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It will be awhile before people forget the gaffe that cost the Denver Broncos the rights to Elvis Dumervil thanks to a faulty fax machine, but it will not be that long before they start to address their pressing need on pressuring the quarterback. They will have to address that very soon.
While Denver was one of the best and most complete teams in the NFL last season, they won't be as complete without Dumervil and that could be an issue. It gives the Broncos an important need heading into the draft on April 25, so which pass-rusher could fall and be the best fit for Denver in the first round?
One possibility is Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6'3, 266-pound lineman was once projected as a top-five pick, but has slid down the mock draft boards since February and that could benefit John Elway's Broncos come draft day. ESPN's Todd McShay projected Werner to Denver in his latest mock draft:
Replacing Elvis Dumervil's production (11 sacks last season) with Werner makes sense. Denver allowed a league-best 36.1 Total QBR with four or fewer rushers, and 12 of Werner's 13 sacks came as part of a standard pass-rush, most among players rated in the top 100 by Scouts, Inc.
While Denver was second in total defense last year, they lost a significant portion of their pass-rush when Dumervil slid through the cracks and signed with the Ravens. Is Werner going to be the young, high-tech answer to that problem?
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