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Mile High Draft Views: Linebackers

When the offseason began for the Broncos, linebacker looked to be the greatest need as the middle of defense was in near ruins. Ian Gold clearly past his prime, and several players had tried to fill the strong side before Nate Webster eventually settled in.  When January rolled around, I was a strong advocate of using the 12th overall pick on a linebacker.  However, panic subsided with the two smart signings of Boss Bailey and Niko Koutouvides.  If all goes well, the three starting spots should be filled with them and DJ Williams returning to the weak side. 

However, depth is still a concern, and a linebacker that can be a good special teams player would be appreciated in the later rounds.  There is one high-profile linebacker that I would like to expand on, as he would have been my preference at #12 if the team had not addressed the position in free agency:

Dan Connor, Penn State – When the Broncos played in Buffalo to open last season, the one Bills player I could not take my eyes off was Paul Posluszny.  He was all over the place making tackles and thwarting several Broncos plays with smart moves.  I look at Dan Connor to be at least as good as Posluszny, if not better.  The best middle linebackers are the ones that are strong leaders in addition to being talented physically, and Linebacker U has a good history of outputting those complete products.

Connor’s stock seems to have dropped, not due to poor performance on his part but heightened performance from other linebackers, such as Jerod Mayo of Tennessee or Curtis Lofton of Oklahoma.  I have even seen a few mock drafts where Connor would be available to the Broncos at #42.  I know the Broncos have bigger needs to fill at that spot (likely defensive tackle), but it would be very tough to pass on Connor two times.

Mayo, Lofton, and Keith Rivers of USC should all be excellent linebackers for the teams that they go to, likely within the first round and a half.  However, I think there could be some hidden gems as we get into the second day of the draft.  Keep in mind the type of linebacker that the Broncos like—one that is more athletic than strong.

Ben Moffitt, South Florida – If there is one player that reminds me the most of Gold when he came out of Michigan, Moffitt would fit the bill.  At 224 pounds, Moffitt’s size is keeping him down on the boards, but he makes up for it by being a sound tackler and constantly fighting to make a play.  That’s the kind of attitude that will help out a lot on special teams and be put in competition to start one day.

Ali Highsmith, LSU – Quite often when a college team has an outstanding defense, there’s a player or two that gets ignored.  When you’re on the team that won the national title with names like Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson, Chevis Jackson, or Jonathan Zenon, it’s hard to make a name for yourself, but I haven’t let Highsmith’s solid tackling and excellent pursuit gone unnoticed.  He will need to add some bulk to get ready for the pros, but as usual, you can say that about most players that make the transition.

Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech – At one point Adibi was profiled to be on the upper echelon with the likes of Connor and Rivers (who he played besides in the Senior Bowl), but like Moffitt, the lack of size has hampered his stock.  Adibi also needs to keep working on his tackling if he wants to start someday, but he should offer special teams talent and it would give him some practice.

Jordon Dizon, Colorado – I’m sure there’s plenty of dual Broncos/Buffs fans out there who are always eager to see the team tap the likes of a Matt Lepsis or a Daniel Graham, so I’ll throw Dizon’s name in the mix as he does hold some of the traits that the players above hold.  He has a much longer way to go, but again, if Dizon can make his name on special teams, it’s a big plus.

Two other linebackers that I like a lot but aren’t the best fit for the Broncos would be Beau Bell of UNLV and J Leman of Illinois.  I could see either of them making an impact as, say, a 3-4 inside linebacker.

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