Mile High Roundtable: Grading Broncos' Day 2 Draft Picks
Khalid Alshami (@KhalidHAlshami): GM John Elway opened up Day 2 by stoking the fires of Broncos Country, taking Penn State WR KJ Hamler after he fell into his lap at No. 46, instead of an offensive tackle. Hamler gives Denver the speed on offense many of us desired with Henry Ruggs and should also be a dangerous return man. Iowa CB Michael Ojemudia is a player I like who fills a need, fits the defensive scheme and has some solid traits, but pick 77 was early for him. Adding Lloyd Cushenberry takes even more pressure off of QB Drew Lock and will be a key cog in his development as he will likely step into a starting role on day one and quickly become a leader on the O-line. To round out Day 2 for Denver, adding an athletic monster with high character to the D-line like McTelvin Agim is reminiscent of the Dre'Mont Jones pick last year.
Grade: B
Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney): Hamler: Wow, wow, wow. I figured the Broncos would double-dip at WR this year, but was not expecting one like Hamler to be there at 46. He's a solid slot option who has burners after the catch. Plus, he'll give you some return abilities. Another weapon for Lock? Yes, please. Ojemudia at 77 feels like a reach, but the Broncos needed cornerback help. He's long and has some athleticism, tackles well and is a good character guy, from all accounts. I just feel he could have been had later on. Cushenberry at 83 was my favorite Day 2 pick, by far, for Denver. Cushenberry is so dang smart, athletic, and is another high-character guy. Thinking about Mike Munchak working with Cushenberry and Graham Glasgow inside is a wonderful thought. Agim at 95 is a welcome change along the D-line. He's a twitched up DL that has Edge experience, but has made a shift inside and has the athleticism and short-area burst to win consistently inside. The Ojemudia pick has me dropping this pick down from a B+ or A-. Hamler, Cushenberry and Agim picks are terrific. I would have waited on Ojemudia, or went in another direction at corner.
Grade: B
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL): Day 2 saw Elway go straight for the jugular by selecting Hamler at pick 46. Putting opponents on the back foot with his 4.27 speed will be Hamler's clear purpose next season. Ojemudia fits the big, physical, perimeter type cover-man Vic Fangio loves to coach up. Cushenberry is a real steal at pick 83 as Munchak will quickly improve his fundamentals and make him an instant starter. Agim can play inside and out and is likely to respond well to the intensive coaching he will now receive from coach Bill Kollar. Adding in the high character levels of all four new Broncos, I give Day 2 high marks.
Grade: B+
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH): The Broncos wanted to walk out of this draft with three starters. They got the first in Jerry Jeudy in round one and now have added Cushenberry and Ojemudia in the third. Throw in another huge weapon for the offense in Hamler and I have to say I like this Day 2 more and more. They have done well to add high-character, NFL-ready players that should have the Broncos looking towards the playoffs. This rookie class will have a huge impact on the upcoming season.
Grade: B+
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL): After a fantastic first round, Elway stumbled a little on Day 2. Hamler is a dynamic and explosive player, but his drops are going to be maddening. The issue with the selection is there were better players on the board at positions of need. The pick reeked of being a Kansas City copycat and had Mike Shanahan-like desperation when he grabbed back-to-back defensive ends in ‘07 and back-to-back-to-back cornerbacks in ‘05. Taking a WR also forced the Broncos to take less talented players later at CB and DL, positions they really needed to bolster. The Ojemudia selection was a good but unspectacular pick. He fits what the Broncos do on defense and has had good college production. I don’t fault Elway for reaching a little here because CB has been the most reached for position in the draft over the last 10 years. However, it felt a little desperate, likely due to the team not going CB in round two. The best selection of the day was Cushenberry. Denver got a starting-caliber center who will compete right away to be the Broncos' pivot. This was also a significant need on the roster. The final pick of the third round, Agim, is more of a developmental pick. Not that it was a reach, but he will need time to round out some of his game. Again the Broncos could’ve used the second round on a DL player who could contribute right away. However, I do like his production in college from an interior pass rush perspective.
Grade: C
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen): I didn't love Day 2 for the Broncos. There were picks I liked, two picks I'm mostly ambivalent on, and one that I loved. Hamler was okay at 46. I can live with it if the Broncos really have a plan to utilize him in the offense and work on his hands. Speed kills but so do drops. Ojemudia could be the sleeper in this class but it smacked too much of Elway's previous third-round reaches at CB in Brendan Langley and Isaac Yiadom. I'll hang my hat on the probability that Fangio wanted Ojemudia. Cushenberry is a first-round caliber center and will start out of the gates. Excellent pick. I don't understand why the Broncos took Agim with an off-ball LB like Akeem Davis-Gaither still on the board (he's gone now). But the Broncos usually develop their DL draft picks, unless they were selected in the second round. Agim could be a stud but he'll need time to marinate. Not an instant-impact guy.
Grade: B-
Trevor Judge (@TrevorJudge): Denver had a couple of picks on Day 2 that felt a little reach-y, but if you take a step back and look at the four total selections based on the picks the Broncos had, they did very well. Hamler’s game-breaking speed is going to make this offense even more dynamic. Cushenberry at 83 is a complete steal. Even though Ojemudia and Agim were taken a little earlier than many expected, I trust Fangio.
Grade: B+
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL): I can't say I expected nor endorsed the Broncos double-dipping at WR so early, though Hamler does pair nicely with Sutton and Jeudy as the resident speedster. We have long wanted the Broncos to add juice to the offense; well, they've guzzled an entire bottle of Hi-C. My biggest gripe is the first third-rounder Ojemudia, who had a fourth- to fifth-round grade. Denver could have gotten him later. Instead, the Broncos reached as in the case with Langley and Yiadom. Ironically, this preceded the Broncos' best pick — Cushenberry. Nabbing a day-one starter late in the third is unbelievable value, giving the club a potential top-10 (on paper) O-line. And Agim as a project for Fangio and Kollar? Sure. Overall, the Broncos shored up the offense and imported a few defensive toys, with more still to come.
Grade: B
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH): Why is Hamler listed as an OW? Because this guy is not a receiver, he is an offensive weapon. As one of the most dynamic athletes in the class, Elway doubled down and added the boom-or-bust dynamo to go with super safe Jeudy. Short pass game or deep, Hamler equals instant offense. Ojemudia was standout at the Senior Bowl and offers length and athleticism on the boundary. A smart zone corner at Iowa, there were some questions about his versatility in his coverage rolls given how simplistic the Hawkeyes' defensive scheme is for their defenders. Ojemudia has good zone instincts, doesn't get beat deep, and a good tackler. Also a leader and character get, a theme in round three. Cushenberry is another safe player with character upside. Many thought he would go earlier than this but centers are devalued. While not the best athlete nor pass protector, Cushenberry is smart, long, and offers some positional versatility. Another smart player with a leadership position at his school, Cushenberry should start day one at center for the Broncos. Agim is one of the more underrated interior pass rushers in this draft class who flew under the radar playing at Arkansas. With length and a strong get-off with a thick base, Agim has some 3-to-1 techinque upside as a rotation pass rusher early on. Another player with leadership and character marks. The boom-or-bust and excitement of Hamler was thoroughly solidified by the volume of safe, high-character players in round three.
Grade: B+
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports): The Hamler pick was surprising, but we know the Broncos were looking for a WR who brings speed. Hamler also can return punts and kicks, which Broncos fans know has been lacking for some time. I've warmed up to this pick the more I think about it. Ojemudia might not jump out and grab you, but he's a disciplined player who is a good tackler. That's what Coach Fangio wants in his DBs. I don't think it's that much of a reach. Cushenberry could be the steal of the day. He should start right away and solidify the Broncos' interior between Dalton Risner and Glasgow. Agim might take a year to reach his potential, but that's fine. He's a good pass rusher and a high-character guy. That's what Coach Kollar likes from his players. I'm not blown away by Day 2 for the Broncos but I'm still happy.
Grade: B
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP): Selecting Hamler is a very risky proposition as he led this WR class with the highest drop percentage. This is the only selection that I have reservations about, especially with his size. However, the Broncos have drafted at least three starters in Cushenberry, Ojemudia, and Hamler in the slot. I loved the addition of Agim, as I watched Broncos' scouts gush over him in Tampa at the East-West Shrine Game.
Grade: B-
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH): The more I sit and digest what the Broncos were able to accomplish on Day 2, the more I like it. Adding multi-dimensional speed to the offense was a huge need, as well as adding weapons for Lock to distribute the football. The shock of Hamler at 46 was eased after looking at his explosiveness after the catch, making a perfect trio of weapons with Jeudy and Sutton. Grabbing Ojemudia and Cushenberry provide safe players with upside, though not in the athletic sense. Both are scheme fits with high football IQ that offer immediate starting capability. Agim was the pick that left me scratching my head, but the pass rush upside paired with the tutelage of Coach Kollar makes this pick worth while.
Grade: B+
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel): Hamler has the athleticism and dynamic ability to add explosion to the offense. Round three kicked off with two players that fell who graded highly and have high floors. Agim does need work, but he is the type of player the Broncos need on their interior D-line. It was a smart draft strategy, letting the board fall to them and hitting nicely on those picks.
Grade: B+
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