Denver Broncos Draft Countdown: Making the Case for TE Hunter Henry

The NFL draft is coming up on Thursday, and the Denver Broncos have a big decision to make regarding their first-round pick. Things have changed in the draft in recent weeks, as the top two picks have been traded. There seems to be more trades on the horizon in the opening round.

The Broncos’ biggest need is at the quarterback position, but general manager John Elway has a history of going with the best player available on the board—regardless of position. This strategy has served him well, as Elway built a Super Bowl champion in just five years as an executive. Now, his task will be continuing the winning tradition the team (and the fanbase) has become all too familiar with.

The Hall of Fame quarterback feels good about where he’s positioned the team to be following their Super Bowl championship.

“We feel great, Elway said. “We have [10] picks. We’re in good shape there. We’ll continue with the philosophy of trying to build through the draft and add free agents that we think can help us.”

Elway has never selected an offensive player with the team’s first pick in the draft, but this could be the year that changes. The Broncos’ world-class defense is mostly intact and should continue to be a dominant force in the league. However, the offense could use a little more punch after struggling for most of 2015.

Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry might be the best at his position among the incoming crop of talent. He’s got a bit of a throwback skill set, and his fit with the Broncos offense could be exact—and exciting.

In this article, we’ll make the case for Henry to be the Broncos’ top choice in the 2016 NFL draft.

College Career

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Playing for the Razorbacks is a family tradition. Henry’s father, Mark, played offensive tackle for Arkansas back in the early ’90s and was voted team captain during his senior season. Henry showed up as a highly touted high school recruit and did not disappoint.

Henry was a big part of what the Razorbacks did on offense during his time with the team. A matchup nightmare, he combined a wide receiver’s athleticism with the size-strength combination of a tight end. Arkansas moved him around the formation, as Henry can be an in-line tight end, split out wide or even man the slot to take on nickel cornerbacks.

At this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Henry commented on playing in an offense that features plenty of play-action passes and how that helps him as he prepares for the pros.

“We did a lot of play-action that really tried to sell the defense,” he said. “We did a lot of run plays to try to bring the safeties up and draw people in. I was usually in a lot on play-action and things like that, trying to bring the safeties up.”

In the SEC, Henry regularly faced multiple defenders bound for the NFL. That’s a fact not lost on him, and it is one that can be highlighted as a big positive for …

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