2014 DBN Mock Draft: Denver Broncos Select OL Zack Martin at No. 31

With the 31st pick in the 2014 Dawgs By Nature Community Mock Draft, the Denver Broncos select...

Zack Martin, OL, Notre Dame

This selection and write-up was made by Bizono:

The Denver Broncos were very busy in free agency, and did an excellent job addressing positions of need. On the defensive side, they shored up (at least on paper) the secondary by signing T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, while adding Demarcus Ware to their defensive front seven. On offense, they addressed needs at wide receiver by replacing free agent Eric Decker with Emmanuel Sanders, while also re-signing WR Andre Caldwell.

The most obvious area that they did not significantly address was the offensive line, where they suffered the double-whammy of losing guard Zane Beadles (who signed with Jacksonville), and the retirement of guard Chris Kuper. Their current plan is to move right tackle Orlando Franklin to left guard and move Chris Clark to right tackle. However, their right guard situation is extremely iffy with no proven NFL-caliber depth, and their overall depth on the offensive line is questionable as well.

Selecting Zack Martin with the 31st pick would be an absolute steal for the Broncos. He's clearly the best player available at this point (most draftniks consider him a mid-first round grade), fills a position of need, and while he has below average arm length as an NFL offensive tackle, he has all of the other tools. Martin notably stood out in February's Senior Bowl as the top offensive lineman on both the North and South squads - while there he took reps at both guard (where its been reported that many NFL scouts project him as a possibly pro bowl caliber) and tackle, without missing a beat. This flexibility would be a huge asset for any team, but particularly Denver due to their depth concerns on the offensive line.

Zack Martin should fit right in as a starter on day one and provide immediate positive impact in solidifying one of the few weak areas on a Super Bowl contending squad.

You won't find me complaining about this pick whatsoever. I think the Broncos needing an offensive guard is one of the most obvious first-round positional needs for a team. If Martin somehow falls this far, they should absolutely snatch him up as soon as possible.

The Seattle Seahawks are up next, led by KillerNut.

2014 DBN Community Mock Draft Results (so far)