Broncos 2001 Draft Picks

2001 DENVER BRONCOS' DRAFT PICKS
SCOUTING REPORTS
Back To Draft Picks

Click on player names to go to their scouting report.

RD	PK(OVR)	NOTES	NAME	POS	SCHOOL
1	24(24)		Willie Middlebrooks	CB	MINNESOTA
2	20(51)	From Tampa Bay through Buffalo	Paul Toviessi	DE	MARSHALL
3	25(87)		Reggie Hayward	DE	IOWA STATE
4	18(113)	From Green Bay	Ben Hamilton	C	MINNESOTA
4	25(120)		Nick Harris	P	CALIFORNIA
6	27(190)		Kevin Kasper	WR	IOWA

Willie Middlebrooks
SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 1, PICK 24, OVERALL PICK 24
CB | (6-1, 200, 4.45) | MINNESOTA
By Pro Football Weekly

Notes: The 40-time is a pre-injury estimate. Outstanding prep sprinter and an OK - but not really special - football player from Florida. Redshirted after coming to Minnesota in 1997. Played in every game and started seven after moving from safety to cornerback in '98. Started 10 times and was a coaches' second-team All-Big Ten pick in '99. Started in 2000 until breaking his left ankle with four games left in the year. Had 51 tackles, five passes broken up and two picks in '98; 43 tackles, 18 passes broken up and one interception in '99; and 33 tackles, seven passes broken up and one interception in seven-plus games in 2000.

Positives: Good athlete. Excellent size and speed. Has the size everyone is looking for in a cornerback and the speed to run with the sprinters. Generally does well in press coverage. Can be a very physical defender vs. both the pass and the run. Seems to be quite coachable.

Negatives: Played better in '99 than in 2000 and then got hurt. Is coming off a broken ankle. Very raw around the edges and inconsistent in coverage. A tall corner who often times will lose a step when turning to run with a receiver or changing directions. Thus, he will struggle with man-off coverage. Inconsistent tackler with poor technique. Does too much roll-block tackling and rarely wraps up his man. May not tackle or react to the ball well enough to be a safety.

Summary: Size-speed guy in the Michael Booker-Perry Williams mold. Lacks experience and refinement and is coming off a fairly major injury. Much better-suited for a team that plays a lot of bump-and-run coverage, like the Titans, than a team that plays a lot of backed-off man-on-man coverage.

* Player biographies are provided by Pro Football Weekly. The National Football League has not participated in the production or editing of player information or any other information from Pro Football Weekly, and links are provided as a courtesy to fans.

		Paul Toviessi SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 2, PICK 20, OVERALL PICK 51 DE \| (6-6, 260, 4.75) \| MARSHALL By Pro Football Weekly *Notes:* Redshirted in 1996. Had 42 tackles, three tackles for loss and four sacks in 1997. Started the first two games in '98 and had two sacks in the opener but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game. Returned to win All-Mid-American Conference honors in '99 and 2000. Had 73-8-2 in '99 and 80-12-7 in 2000, when he also picked off a pass. *Positives:* Good height. Should be able to add more weight and bulk. Runs well. Can get up the field and has some closing speed. Is learning how to use his hands and arms. Has improved every year. Best football could be in the future. *Negatives:* Lacks bulk and playing strength. Still raw around the edges. Has a hard time getting off blocks. Has improved but is still inconsistent. *Summary:* Has a chance to develop into a player. Flashes some talent as a pass rusher and has the height teams want outside. * Player biographies are provided by Pro Football Weekly. The National Football League has not participated in the production or editing of player information or any other information from Pro Football Weekly, and links are provided as a courtesy to fans.

		Reggie Hayward SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 3, PICK 25, OVERALL PICK 87 DE \| (6-4, 255, 4.9) \| IOWA STATE By Pro Football Weekly *Notes:* Former high school All-American who played in nine games and lettered as an 18-year-old freshman. Has started the past three years. Had 59 tackles and 5½ sacks in 1998, 68-4 in '99 and 90-7, 10 tackles for loss and three blocked kicks in 2000. Led the team in tackles and won second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2000. *Positives:* Young, with a March 1979 birthdate. Has very good playing speed, agility and athletic ability for a defensive end. Has a 40-inch vertical jump and long arms. Should be able to get bigger as he matures. Quick, agile and elusive. Can make himself small and make blockers miss. Flashes big-time pass-rush ability and makes some big plays. Came on late in his senior season. Had a great Hula Bowl (especially the third quarter), beating some less-than-awesome blockers like a drum. *Negatives:* Lacks the weight, playing strength and power that teams want on the line. Does not have the lower-body size and power to anchor and hold the point at this time. Can be run at and bounced around at times. A little slow to shed blocks. Somewhat immature. Why did he wait until the end of the 2000 season to turn it up a notch? And why did he not do more against the better tackles he faced in the East-West Shrine game, as opposed to the Hula Bowl, where he faced weaker opposition and thrived? *Summary:* Has big-time pass-rush potential and should be able to add some bulk strength as he matures, but career track record and lack of strength makes him a risky pick unless you get him in the right place in the draft. * Player biographies are provided by Pro Football Weekly. The National Football League has not participated in the production or editing of player information or any other information from Pro Football Weekly, and links are provided as a courtesy to fans.

		Ben Hamilton SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 4, PICK 18, OVERALL PICK 113 C \| (6-5, 303, 5.3) \| MINNESOTA By Pro Football Weekly *Notes:* Hamilton's father, Wes, played at Tulsa and was the Vikings' third-round pick in 1976. He played for nine years in Minnesota and started most of his career. The younger Hamilton only weighed about 220-225 pounds in high school and redshirted in 1996. He moved into the starting lineup in '97 and started every game. Has started ever since, only missing one game in that span. All-Big Ten offensive lineman in '99 and 2000 who got some All-America notice. Also was a Lombardi Award finalist in 2000. *Positives:* Great intangibles. Team and line leader. Very smart and dedicated. Durable and will play through pain. Really wants to be a good player and will do all the little things to prepare. Understands blocking angles and position. Has some bulldog in him but also plays under control. Has good quickness and athletic ability for a center. Runs well and can pull and lead plays. Might be able to play guard as well as center for a team like the Broncos. *Negatives:* Lacks great natural size and ability. Is a pumped-up 250-pounder. Does not have great strength and power. Will need help to move bigger tackles who play across from him. At times seems to have a problem with his balance and sustaining his blocks. *Summary:* A quicker center with great intangibles. Can play in certain offenses like the Broncos' and fit nicely, but he can't be asked to handle a really big, powerful man without help. * Player biographies are provided by Pro Football Weekly. The National Football League has not participated in the production or editing of player information or any other information from Pro Football Weekly, and links are provided as a courtesy to fans.

		Nick Harris SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 4, PICK 25, OVERALL PICK 120 P \| (6-1, 215) \| CALIFORNIA By Pro Football Weekly *Notes:* California's regular punter for the past four years after redshirting in 1996. Has worked for and with former Raiders great Ray Guy and learned a lot from the master. Averaged 42.2 yards on 77 punts with eight inside the 20 in 1997, 40.8-87-27 in 1998, 44.5-yard average with 21 punts inside the 20 in 1999 and 41.5-73-36 in 2000, including 14 which were fair-caught and only four touchbacks. *Positives:* Good athlete. Strong leg. Excellent skills. Very good hang time and ball placement. Does a nearly phenomenal job dropping the ball inside the 20-yard line. Can generally get the ball to land and spin the way he wants it to so it does not go into the end zone. Put on a phenomenal punting exhibition vs. Illinois, pinning the Illini inside their five-yard line several times. *Negatives:* Can be inconsistent at times. Did not kick well in the Washington State game. *Summary:* Best punter in the country. Can be a weapon with his ability to place the ball and control its spin. * Player biographies are provided by Pro Football Weekly. The National Football League has not participated in the production or editing of player information or any other information from Pro Football Weekly, and links are provided as a courtesy to fans.

		Kevin Kasper SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 6, PICK 27, OVERALL PICK 190 WR \| (6-0, 190, 4.43) \| IOWA \| COLLEGE STATS By Pro Football Weekly *Notes:* Former walk-on who red-shirted in 1996. Caught one pass for 19 yards in '97. Earned his first letter in '98, when he snatched 14-281 and one touchdown. Team's leading receiver in '99 and 2000. Caught 60-664-3 in '99, and caught 46 balls in his last five games. Nationally ranked in 2000 after catching 82-1,010-7. *Positives:* Great dedication and determination. Highly productive college player who improves every year. Smart, tough player with good ball skills and hands. Can reach out and pluck the ball with his hands. Fearless catcher inside. Can adjust to the poorly thrown pass. Seems to work well with his quarterbacks and does the little things that get them out of trouble. Has deceptive quickness and speed. Is much faster and more agile than you would think. Knows how to run routes and set up defensive backs. Had a great combine workout. Ran excellent 40-times. Did an incredible 3.75 in the 20-yard agility drill and vertical-jumped over 43 inches. *Negatives:* Does not play to listed speed and looks like a guy who trained to run a time and improve his 40-time. Lacks great natural size, speed and run-after-the-catch ability. Is not a return man. May have a hard time beating the jam and getting separation on the next level. *Summary:* Too productive on the major college level to overlook. Really helped himself at the combine. Despite workout numbers, I doubt he will be a big-play, gamebreaker-type player. * Player biographies are provided by Pro Football Weekly. The National Football League has not participated in the production or editing of player information or any other information from Pro Football Weekly, and links are provided as a courtesy to fans.