior season with 6 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Usually, that would make you a preseason 1st-team favorite for a bevy of watchlists going into your Senior season, but Colby has decided to follow Derick Hall to the Draft, gambling on the NFL Combine to raise his profile.
Whether it leads to an early round pick remains to be seen, but he certainly caught the attention of scouts in Indy. His 4.79 40-yard dash wasn't eye-popping, but his work ethic and interviews were raved about from the Combine. His consistency remains a concern from scouts who watched his tape, but from what I'm hearing after Indy he might have snuck himself into the middle rounds as opposed to the 6th or 7th come April.
Whoever calls the Auburn standouts name in April will be getting one of the better developmental prospects of the Draft. Let's see where his best bets are in the 2023 NFL Draft.
TOP PREDICTION: Denver Broncos, Round 4
Bronco Country, let's ride... With this idea that Sean Payton will be looking to bolster the defensive line with youth after Denver traded away Shelby Harris to Seattle and Bradley Chubb to Miami last season. The Bronco's line hasn't been as terrifying as the 2015 Super Bowl season led by the legendary Von Miller.
Payton will be looking to build a bulkier offense for Russel Wilson to cook behind so the quarterback has more time to make his progressions, so round one I expect a TE or O-Lineman to be their top priority (or a wideout, depending on what happens to Jerry Juedy or Courtland Sutton in the trade market). Vance Joseph is known for running fast, aggressive defenses that would rely on guys like Colby who have a natural blend of size, speed and aggression.
DJ Jones could mentor the rotational piece as he progresses into a natural pass rusher in the NFL. Sean Payton was known for going "best player available" when he was drafting in the later rounds with the Saints, so it would make sense for Wooden to get the call to Colorado if he falls to the Broncos in Round 4.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tennessee Titans, Round 5
There's a rebuild in Nashville that figures to take a short amount of time, depending on if Ran Carthon wants to attack positions of need or add more to depth to established areas on the team. Assuming the Titans go with a combination of both, Colby could be an attractive candidate to add to a rotation that already features Jeffrey Simmons and Denico Autrey.
Mike Vrabel is known for getting the best out of his players, and that's a trait that would bring out the best in Colby, linking him up with former Auburn teammate Roger McCreary in the secondary. I already speculated that the anonymous scouts who raved about Colby's work ethic were from the AFC South, so the fit sounds like it's already there.
WILD CARD: Baltimore Ravens, Round 4
This spot would've been for the Seattle Seahawks, but then the Ravens made the surprising decision to release Calais Campbell. The Ravens bolstered the linebacker spot with the Roquan Smith trade and signing Nelson Agholor in free agency added some depth to the lacking wideout core, so the thought is they'll be looking to go best player available (after taking care of the quarterback position if Lamar Jackson is gone before the draft). Similar to Vance Joseph, Mike MacDonald depends on speed and aggression to attack the quarterback, and Colby had a total of 6-7 QB hurries last year on the Plains. It wouldn't surprise me to see him in black and purple this Fall, but Baltimore is truly a wildcard in this seasons Draft.
It would surprise me to see the Auburn standout go undrafted. Wherever he lands, they are getting a steal in this years NFL Draft.
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