Broncos LE Derek Wolfe was taken off the field in an ambulance in the first quarter of Saturday's preseason game against the Seahawks. Terrible. Per the Broncos, Wolfe is being evaluated for a "cervical spine injury." Wolfe got high-lowed on a block, and wrenched his entire body. He remained down on the field for several minutes before being strapped to a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. Wolfe started all 16 games as a rookie last season. The Broncos would be very thin along their defensive line were Wolfe to miss significant time.

Broncos DL Derek Wolfe is taking on a leadership role in his second season with the team. Both Champ Bailey and Von Miller singled out Wolfe as a guy who's become a team leader, and predict he's going to "take the next step," as a player this season. Wolfe played more snaps than any other defensive lineman as a rookie, recording 40 tackles, six sacks and batted down two passes. There's been nothing but positive buzz surrounding Wolfe this offseason, and it's expected he'll improve upon those numbers in his second year.

Derek Wolfe became the Broncos' first rookie defensive lineman to start every game as a rookie since 1973.

Broncos second-round pick Derek Wolfe has won the starting left end job. He beat out Robert Ayers. The 36th overall pick in April's draft, Wolfe should be an upgrade in run defense while kicking inside to tackle in Denver's nickel package. Von Miller will replace Wolfe at left end on obvious passing downs. Wolfe seems unlikely to exceed 5-6 sacks in the role, but he's a player on whom the Broncos are very high. He's a bit of a poor man's J.J. Watt.

Broncos second-round DL Derek Wolfe has been "turning heads" in training camp. Already gaining notice in practices, Wolfe enjoyed a two-sack performance versus the Bears in the preseason opener. "He's obviously a very good football player," coach John Fox said. "He's a fabulous young man, brings a lot of toughness ... He's a big, physical body, and he's got a great skill set at rushing the passer. We'll primarily use him on sub-downs or extra-receiver downs inside, so he's got a lot of flexibility."

The Broncos reportedly have "big plans" for second-round DT Derek Wolfe. Wolfe is expected to be used primarily at defensive end in base personnel, and move inside in nickel packages. "I like the way he started camp, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said. "He's going to be swimming for a while because of all that missed time, [but] he'll be a mismatch, he can slide down and play tackle and will do both."

Broncos DC Jack Del Rio plans to use second-rounder Derek Wolfe at defensive end in base personnel before moving inside in nickel packages. "From an initial scouting look, we wondered if he was not necessarily a fit for us," Del Rio said. "The way I started, I said: 'This is the kind of guy that Pittsburgh takes, and he plays for the next 10 years. They just had a guy like that (Aaron Smith) who just retired.'"

According to the Denver, "the feeling around the league" was that the Rams and Steelers were high on No. 36 overall DT Derek Wolfe. Wolfe was seen as a reach in some circles, but three personnel directors told the Post before the draft that he wouldn't make it out of the second round. Scouts were impressed with Wolfe's "high-effort play," versatility, and the ability to consistently win one-on-one matchups all along the line of scrimmage.

Broncos agreed to terms with rookie DT Derek Wolfe, the No. 36 overall pick, on a four-year, $5.2 million contract. The deal contains $3.2 million guaranteed. Denver's early selection of Wolfe suggests he's a big part of the organization's 2012 plans. Regardless of Ty Warren's status with the team, Wolfe projects as a rookie starter at "three technique" tackle. Backups include Kevin Vickerson, Justin Bannan, and Malik Jackson.