Clemson Tigers linebacker and 2015 NFL Draft prospect Stephone Anthony is already comfortable wearing orange, so the Denver Broncos and John Elway should just give him a different shade when the draft gets rolling in a couple of months.

Anthony was an extremely productive player on a talented defense at Clemson, racking up 75 tackles — 10.5 for loss — 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception this past year for the Tigers. That came on the heels of a very similarly productive season statistically the year before for Clemson, and when you watch Anthony play, he is a guy who can play sideline to sideline, be a thumper in the middle, and create problems for teams in the offensive backfield.

The Broncos have a need for a thumper in the middle with guys like Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall who are speedy, athletic linebackers that make plays in space. Anthony’s style would complement those guys really well, but don’t take my word for it…

The Broncos should, at this point, be gushing over Anthony’s ability to play downfield and make plays in the backfield, but look how he compares athletically to all the other inside linebackers int his year’s class of players.

For the Broncos, this is a can’t-miss prospect that should be targeted as early as the second round. There have been a ton of mock drafts I’ve seen where people have Anthony going in the fourth round or later, but after his performance at the Scouting Combine, I don’t see that happening. Teams are going to have to place a premium on this player, and get him on day two of the draft.

Anthony is a big linebacker at 6-2 243 pounds, and is strong, physical, athletic, explosive, and fast. He diagnoses plays early and attacks the line of scrimmage. what he lacks in coverage ability would be made up for by the fact that the Broncos have other linebackers to handle those duties.

Just one year after taking two linebackers in the draft, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Broncos take another and this guy is as strong a candidate as any.