1:00 p.m. MDT: So here we are, just one hour before the start of the 2009 NFL Draft — one of the most anticipated drafts for Broncos fans in recent memory. After all, this marks the first time in franchise history that the team has two picks in the first round.
We’ll keep you updated pick-by-pick throughout the first round — feel free to comment on all the picks, whether they’re falling the way you expected or a few teams are throwing some curveballs.
The publications department and the PR staff have got a “War Room” of our own up here in a conference room — we’ve got the TV tuned in to draft coverage, computers in front of us and of course a container full of cookies — we’re settled in for a long and exciting day.
1:29 p.m. MDT: We here in the Internet “War Room” have a little chart with our own predictions for our two first-round picks. Granted, we have just as much an idea of who we will pick as you all do, but just wanted to give you some of the names that are up there.
With the 12th pick, the seven of us with predictions have names from B.J. Raji to Tyson Jackson to Brian Orakpo — there’s even a Beanie Wells up there. As far as the 18th, lots of “M” names — Maybin, Maualuga and Moreno. There’s a prediction of Brian Cushing, as well. What direction do you all see the Broncos going with these first two picks?
1:48 p.m. MDT: We just switched over for the last 17.1 seconds of the Nuggets game — pretty furious comeback for Denver to have posession down one point. Looks like they’ll politely finish off this playoff game just in time for the draft.
1:55 p.m. MDT: Pretty close last shot by Melo. Regardless, that was an exciting game that’s about to lead in to an exciting draft, just five minutes away. We just had one more member of the PR staff put some predictions up for the draft — throw Ohio State cornerback Malcom Jenkins into this War Room’s predictions.
Well…here we go. The draft is just over a minute away. See you when the Lions officially take Matthew Stafford.
2:03 p.m. MDT: With the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select quarterback Matthew Stafford. The first shocker of the day.
2:08 p.m. MDT: Any predictions for the Rams’ pick?
2:14 p.m. MDT: The pick is in: St. Louis selects Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith. Kansas City is on the clock — let’s keep the guessing game going after every pick. Who are the Chiefs going to pick up?
2:24 p.m. MDT: With the third pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Tyson Jackson, defensive end out of LSU.
Wow, just a week ago people had him sitting at No. 12. Pretty quick riser on the boards. All right, Seattle’s on the clock. What direction do the Seahawks go?
2:31 p.m. MDT: The Seahawks go with Aaron Curry, linebacker from Wake Forest. He’ll step in and take the place of Julian Peterson, who Seattle traded to Detroit.
Cleveland’s up next. What do you all think?
2:37 p.m. MDT: Did everybody else just see that KFC commercial? The CEO of Kentucky Fried Chicken is Australian? How does that happen?
2:38 p.m. MDT: The New York Jets come in with a big trade from No. 17 all the way to No. 5 to pick up Mark Sanchez. So a trade for Sanchez did happen…the speculation can end.
Steve Young just called him “presidential.” I see.
2:45 p.m. MDT: Here are the details of the Jets trade: New York gets the Browns’ first-rounder (Mark Sanchez,) and the Browns get the Jets’ first-rounder (No. 17), a 2nd round pick, DE Kenyon Coleman, QB Brett Ratliff and DB Abram Elam.
So here’s a picture of the athletes that are in the green room on top of Radio City Music Hall yesterday. So far, just the fourth and fifth from the left have been picked up.
2:49 p.m. MDT: The Bengals’ pick is in — Andre Smith, offensive tackle from Alabama is headed to Cincinnati with the sixth overall pick.
2:52: p.m. MDT: Chris Hall is back from the Broncos’ official War Room with some footage of Head Coach Josh McDaniels, General Manager Brian Xanders and the rest of the front office.
2:55 p.m. MDT: Oakland’s pick is in — with the seventh pick, the Raiders select Darrius Heyward-Bey, wide receiver out of Maryland. There’s that pick for vertical speed, again.
And now it’s official — it took seven picks into the 2009 NFL Draft for Chris Berman to get on someone in this room’s nerves.
Mel Kiper just gave Oakland “an F grade” for the pick, by the way.
3:04 p.m. MDT: The Jaguars just selected the third offensive tackle of the draft — Eugene Monroe out of the University of Virginia.
Here’s a look at Xanders, McDaniels and President and CEO Pat Bowlen in the team’s war room.
3:07 p.m. MDT: Well, it looks like B.J. Raji is on the phone with the Green Bay Packers on the clock. We’ll see if that’s the actual pick. Raji’s fist-pump and his family’s cheering seem to indicate YES.
3:10 p.m. MDT: Alright, since we are about two picks away I am going to get ready and Kyle Sonneman will take over. I’ll be back.
3:14 p.m. MDT: Well looks like Raji was ready to be a Packer, he was already rockin’ the yellow t-shirt. San Fran has to love where they are sitting right now.
3:18 p.m. MDT: Michael Crabtree is on the phone, I am guessing Samurai Mike Singletary is on the other line.
Ding ding… that wasn’t much of a surprise. So we are one pick away from our selection. What do you all think?
3:23 p.m. MDT: ESPN is showing Aaron Maybin on the phone with the Bills on the clock. A sign of things to come? So far it has proved to be the case.
3:25 p.m. MDT: Pick is in for the Bills… Maybin it is. Broncos are on the clock.
3:30 p.m. MDT: The pick is in and the newest Bronco is RB Knowshon Moreno.
3:52 p.m. MDT: The Chargers just took Larry English from Northern Illinois and we are back up after the Browns.
3:56 p.m. MDT: A little technical error, but we are back and in business. Looks like the Browns just traded again with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
4:00 p.m. MDT: Josh Freeman is on the phone, so looks like the Bucs have a new signal caller. With that said, the Broncos are back on the clock.
4:04 p.m. MDT: ESPN’s Ed Werder is saying the pick is Robert Ayers, let’s see if he is right.
4:05 p.m. MDT: Werder is correct, Ayers is the newest Denver Bronco.
4:13 p.m. MDT: Once again the Browns have traded and the Eagles have picked up receiver Jeremy Maclin out of the University of Missouri. Now the Lions are on the clock for their second first-rounder.
4:24 p.m. MDT: After the Lions took tight end Brandon Pettigrew out of Oklahoma State with the 20th pick, Cleveland finally made a selection — center Alex Mack out of California. The Vikings are on the clock.
4:25 p.m. MDT: That didn’t take long — Minnesota picks up wide receiver Percy Harvin out of the University of Florida.
That is an explosive guy to add to a pretty explosive offense led by Adrian Peterson. Thoughts?
4:35 p.m. MDT: New England trades its pick to the Baltimore Ravens, and they come away with offensive tackle Michael Oher from Mississippi State. I know they’ve been replaying this story over and over, but I have to admit it is pretty cool the way he’s gotten all the way to the NFL.
4:42 p.m. MDT: The Falcons just picked up defensive tackle Peria Jerry out of Mississippi. Back-to-back selections out of Ole Miss, eh?
4:47 p.m. MDT: Vontae Davis, cornerback out of Illinois, is headed to Miami. And he just got water poured all over his nice suit.
5:04 p.m. MDT: As you can imagine, we’ve been pretty busy keeping the site updated with everything you need to know about the newest Denver Broncos. So here’s a quick rundown of the picks we’ve missed — USC linebacker Clay Matthews is headed to Green Bay, UCONN running back Donald Brown is an Indianapolis Colt and Louisville center Eric Wood will join the offensive line in Buffalo.
The New York Giants are on the clock.
5:07 p.m. MDT: The pick is in — with the 29th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver out of the University of North Carolina. A very fine institution, I might add.
5:16 p.m. MDT: Here’s Tennessee’s pick at No. 30 — Kenny Britt, wide receiver from Rutgers, is the newest Titan.
5:23 p.m. MDT: Looks like Beanie Wells is headed to Arizona, and Pedro Gomez just gave a pretty funny story — Edgerrin James is currently sitting at an NBA basketball game as his team drafts another running back.
5:26 p.m. MDT: Now Chris Wells to the Cardinals is official, and we’re down to the last pick of a first round that seems to have flown by.
It seems pretty surprising that Rey Maualuga is still on the board — anyone think Pittsburgh might take a chance on him? That seems like it’d be a pretty scary addition to a scary defense. Plus, he and Troy Polamalu can have a hair grow-off.
5:30 p.m. MDT: Well, so much for that idea — Pittsburgh picks up Ziggy Hood, defensive tackle out of Missouri.
That marks the end of an exciting first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and we’re just getting started today. The Broncos still have a pick in the second round — No. 16 in the round (No. 48 overall) — so even though this is the end of the live blog, we’ll have the pick up on the front of the site immediately after it’s made, and we’ll continue to have video and audio of the picks and Coach McDaniels all day.
Thanks for sticking with us so far — our Broncos draft coverage is only getting started.
-Gray Caldwell and Kyle Sonneman, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: 2009 NFL Draft
I thought we were good at TE!!?
so we skipped over orapko at 12 then we coulda got Maualuga in the second round and we didnt !? im shockd. But i do like the moreno pick i jus hope he stays healthy. i think tht with moreno nd hillis or maybe lamont jordan would be a very nice 2 man running scheme. plus i think tht now we gotta top rb on our team tht LT isnt the only good rb in the conference. the only thing tht has upset me thus far in the draft is tht we traded away one of our 1st rounders next year for a 2nd rounder. its very upseting. but i wont knock the picks until the season strts
I’m going to listen to the press conference have a good one.
we jus picked up a tight end lmao. we already have scheiffler nd graham. wut is this guy doin. now im gettin kinda upset. but well see.. why didnt we get jarron gilbert
With that last move D. Gram might be on the block.
what did we give up to trade up to end of round 2 for Steelers pick ?
3rd round pick this yr
I have been a Bronco Fan forever and I have been trying to back this new coach…. but for the first time in 35 years, I am disappointed and cannot remember a more disappointing offseason and draft. He gave up our first round pick next year for what???? a 3rd round talent. This guy McDanials is going to run this franchise into the ground. Our proble mlast year and for years has been defense, so lets draft a running back… oh yea we just signed a bazillion backs. We will not win more than 5 games next year and i hope they fire this bum and get us a real coach.
make all you people before kinda second quess hillis at starting runningback????huh???….i think if your gonna draft a rookie that high especially a running back your might as well start him…and if were gonna draft a running back with the first pick what was the point of signing all those runningbacks…hey whats next i think we might draft a WR
Well, my friends. I know Robert Ayers is a good player, I know Darcel McBath is a stud and Alphonso Smith is not tall but has mad skills. If you remember, Darrell Green, the HOF Redskin was not tall either, so let’s have faith and not second guess. Tomorrow is another day to excel in the draft! I think Knowshon Moreno will be a good player, but perhaps a defensive player would have been better. If Dan Graham has to go, I’ll be sad, but I think Richard Quinn will become an offensive lineman who can be used in goalline situations ala Dwayne Carswell. With faith, GO BRONCOS!!!
The pick for a tight end, Richard Quinn from North Carolina was just dumb, plain dumb. Denver gives up both third rounders this year, which could have been used for depth on the defensive line and at linebacker for a tight end when Denver has Daniel Graham and Tony Scheffler? What?
Was The Late and Great Darrent Williams short????… NO!… He was 7ft tall!… (that is how he played)… So how can we count out Alfonso Smith when we once had a great CB that was just as short as he is… It is what is in the heart that matters… he has the skills and determination… I’m not worried until I should be… and All I’ve seen is a name and some vids, so I can’t judge anyone YET…
it all seems unplanned if you know what i mean, free agent signings were signed purely because they could, and draft picks do not really reflect the team needs. Seems to have been some very rash thinking this off-season,. So who takes the blame, Bowlen ? for letting it happen ??? Can`t help but think the players were available in this draft to help us, expecially shocked at giving up one of next years first rounders already.
Killing time till the press conference
Everyone hitting me up asking why we did what we did? I have no answer. I been there When we lost to the Giant, Redskins( I was wearing my Elway Jersey when everyone in my fam was celebration the Skins), and 49ers. 90′s some good times. The Greise situation in still hear. Cutler im still here. Were not the 2000 or 2001 Pats! Were the Broncos and man he has to coach his butt of to make these moves. He said in his earlier press conference, he wanted players that good make an sudden impact. I hope and wish he’s right. Cuz this is my team. Always has been. Always will!
This is more upsetting then when I caught my mom and dad “in the act”.
can we draft a new owner and coach
i’m not too happy with the last pick for today, what did we give up to acquire a TE? very questionable pick this high. We could’ve addressed other positions. Heck! I wouldve been happy if we gotten Juaqin Iglesias WR with that pick. Another big target for years to come, and would help out if we were to lose Marshall for a couple of games this season. Even Hermans or Duke Robinson would sound good at that pick. but not a TE…
but who am I to say? cant bag on em’ this early.
We gave up both 3rd rounders and also got their 4th, 2 picks for 2 picks
Oh dude, hrdnokd, that’s not cool. You must be real upset but keep that stuff to yourself.
I’m so dissapointed of this team. Really.
HELL YES I’M UPSET! We traded a cannon armed qb, we have NOTHING to show for it….what the hell did we get, honestly? We got a DE that they want to play at OLB, we got a safety no one has heard of, we got a DB for NEXT YEARS 1st ROUND PICK….what the HELL do we have to be happy about? Oh yeah, and we drafted another TE, YIPPY KI YAH!
Added a CB, S, and a TE nice. Just need a C and I’ll be happy. Yes, I am dispointed about not taking Orakpo or Maluga, but I believe Josh has the best interest for the team and they see things we dont.
We are a mess…..5-11 is going to be our record.
Ah hrdnokd don’t be mad. When Shanny get another head coaching job next yr. We’ll give him something for a another #1 lol. Maybe Sheffler, B. Mash. We have his fav 5 lol
Hell let NFL Network tell it Alphonso Smith is the Next Champ Bailey maybe will trade him! Man
Buckhalter, Jordon, and Arrington. oh yeah Knowshaw
He makes me nervous with his clearing his throat after every sentence. I hope he believe what he is saying. Im trying to and I want too!
Hey Pat, please sell the team!!
They just darfted the 15th ranked TE in the second round.
I’m speechless. This is sickening.
“Coach, why did you draft a running back with your first pick after you signed so many guys in free agency?”………”Are you kidding me, did you see what I did with the quarterback situation? I don’t have a clue what I’m doing up here, my God I just traded Champ Bailey for a bag of skittles and a kit kat!”
Hey…. Champ for skittles!?!?… that’s not bad… Champ is a little on the old side now, and these skittles will fit in well w/ our team RIGHT AWAY!… and the peppermint patty adds depth… So don’t be so upset about this trade hrdnokd…
Haha could you imagine?
Man when I was watching NFL Network and we traded the #1 next yr. Gruden dropped a f bomb and said “I don’t know what the hell their doing”.
Rich siad” Gruds you can say that this is live TV” lol That was the funniest thing ever happened in the draft. Forget the name mispronoucing. that was funny!
LMAO! Dude, I wouldn’t doubt it, I think I said the same thing….I don’t know what the f$#% we’re doing…..
I stood by McD when we traded Cutler but now I’m not sure How do you give up a first round pick for a second then give up two third round picks for a fourth and a TE that would have been there for our next pick
i like what we did. two first rounders and three second rounders. that pretty good. we filled some needs. of coarse there are more needs to fill like the d line. thats ok we still have tommorrow. not mad at all. pretty exited about the potential with moreno. i don’t understand why get so pissed off when we haven’t even played preseason yet? really why cry over something that has not happened?
We gave away the wrong first round pick next year we should have kept our’s we will be worse than the Bears
A broncobaliey it’s not a good deal. They were Sugar-free skittles. If the Raiders didn’t pick Hey-ward bey. I would have said he had the worst first day.
damn yall make me sick……”we gonna be 5-10, we gonna suck, whats is McD doing.” i wish yall would stop complaining.. just because its not a big name yall wanna throw a fit but did you ever stop to think that ORAKPO MIGHT NOT BE A GOOOOOOD FIT IN OUR SYSTEM…i mean i like orakpo but i dont think he would’ve been good in our system and that goes for REY as well…i just cant believe yall are knocking these dudes down cuz they wasnt on YOUR DRAFT BOARD and the bad thing is they havent even played a game yet….COME ON BRONCO FANS YALL ARE BETTER THAN THAT
anyone that follows even a little football knows you have to wait sometimes three years to determine if it was a good draft or not. i’m sure there was some charger fans jumpin for joy when ryan leaf was drafted and look what happened there. now look at what happened with players like dumbervil, td, brandon marshall. none drafted very early. rod smith was not even drafted and he has a good shot at the hof. i think it was a good day. it will take some time to know for sure. our best players may be drafted tommorrow.
I think if Tampa didn’t move in front of us. They would have picked Freeman and not Ayers.
This is worse than the 2007 draft!! 3 of my blogs have not gone through. time to update this website. Mc MILLEN IS KILLING US!!! 5-11 NEXT YEAR WITH NO DRAFT PICKS. Seatle is going to get a top ten pick from us for a 5-9 corner who ” should be a good nickle back”I CAN’T BELIEVE THE D STUDS WE LET GO BY US!! ORAKAPO,MALUGA,and the other DT from BC Gable i think. AND Guest who got hIm the PATS.
I mean Brace
That’s the Whole point that some of you are not getting. The Raiders and KC are weak now. Only the Chargers Can compete with us. So we have to make our move now. Not 3yrs down the line. Now they comparing Alphonso to Asunte Samuel? WOW
i am not going to say that i don’t like the players that we drafted thus far but i mean the players in this years second round are no names unlike in other drafts the players in the 5th through the 7th are nonames, but what i am saying is there was no reason to give up a first round for a second round pick, let me explain this to you josh mcdaniels and try to stay with me here, the point of trading is to not give up what you think the guy is worth in return, the point of trading is to try and get what you want for the best bargin the other team will take what you just did was called a no no in the trading buisness. let me put it in words you can understand, you trade a pudding cup for maybe a twix, and maybe some gummy bears, you don’t traded a pudding cup for the wrapper to a launchable. i do like the players kinda i want to see how well they play just like any draft pick but i don’t like the price of what we got them for.
Look at the Browns how may times did they trade their 1st round draft pick dont you think their fans were pissed. What about the Jets drafting Sanchez, didnt you hear the booing. You guys are mad about taking a RB? Hell they could of taken a K. Think about it a lot of teams were unpredictable. Jackson taken at 3rd, Orakpo taken at 13. Thats what I love about football, its unpredictable. A team that was 1-15 went to the playoffs. So have faith, I’m looking forward to the Depth chart coming out.
Oh I forgot one, the Raiders not taking Crabtree, I swear Al Davis just looks at 40 yard dash times. And since were comparing draft picks to skittles, twix, and kit kat bars. Al Davis would draft a giant reese cup if it could roll the 40 yard dash time fast enough, who cares if it cant catch. Its FAST!!!
I’m fine with the first round but the two trades we made in the 2nd round were about the worst trades we have ever made and who knows maybe they will turn out to be great but when we left Rey Maualuga, Ron Brace and Everette Brown on the table. I just cant understand it
i think what it comes down to is there are some people here that just like to pick fight and be mad. you nothing to back your words up with because nothing has happened. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. the season has not started yet. the fact is the broncos and mcdaniels are undeafeted and you can’t say otherwise.
i don’t think people are mad at the players that were selected it is what we had to give up for them… a second round pick is not worth a first round pick.. that is why the first round picks get so much more money then the second round picks. we should of at the very least recieved like a 6th round pick in return or 5th round pick i believe that even the panthers did the same thing but they got a fourth round pick in return and they drafted after us so they gave up a first rounder next year and recieved a 2nd round this year and a 4th round this year, we gave up a 1st round next year for a 2nd round this year do you see the difference they are getting a later pick and they are still getting more in return then what we got. we should have recived something in return, that is the reason why i am so pissed and you may say they know what there doing, no they don’t this is there time drafting players they never have done that before they may have imput but they never pulled off the trades that was left to the head coach, the assitant coach doesn’t do that and even former head coaches said the same thing and former gm’s said the same thing this was flat out stupid trade not that the pick was bad but what we gave up and got was stupid. a freakin super bowl winning coach thought it was dumb.