Whoops: Written by commenter MikeNYC.

We already looked at Denver’s needs and results when picking for them at No. 18. What they should be targeting here, of course, is more defense. Last year, it sucked. So I gave them Peria Jerry at that spot because it seemed to me that they could use somebody to help stop the run. At No. 12, it’s time to focus on a pass-rusher. But first, a word on what Denver shouldn’t do.

With Cutler gone, popular thinking seems to be that the Broncos take Mark Sanchez, the proverbial franchise QB, possibly even trading up to get him. Personally, I’d like to see what McDaniels can do with Orton, who threw for a respectable 2,972/58.5%/6.4/18/12 in 15 games last season while playing with Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, and Brandon Lloyd as his wide receivers. You’d have to think that having Marshall and Royal in ‘09 can only help to improve those numbers, most importantly his completion percentage. McDaniels helped turn Cassel into a valuable commodity, and I think there’s a reasonable chance that he can do the same with Orton, to a lesser extent. And if he can’t and Orton bombs spectacularly, Denver can always target Bradford, McCoy or Snead next April.

McShay says: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC.
Don Banks says: Everette Brown, DE/LB, FSU.
The Pick: Denver averaged less than two sacks per game in 2008, good for 26th in the league. There’s a need there, obviously. In my non-expert opinion, the best OLB/DE that should be available here would be Everette Brown. The guy is a beast. (Then again, similar things were said about Jarvis Moss in 2007, so what the hell do I know.) With their first two picks, then, Denver fills two needs on the defensive side of the ball. Whether or not they turn into valuable contributors three years from now, however, is anybody’s guess.