With the crushing news earlier today that Elvis Dumervil, stud defensive lineman for Denver, may miss the entire season with a torn pectoral muscle, all eyes now look to the remainder of the defensive line for a glimmer of hope.
↵Exhibit A: Robert Ayers
↵Ayers didn't have a poor rookie season in 2009, but he didn't exactly light up the stat sheet either. He hit his gaps, made mistakes, and generally played like a rookie. But with the recent injury news, that is no longer good enough. If the Denver Broncos hope to compete with a completely rebuilt defensive front, Ayers is going to have to play like the first round draft pick we all expect, as John Bena said here earlier this week.
↵With an entire season already teetering due to injuries, it's perfectly reasonable to have high expectations of talented players who have yet to show their full potential. Moreno is still on this list, but Ayers now leads the pack.