Broncos draft for character, not characters

ENGLEWOOD - Maybe the Denver Broncos are serious about emphasizing character when it comes to the draft.

In past years they took chances on players like defensive tackle Marcus Thomas or running back Maurice Clarett, who fell in the draft because of character issues. This year's draft class doesn't appear to include major off-field risks and featured some players whose character seems spotless.

Ross Clady came with his son Ryan, Denver's first-round pick, to his introductory news conference on Sunday to make sure everything went well. Receiver Eddie Royal, a second-round pick, wondered if his maturity helped him get selected ahead of much more publicized receiver DeSean Jackson.

Sunday's picks included Virginia Tech defensive tackle Carlton Powell, a fourth-round pick who missed the first 10-15 picks of the draft on Saturday because he was in Bible study.

"Faith is my whole life," Powell said.

Two other Sunday draftees, Bowling Green center Kory Lichtensteiger and Arizona linebacker Spencer Larsen, each are married with a son.

Larsen spent two college years on a Mormon mission.

Fourth-round pick Jack Williams, a cornerback from Kent State, said he always made sure his college teammates attended class.

The Broncos have often talked of emphasizing character, while giving second chances to troubled players in free agency or the draft. This year the Broncos said character would be important and then backed it on draft day.

"I'm happy with our draft class with the type of character that we did draft," coach Mike Shanahan said. "I think everybody here could tell with the interviews that we got some quality individuals."

Last year NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned that poor off-field behavior wouldn't be tolerated. Then Denver drafted defensive end

Jarvis Moss, who was suspended one game because of marijuana, and Thomas, who was kicked off Florida's team his senior year for failing two drug tests and violating an agreement he had with the coaches.

There were no obvious character flaws among this year's draftees.

"You won't hear anything bad about him," said Ross Clady, who said his son's hobbies include hunting and fishing. "That's not how he was raised. He might have a couple of beers, but going out, toting guns to the airport, things like that - no."

There were risks among the Broncos' second-day picks, but they were medical instead of legal.

The team's first three picks, Lichtensteiger, Williams and Arizona State running back Ryan Torain, slipped in the draft because of injuries.

Lichtensteiger will be rehabilitating from shoulder surgery for another two-to-three months, Williams had a disappointing senior season because of a shoulder injury and Torain had surgery to repair a serious Lisfranc injury to the joints in the middle of his foot.

Sixth-round pick Larsen suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2005. Fullback Peyton Hillis, a seventh-round pick, fractured three transverse processes in his vertebrae as a freshman in 2004. Another seventh-round pick, safety Josh Barrett, took a medical redshirt season in 2003 with a shoulder injury.

Shanahan said the team did its homework on when the injured players will return, and felt comfortable with everyone the team selected.

"I feel very good about everybody," Shanahan said. "Everybody should be ready for the June minicamp."