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Some suprises in Broncos NFL draft picks

ENGLEWOOD (AP) - The Denver Broncos bypassed their many needs on defense and surprisingly picked Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno with the 12th pick of the NFL draft on Saturday.
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The pick was the first for new coach Josh McDaniels and rookie general manager Brian Xanders, who replaced Mike Shanahan after 14 seasons in charge at Dove Valley.

Knowshon Moreno reacted to the news.

"Just very excited. Very excited to be a part of everything. And I was just really happy about it," said Moreno. "You know, a lot of teams needed (running) backs, but I didn't know what was going to happen. But once I got that call, got that idea and (Head Coach Josh McDaniels) told me about it, about that they (the Broncos) were going to take me, I was so excited about the situation and to be a part of the team now."

The Broncos picked Defensive End Robert Ayers from Tennessee for their 2nd pick - the 18th in the draft's first round.

A surprise in the 2nd round. The Broncos traded with the Seattle Seahawks and picked cornerback Alphonso Smith.

They have plenty of needs on defense as they transition to a 3-4 scheme, but the 33-year-old McDaniels needs upgrades on offense, too.

Denver signed three running backs in free agency -- J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter -- to compete with holdovers Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young and Ryan Torain.

CLICK HERE: For more information on Knowshon Moreno.

Pick 18: Denver Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos addressed a glaring need at defensive end Saturday by selecting Tennessee pass-rusher Robert Ayers with their second pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

The Broncos, who surprisingly went with Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno with the 12th pick, started addressing their many defensive holes with the addition of Ayers at No. 18.

The Broncos acquired the pick from Chicago in the Jay Cutler trade that also netted Denver a third-round pick Sunday and a first-round draft pick next year. This was the first time in franchise history the Broncos had two picks in the first round.

CLICK HERE: For more information on Robert Ayers

Here is a look at the picks for the entire 1st round:

Pick 1: Detroit Lions

NEW YORK (AP) -- Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford has been selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

The junior already has agreed to a six-year deal with $41.7 million in guarantees and a maximum value of $78 million, even though he is not expected to start as a rookie.

The Lions had the first spot by becoming the first team in NFL history to go 0-16.

Nine of the last 12 top overall picks have been quarterbacks.

Detroit also negotiated with Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry before reaching an agreement with Stafford.

Pick 2: St. Louis Rams:

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Rams filled their greatest need with the second pick of the NFL draft, taking offensive tackle Jason Smith of Baylor on Saturday.

The Rams have many holes to fill, as evidenced by their 5-27 record the last two years. They created the biggest gap on the line when they released seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace.

The Rams passed on other enticing prospects such as Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry and Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez. St. Louis used all 10 of its allotted minutes before taking the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Smith.

Pick 3: Kansas City Chiefs:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Chiefs, who set an NFL record last year for pass-rushing futility, grabbed defensive end Tyson Jackson of LSU with the third overall choice of the NFL draft.

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Jackson should also fit nicely if the Chiefs decide to switch to a 3-4 defensive alignment under first-year head coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli.

It was KC's highest pick since they took Nebraska's Neil Smith No. 2 overall in 1988. The Chiefs were 2-14 last season.

Pick 4: Seattle Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. (AP) -- The Seahawks have selected outside linebacker Aaron Curry of Wake Forest with the fourth pick in the NFL draft.

Seattle's choice on Saturday addresses its most immediate need: finding a replacement for traded Julian Peterson. Franchise player Leroy Hill, the Seahawks' other starting outside linebacker, also could be gone next year.

Curry's head was bowed when his name was announced inside Radio City Music Hall in New York. Curry then wiped away tears and said he expected to go into Seattle's defense and "fly around."

The 6-foot-1, 254-pound Curry will be expected to start immediately this fall. He is Seattle's highest pick since Shawn Springs was the Seahawks' No. 3 choice in 1997.

Pick 5: New York Jets from Cleveland

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Jets have selected quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth pick of the NFL draft after trading with the Cleveland Browns.

The former USC star with the powerful arm gives the Jets a franchise quarterback after Brett Favre came out of retirement for one season.

The pick was the first for new coach Rex Ryan, who will have Sanchez compete with Kellen Clemens for the starting job. Sanchez threw for 3,965 yards and 41 touchdowns in 16 starts with the Trojans, but the Jets were confident in selecting him despite his lack of experience.

The Jets acquired the pick from Cleveland and former coach Eric Mangini for their first-round pick, No. 17 overall, their second-round pick this year, and defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam and quarterback Brett Ratliff.

Pick 6: Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP) -- After watching quarterback Carson Palmer get beat up last season, the Cincinnati Bengals used their first-round pick on offensive tackle Andre Smith, filling their biggest need with a lineman who has some of the biggest questions.

The junior from Alabama was one of the best blockers available, but gave some teams a fright when he left the combine early. There were questions about his commitment to staying in shape.

The Bengals said they spent a lot of time with Smith and came away convinced that it was safe to make him the sixth overall pick.

Pick 7: Oakland Raiders

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Raiders have taken Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland with the seventh pick of the NFL draft, passing up more heralded accomplished receivers to take the fastest of them all.

The decision to choose Heyward-Bey on Saturday ahead of Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin or offensive tackle Eugene Monroe came as a bit of a surprise.

Heyward-Bey had 42 catches for 609 yards and five touchdowns last season, numbers that paled in comparison to Crabtree's 97 catches for Texas Tech and Maclin's 102 for Missouri.

But Heyward-Bey was the fastest receiver at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds and speed is always a priority for owner Al Davis.

Finding a big-play receiver for quarterback JaMarcus Russell was a priority for the Raiders, who have lost at least 11 games for six straight seasons. Johnnie Lee Higgins led all of Oakland's wideouts with 22 catches, and the team had just 82 receptions in all from the position.

Pick 8: Jacksonville Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have upgraded their offensive line by selecting left tackle Eugene Monroe with the eighth pick in the NFL draft.

Monroe, a 6-foot-5, 316-pounder from Virginia, is the first offensive linemen drafted by Jacksonville in the first round since Tony Boselli in 1995. Boselli turned out to be a five-time Pro Bowl selection.

The Jaguars can only hope for the same from Monroe, who is expected to step in for Khalif Barnes at left tackle. Jacksonville parted ways with Barnes after last season, but then signed three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas.

Now, the 34-year-old Thomas likely will move to right tackle or serve as a mentor for Monroe.

Pick 9: Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- The Green Bay Packers filled a critical need on their rebuilding defense in the first round of the NFL draft, taking Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji with the No. 9 overall pick on Saturday.

After the Packers' defense bore the brunt of the blame for a disappointing 6-10 season in 2008, Green Bay brought in a new defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, and is in the process of switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive alignment.

By taking Raji, Packers general manager Ted Thompson passed on the chance to draft Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree -- a player many analysts considered one of the most talented in the draft.

Pick 10: San Francisco

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers have selected receiver Michael Crabtree in the NFL draft, snatching up the Texas Tech star when he unexpectedly slipped to the 10th pick.

Crabtree won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best college receiver after both of his two seasons with the Red Raiders, where he caught 231 passes for 41 touchdowns.

He was widely expected to be the first receiver selected, but Crabtree might have slipped in teams' estimation when a stress fracture was discovered in his left foot at the combine, forcing him to cancel several workouts for NFL clubs.

He has mostly recovered from surgery on the injury, but nine teams passed on him -- including the nearby Oakland Raiders, who went with Maryland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey....

LINK >> 9NEWS.com | Colorado's Online News Leader | Some suprises in Broncos NFL draft picks

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I was hoping the Broncos would move up and get Mark Sanchez. Now we have to see how we do with second string QBs. Thanks Bowlen. Go Broncos!!!

I think your coach made the wrong move Bronco Girl, Cutler is a baby when things don't go his way but he is a franchise QB. He should have never let things get so bad with him.Trading up for Sanchez would have been a good move, & may have saved McDaniels job in the long run.
I am glad the trade didn't happen though.