If the Denver Broncos wanted a few good men, they got them.

Of the 240 players picked in last weekend's draft, the Broncos came away with only three of them: Clemson defensive lineman Trevor Pryce, Texas guard/center Dan Neil and Ball State safety Cory Gilliard.

The Broncos' second-round pick went to Baltimore in exchange for offensive tackle Tony Jones; their fifth-round pick went to St. Louis in exchange for wide receiver Todd Kinchen; and their sixth- and seventh-round picks went to the New York Jets in exchange for the right to move up in the third round to select Neil.

Thus leaving the Broncos with a few good men.

And the thing is, the Broncos didn't mind all that much. They had addressed most of their needs through free agency by adding defensive end Neil Smith, defensive tackle Keith Traylor, linebacker Godfrey Myles, safety Dedrick Dodge, offensive tackle Harry Swayne, running back Anthony Lynn, fullback Howard Griffith and wide receiver Willie Green.

"I feel very good about the draft,'' said coach Mike Shanahan. "I think when you take a look at Pryce, we really had him projected very early, at least the middle of the first round to the lower part of the first round. And a guy like Neil, I personally believe that he'll be a starter in the NFL for a long time. It doesn't happen overnight. But I believe he's got that type of potential, he's that type of person. I think everybody will be very impressed.

"And if you take a look at Tony Jones, you're very impressed with your second-round draft choice. Put Tony Jones on that board and take a look at the draft choices we do have, and that's four guys that I think will be on our team.''

ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

Round 1/28 -- Trevor Pryce, DT, Clemson

A converted linebacker with something of a checkered college career, Pryce is considered a raw talent with tremendous growth potential. He started his college career at Michigan in 1993, but got into academic trouble and had run-ins with coaches. He was suspended for the 1994 Holiday Bowl and left the school. He transferred to Clemson and sat out the 1995 season. At Clemson, Pryce got into trouble for unauthorized use of a telephone credit card. On the field, he outgrew the linebacker position and was moved to defensive end, developing into a natural pass rusher. He led the Tigers in sacks last season with 6.5, despite starting only seven games and lining up on the strong side. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds and bench pressed 395 pounds at the NFL combine. The Broncos plan to use him as a pass-rushing defensive tackle.

Round 3/67 -- Dan Neil, G/C, Texas

A four-year starter for the Longhorns, Neil never missed a start. Scouts describe him as "very explosive and a fierce battler,'' with a natural feel for leveraging blocks and the athletic ability to adjust to multiple moves by a defensive lineman. He started every game at right guard last season and was credited with 99 pancake blocks. Shanahan thinks Neil has the ability and maturity to step in and compete for a starting job if not this season, then in the very near future. And the Broncos would not have surrendered four picks to get him if they were not very high on him.

Round 4/124 -- Cory Gilliard, S, Ball State

The player the Broncos would have loved to have taken in round four was North Carolina running back Leon Johnson. But he went to the Jets earlier in the round and the Broncos settled for Gilliard, another player who they were high on. The Broncos love the way Gilliard hits and with his 4.4 speed, they think he can develop into a better cover safety. Plus Steve Atwater will turn 31 this season and Tyrone Braxton will turn 33 so the Broncos had to begin grooming replacements.