The Denver Broncos are playing in the postseason, so they're likely not all in yet on the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. They'll need to soon, though, given the numerous places where the Broncos need to show improvement. One of those places might be quarterback, where Tim Tebow has had an up-and-down year for Denver, but Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that fans shouldn't expect the team to select a quarterback in the first round.
But first round? The Broncos will take a cornerback, or a defensive tackle, or a linebacker or a running back. They won’t take a quarterback.
So, presumably, Denver will try to improve an already strong defense, or try to strengthen the running game with a better feature back. There are two legitimately elite QB talents in the 2012 draft- Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III -- but neither of those players is expected to be available when the Broncos pick in the 20's. So rather than reach for a different quarterback, the expectation is that the Broncos will try to improve in other ways while giving Tebow another year to show that he can be a championship-caliber quarterback.
Klis notes that the Broncos do like some of the other quarterbacks in the draft, though, so they may use a later pick to select a new quarterback prospect. Names that Klis mentioned as possible options are Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill, Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden, Arizona's Nick Foles, Arkansas' Tyler Wilson and Boise State's Kellen Moore.
Head over to SB Nation NFL and SB Nation NCAA Football for more on the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report, SB Nation's Denver Broncos blog.