Meet the Denver Broncos Eventual Heir Apparent to Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler

With the 57th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Denver Broncos selected who? A quarterback? After they just spent $80 million on one? Right after they just signed a backup in former Colorado State standout Caleb Hanie? It's true, the Broncos selected Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler with their second pick in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night.

In case you forgot, Peyton Manning’s coming off neck surgery, that means the raw but talented Osweiler is just one snap away from possibly leading this team as a rookie. That of course is not the plan for Osweiler, but he said “I’ll be ready to roll,”  in a conference call after being drafted by the Broncos. “Regardless of whatever the situation is this year, I’ll be ready when my name gets called.”

Osweiler, who threw for 4,036 yards and 26 TDs last season for the Sun Devils "could not be any more excited to be going to Denver to learn from Peyton Manning.”  “A lot of quarterbacks might be upset having to sit behind somebody where I look at it as a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the best, if not the best to ever play the game.”

The Broncos also selected Derek Wolfe early in the second round making him their top pick of this years draft. Wolfe, a speedy 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman who can play both tackle and end came from Cincinnati.

Later in the evening, the team orchestrated a deal with Cleveland to move up in the third round and select San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman. In the swap, Denver sent the Browns its third-round pick, No. 87 overall, and a fourth-rounder (No. 120).