It was late. Dan Reeves was tired. The NFL draft was nearly twice as long then, and he'd had just about enough.

The year was 1983. Reeves was rebuilding from a humbling 2-7 strike-interrupted 1982 season. He had already drafted four cornerbacks, two offensive linemen, a wide receiver, a linebacker, a quarterback (now coach of the Houston Texans), a defensive end and a center.

The John Elway deal hadn't happened yet. Reeves still thought his first-round guy was guard Chris Hinton.

In what amounted to a peace offering to the wretches, with whom he was always quarreling, Reeves said he might let us make his 12th-round pick.

Depended on a few things, but if everyone he liked was gone, we could have it.

Naturally, I began to scour Ivy League rosters for a philosophy major.

Turned out, somebody he liked was still there. He seemed to have forgotten his earlier offer when he came down to announce he'd used the 310th selection on an undersized defensive lineman from Minnesota named Karl Mecklenburg.

If only finding a pass rusher these days were that easy.

Somehow, through all the Broncos' recent drama, through tragedy and quarterback controversies and major trades, their primary need remains.

They still don't have a pass rush.

This is a little hard to explain. They have been one of the most active teams in the NFL remaking their roster this offseason, not to mention overhauling the coaching staff.

Responding to the shooting death of cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year's Day, they pulled off a major trade for a replacement, although Dré Bly has been conspicuous since then only by his absence.

It looked from afar like they gave up a lot - starters George Foster, a former first-round draft pick, and Tatum Bell, a former second - but in fact, these guys had been in Mike Shanahan's doghouse so long they were thinking about redecorating.

The Broncos signed Montrae Holland and Daniel Graham to beef up the offensive line and Travis Henry to replace Bell. They may or may not have obtained Dan Wilkinson, depending on whether he reports and passes a physical, but the 14-year veteran is way past his pass-rushing days in any case. At best, he's another big body in the tackle rotation.

All this activity, and still no pass rusher.

They did make a run at Patrick Kerney, the top rusher on the free-agent market, just as they made a run at John Abraham a year ago. In both cases, they thought the eventual price too steep.

Oddly, after allowing the Seahawks to outbid them for Kerney, the Broncos determinedly outbid Seattle for Graham, perhaps overpaying.

No knock on Graham, who was an important part of one of the best offensive lines in college football while at CU. But pass rusher is a much more pronounced need for the Broncos than another tight end.

As it is, Graham will likely supplant last year's starter, Stephen Alexander, as the blocking tight end while Tony Scheffler tries to assume the Shannon Sharpe role as pass receiver in a tight end's body. Graham is an upgrade as a blocker and should help the running game.

Still, Alexander is a solid pro. This was not a major need.

With Kerney off the market, free agency no longer offers much help, so the Broncos must turn to the draft in their search for a pass rusher. This is where things get complicated.

No. 21, the Broncos' position in the first round at the moment, is not high enough for Gaines Adams of Clemson or Jamaal Anderson of Arkansas.

It's probably too high for Jarvis Moss of Florida or Anthony Spencer of Purdue, depending on which way football's fickle finger of fate points over the next six weeks.

Adam Carriker of Nebraska might be there. He's a tough, blue-collar defensive lineman, but he lacks the speed off the edge NFL teams are looking for from ends these days. In fact, some scouts think he'll wind up playing tackle.

This is where the Bly situation becomes intriguing. Unlike Champ Bailey, with whom he would be paired in the secondary, Bly did not come to town for an introductory news conference following his trade from Detroit. Rumors persist that he would prefer to play in Washington.

It just so happens that the Redskins have the sixth pick in the draft, a pretty good place to nab Adams, a speed rusher off the edge in the mold of Jevon Kearse. The last time the Broncos drafted a defensive lineman from Clemson in the first round, it worked out pretty well.

Of course, there would be other temptations way up there, including prototype safety LaRon Landry of LSU and cornerback Leon Hall of Michigan, especially if they're losing Bly in the bargain.

Over time, you can almost bet these alternatives would start to look better and better. For some reason, the Broncos always seem to feel that rushing the passer can wait.

kriegerd@RockyMountainNews.com

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