Getty Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall hands the ball off to RB Shermari Jones.
The Denver Broncos had a pre-draft visit with Coastal Carolina running back Shermari Jones, according to Mike Klis of 9news.
Per source, the Broncos held top 30 pre-draft visits last week with Virginia safety Nick Grant and Coastal Carolina RB Shermari Jones. #9sports
Jones was a freshman at Independence Community College in 2018, where he rushed for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Jones was featured on the Netflix series Last Chance U.
Jones would later transfer to Coastal Carolina. As a senior, Jones enjoyed a breakout season; he rushed for 1,040 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games. He was selected to the 2021 All-Sun Belt First Team.
Jones will likely be a late Day 3 pick. Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network has Jones ranked 745th on his big board.
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The Broncos Are Still Having Discussions With Melvin Gordon
The Broncos still do not have a clear number two running back behind Javonte Williams. The draft may be the best option, but the team has not ruled out bringing back veteran Melvin Gordon.
On March 14, KOA Colorado’s Benjamin Allbright reported that a reunion between Gordon the Broncos was unlikely.
There had been mutual interest in RB Melvin Gordon and possible Broncos return, but looks like that’s not gonna happen.
He ran for 1,904 yards & 17 TDs, caught 60 balls for 371 and 3 TDs in split backfield last 2 yrs.
Helped sell former college teammate Russ Wilson on Den, too.
However, Gordon remains a free agent. During the Annual League Meeting, Broncos’ general manager George Paton said that discussions with Gordon are ongoing, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post.
Paton said the Broncos have not closed the door on free agents Kareem Jackson (safety) and Melvin Gordon (running back). “Spoken with both of their agents,” Paton said. “It’s ongoing. Really good players.”
With many free-agent running backs off the board, a reunion could be the best option for both Gordon and the Broncos.
The Broncos Met With TE Isaiah Likely
In addition to Jones, the Broncos also met with another Coastal Carolina prospect. They had a Zoom call with tight end Isaiah Likely, according to Ryan Roberts of Sports Illustrated.
Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely’s visits thus far:
Formals at the Combine: Giants, Jets, Lions, Cowboys, Jaguars, Browns, Bengals, Raiders
Top 30 visits: Cardinals, Jets, Bills
Zoom calls: LA Chargers, Broncos
Private workout: Saints and Colts
Grew up a Patriots fan
Likely is one of the best tight ends in this draft class. Last season, he had a PFF grade of 93.3, which was second among all FBS tight ends.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien compared Likely to three-time Pro Bowl tight end Delaine Walker.
Tight end prospect with an intangibles profile and positional traits that make him projectable to the next level. Likely was a winner in high school and played a pivotal role in the ascension of Coastal Carolina over the past two seasons. He lacks a prototypical tight end frame and is an inconsistent blocker, but he runs well and filled up his career stat sheet with big plays. It could take Likely a year or two to find his footing against stronger, faster coverage, but he has the tools to uncover against NFL coverage as an “F” tight end.
After losing Noah Fant in the Russell Wilson trade, targeting a tight end on draft night makes sense. Albert Okwuegbunam has flashed the potential to take over as the team’s top tight end, but the Broncos could use some depth behind Okwuegbunam.
Likely would be an excellent addition. At the moment, he is projected to be a third-round pick. He is currently 108th on PFF’s big board.
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