Finding Broncos: Five Week 4 college football games that should interest Denver

The Broncos had better have some scouts out at these five college football games.

The college football season is in full swing, which means NFL scouts are hard at work looking for the stars of tomorrow for their team. This also means draftniks around the web, like myself, are also hard at work scouting these same players to give our takes. 

With Week 4 coming, I'm laying out five games that really stand out with prospects the Denver Broncos should really keep an eye on.

Boise State vs. Air Force

For the Falcons, there are not many draft prospects that really stand out. Moses Fifita is a heavy interior defensive lineman that can clog the middle of the offensive line in a 3-man front. He comes in over 330 pounds and has plenty of strength to hold his own. 

Jeremy Fejedelen is a defensive back for the Falcons that can play corner or safety. Fejedelen can lay the wood, which has gotten him in trouble, but he brings it every snap. At this point neither is expected to hear his name called on draft day, but they can change that this season.

As for Boise State, they have a lot of prospects for NFL teams to look at. Four of their five starting offensive linemen look capable of playing on Sundays, with left tackle Ezra Cleveland looking the best of the four. John Malchon, Garrett Larsen and Eric Quevedo are also quality linemen and Malchon and Larsen are really intriguing prospects to me.

On the defensive side of the ball, David Moa is poised to hear his name called. He is a prototype 4-3 defensive end, but doesn’t offer as much quickness as you want. Teams will want to see him add some weight. 

The prize on defense is Curtis Weaver, a pass rusher for Boise State that a lot of teams entered the season very high on. He can stand up or play with his hand in the dirt and has six sacks in three games already. Linebacker Riley Whimpey, safety Kekoa Nawahine and defensive lineman Sonatanae Lui are also looking at shots in the NFL.

There is a sleeper from Boise State that I would like to see Denver pick up. He is a dangerous player with the ball in his hands and has 11 touchdowns in 12 games. Returner, receiver or rusher it doesn’t matter, you just want the ball in his hands. John Hightower has the speed to make teams pay, but also the agility to make defenders miss.

Florida vs. Tennessee

Here we have two teams that actually have a lot of potential NFL talent on their rosters. For Tennesse, their headliner is Trey Smith, who would be a first-round prospect if there weren’t a serious medical concern after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lung. He is capable inside or outside, but he is a Junior and with the medical, he may return for a year to try and boost his stock.

Marquez Callaway is a big-play receiver that has good long speed, and the Vols have a solid tight end prospect in Dominick Wood-Anderson that teams are keeping an eye on. Lastly, on offense, we find their center Brandon Kennedy, who looks like a mid-round option for a team looking for a center. 

On the defensive side of the ball, there isn’t much for the Vols. They have an outside linebacker in Darrell Taylor and a safety in Nigel Warrior that could hear their names called late.

On the other side, there is a lot more talent with NFL potential. It all starts with a top corner prospect in C.J. Henderson and pass rusher Jabari Zuniga. These are two players that will hear their names called in the first two rounds and pushing for first-round status.

The Gators have four receivers that have people in the NFL’s attention. Van Jefferson leads the group, and he has NFL bloodlines. Tyrie Cleveland is a true deep threat, Freddie Swain is a returner option for teams and Josh Hammond a solid option for the later rounds. There is also a center that was very impressive and stood out when watching a Florida prospect last year in Nick Buchanan.

David Reese is a limited athlete that plays mike for the Gators, but some NFL teams view him as an option to move to edge in the NFL. Safety Jeawon Taylor is an option for a guy to develop at safety while offering good special teams play. Speaking of special teams, the Gators have Tommy Townsend who is a solid punter and has a brother in the NFL that was drafted in the fifth round by the Oakland Raiders.

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Michigan vs. Wisconsin

Another game with a lot of potential draft prospects. This game is headlined by Johnathan Taylor and Tyler Biadasz of the Badgers. Taylor is one of the top running back prospects, while Biadasz is the top center prospect. 

The Badgers have three other linemen to keep an eye on with left tackle Cole Van Lanen, left guard Jason Erdmann and right tackle David Moorman. Wisconsin is highly thought of for their ability to get linemen ready for the NFL. There are a couple of receivers in Kendrick Pryor and A.J. Taylor for the Badgers that could be called late.

Defensively you find Isaiah Loudermilk, Zack Baun, Chris Orr, and Eric Burell. Burell and Loudermilk are both Juniors so they could return this year if things don’t look good for the draft. As for Baun and Orr, they have a lot to show if they want to hear their names called.

For Michigan, they have four linemen that could all get their names called in the middle rounds. Jon Runyan is their left tackle that needs a lot of development for the NFL and is unfortunately hurt. Ben Bredeson (left guard) and Cesar Ruiz (center) are looking like late day two/early day three picks and could find themselves as day-one starters. The right guard, Michael Onwenu, is a monster that is said to be around 350 pounds, but is an incredible mover and athlete for that size.

The Wolverines quarterback, Shea Patterson, is a quarterback that you either like or don’t. Some in the NFL like him enough to take a risk on him. Donovan Peoples-Jones is a good prospect, but hasn’t played because of an injury.

There is a lot of defensive talent for the Wolverines as well. Lavert Hill was a highly thought of corner a year ago, but now is being talked about as a mid-round prospect. Carlo Kemp on the defensive line and linebackers Khaleke Hudson, Devin Gil and Josh Uche are all worth keeping an eye on. Hudson is a versatile hybrid that you can move around on your defense.

Auburn vs. Texas A&M

On the Aggies roster, there are not many draft prospects, but the few they have have a chance to go in the first four rounds. Most of them are Juniors so it all depends on if they declare. Quarterback Kellen Mond has shown a lot to like, but there is a lot of work needed. Monds top receiver is Kendrick Rogers who needs to improve his route running.

As for their defense, Justin Madibuke has a chance to be one of the top defensive linemen in the draft class. He needs to work on consistency, but the flashes he shows are tremendous. Madibuke has drawn some comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs' defensive lineman Chris Jones when he entered the NFL. There is also a corner prospect that can see himself rise into the mid rounds with a strong season in Charles Oliver.

The Tigers are loaded with prospects, including all five of their offensive linemen. Prince Tega Wanogho is their left tackle, who is athletically gifted and the best of the group. Their right tackle Jack Driscoll is looking at being a day-two pick and the second one off of the board. Their interior of Marquel Harrell, Kaleb Kim, and Mike Horton all have a chance to hear their name called later in the draft.

There are three receivers in Eli Stove, Will Hastings, and Sal Canella that all have some fans in draft circles, which rounds out their offense. On defense, this is a team with even more prospects and guys likely to hear their name called pretty early in the draft.

Derrick Brown is one of the top-3 defensive linemen in the class, and he is joined with Nick Coe and Marlon Davidson in that very talented Tigers front. All three could hear their name called in the first three rounds. There is also linebacker K.J. Britt who has a chance to help himself in a weak linebacker class.

Rounding out their defense are four defensive backs that are looking at mid/late rounds in the draft. Corners Noah Igbinoghene and Javaris Davis are both solid prospects. They are joined in that talented secondary by Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas, both of whom are looking at later rounds right now.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia

The final game to look at is absolutely loaded. Both teams are in the top-10 with Georgia at No. 3 and Notre Dame at 7. When they have as much NFL potential as they do, not being in the top-10 would be a disappointment. There is so much talent, I am not sure where to really begin. So let's start with the top prospect in this game.

Andrew Thomas is a top tackle prospect, and Georgia has put out a lot of quality offensive linemen in the last few years. There is a lot that Thomas needs to clean up, but he should still be a top-five/ten pick. He has been protecting the blindside of Jake Fromm who is a good quarterback when things are going to plan, and should hear his name pretty early in the draft. They also have the top running back prospect in D’Andre Swift.

Receiver Tyler Simmons has been hurt, but should be back for this game. Tight end Charlie Woerner and left guard Solomon Kindley round out their offense. Kindley is another good offensive lineman that could rise into the mid/late rounds.

Defensively it all starts up front with Tyler Clark, Michael Barnett, and David Marshall. They do a good job of eating up space for Tae Crowder and Monty Rice. Rice is a good linebacker prospect that could really help himself in this weak class. Their safeties are both draft-eligible with J.R. Reed and the higher-rated prospect in Richard LeCounte III.

The last Bulldog happens to be the doppelganger of the Mile High Huddle editor Chad Jensen, and is the kicker for the team. I am not for drafting kickers, but there has been a lot of kicking issues which could lead to Rodrigo Blankenship getting his name called.

For the fighting Irish, you have offensive linemen Liam Eichenberg and Tommy Kraemer. Eichenberg is a good left tackle prospect, while Kraemer is a versatile piece that can play multiple positions. Receivers Chase Claypool and Chris Finke are two different types of receivers. Claypool is a big receiver that uses his size very well, and Finke is a smaller receiver/returner type that is quick.

Julian Okwara leads the defensive prospects as one of the top pass rushers for the draft. Linebacker/safety hybrid Asmar Bilal and linebacker/edge Khalid Kareem have a chance to go in round three/four. Safety Alohi Gilman and corner Tony Pride round out the prospects for the Fighting Irish. 

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.