Losing Danny Trevathan is a bummer. Any time you can watch a guy go from a sixth-round draft pick to potential Pro Bowler, you’d like to keep him in your organization as long as possible. But with that kind of success comes monetary benefits, and the Broncos simply weren’t in a position to pay up.
That leaves Todd Davis as Brandon Marshall‘s new partner at inside linebacker, and while Davis looked like a solid player in limited stints last season, the Broncos could be looking to upgrade in the draft.
Luckily, there are a few guys who could make a lot of sense. Here are five inside linebacker prospects Denver should be keeping an eye on in the draft later this month:
5. Kentrell Brothers (Senior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 2nd HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-0/245 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 357 total tackles; 23.5 tackles for a loss; 4.5 sacks; 5 interceptions; 11 passes defensed; 4 forced fumbles
If Kentrell Brothers slipped to the Broncos at the back end of the second round, he’s probably worth the pick. On most draft boards, he’s the second-ranked inside linebacker in the draft, and he’d likely be a plug-and-play player.
The best way to describe Brothers is as a tackling machine. As a senior last year, he led the nation with 152 tackles, which earned him First-Team All-American honors.
His only real limitation is that he’s not the most athletic of linebackers, and in the Broncos’ system, that may push him down their draft board.
4. Nick Vigil (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 4th HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-2/239 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 339 total tackles; 40.0 tackles for a loss; 17.5 sacks; 2 interceptions; 5 passes defensed; 6 forced fumbles
If the Broncos are looking for an athlete, Nick Vigil is their guy, and as a potential mid-round pick, his physical limitations would be well worth the risk.
Vigil was a two-time first team All-Mountain West player for the Utah State Aggies, and he dominated the competition. The one worry, though, is that his physicality and strength won’t hold up against NFL-level talent.
Athletically, though, he’s the type of guy who could turn into a dynamic weapon on the Broncos defense.
3. Dominique Alexander (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 5th HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-0/232 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 292 total tackles; 18.0 tackles for a loss; 4.5 sacks; 1 interceptions; 3 passes defensed; 3 forced fumbles
Dominique Alexander probable isn’t going to be a world-class run defender, but he could end up being one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. And with Trevathan out of the equation, the Broncos could absolutely use a linebacker who can step out into coverage on a back, tight end or slot receiver.
Just look at this passage from CBS’s draft profile of Alexander:
“Sports a compact, athletic frame and with rare agility and speed for an inside linebacker. Clearly comfortable against the pass, showing flexible joints and fluid hips to handle coverage responsibilities. Has the agility and speed to mirror running backs and tight ends and shows some route recognition, dropping from his primary assignment to anticipate where the ball is headed.”
The Broncos would be ecstatic if Alexander fell to them in the fifth round.
2. Scooby Wright III (Junior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 3rd-4th HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-0/239 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 270 total tackles; 43.5 tackles for a loss; 17.0 sacks; 1 interceptions; 1 passes defensed; 5 forced fumbles
This guy is not your prototypical linebacker. Scooby Wright is a one-man wrecking crew. He’s a guy who led the nation in tackles (164) and tackles for loss (31), while adding an additional 15 sacks in 2014. Oh, and he was just a sophomore! Those numbers, especially the tackles for loss and sacks, are absolutely absurd for a middle linebacker.
So why is he projected to fall to the third or fourth round?
Well, because he hardly played during his junior season, sitting out all but three games with a surgically-repaired meniscus and foot sprain.
If the Broncos feel he’s back to full-strength, though, Wright could end up being a steal in the third, even fourth, round. Not to mention, how fun would it be to root for a guy named Scooby?
1. Reggie Ragland (Senior)
PROJECTED ROUND: 1st HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-1/247 LBS
CAREER NUMBERS: 220 total tackles; 17.5 tackles for a loss; 4.0 sacks; 1 interceptions; 10 passes defensed; 4 forced fumbles
There’s very little chance that Reggie Ragland falls to pick 31, but on the off chance that he does, the Broncos need to thank their lucky stars and select him without hesitation.
Ragland is far and away the best inside linebacker in this draft, and he has the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler. Pair him next to Brandon Marshall, and this Broncos linebacking corps will once again be the best in the league.