After winning 11 consecutive games, the Denver Broncos were considered the team to beat in the playoffs by many, but were eliminated in their first postseason game with a double-overtime loss to the eventual AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens. In that loss, one of the biggest issues for the team was exposed as 34-year old Champ Bailey was beat on multiple occasions by the speed of Torrey Smith.
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In SB Nation's latest mock draft, Matthew Fairburn and Dan Kadar elected to help that need by selecting the third cornerback off the board, late in the first round:
28. Denver Broncos - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
Champ Bailey has certainly seen better days. The Broncos need to inject some youth into that aging secondary. Xavier Rhodes provides some value at this spot. He's a rangy corner with ideal length and athleticism for the position.
While the Broncos finished 2012 with the No. 2 overall defense, they were No. 17 in passing touchdowns allowed. Rhodes, at 6-1, 217 pounds, has the size and length necessary to defend in the red zone and help cut down the touchdown numbers.