After the NFL Draft concluded on Sunday, the Broncos seemed to improve in all areas of need--that is, except for one.

The squad needed help on the offensive line. Ryan Clady. Check.

They needed someone to help on kick and punt returns. Eddie Royal. Check.

They also need some competition at the placekicker position. Nothing. No check.

As training camp opens, it becomes rather obvious that Matt Prater is in the driver's seat. He hasn't been handed the job but with almost nobody pushing him, it seems like it is his to lose. That really is hard for me to imagine.

In the NFL a place filled with parity, a place where the line between winning and losing is so slim, a place where close games are commonplace, why would they.would put all of their trust in an unproven player?

In that regard, what would be the harm in using a late round draft pick on a placekicker? Many late round choices do not make the team and as the draft goes on into the second day picks, may teams draft the best available player. A placekicker rarely falls into the "best available" player designation, however, if that is a position of concern for your team and somebody of consequence is out there, why not gamble a late round draft selection on him with little to lose?

On that front, the best placekicker, in the opinion of many, was Brandon Coutu of Georgia. He was selected in the seventh round by Seattle. He was taken 235th overall. Would that have been a risk worth taking for the Broncos? If it means the difference between possibly winning and losing four games (Thank you, Jason Elam), I think the answer is an overwhelming yes.

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

-"z"