NFL Mock Draft: Deshaun Watson falling
By Brad Weiss
O.J. Howard. 22. player. 45. . TE. Alabama
The Denver Broncos are once again in the thick of things in the AFC West, after owning the division for the past few years. Armed with a starting quarterback who had never started a game before this season, the Broncos have relied on a stingy defense to run their record to 7-3 in 2016. The talent on the defensive side of the ball is there, and if they can add a few pieces around quarterback Trevor Siemian, they should be able to continue to hang in there with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
Devontae Booker has played well as a rookie at running back, and Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are as good as it gets on the outside. The team needs to bring in a tight end to stretch the middle of the field, and there is a very good one in this draft class. Alabama’s O.J. Howard has all the tools to be a dominant force at the next level, and he would be perfect for Denver’s offense.
The Crimson Tide do not feature Howard much, and that is really a shame. He has the ability to catch the ball and make something happen, which is not something you see much from a college tight end. His game is more NFL than it is NCAA, and he would be a nice safety blanket for Siemian, or Paxton Lynch, whomever the Broncos decide to make their quarterback of the future.