Vance Joseph very excited about Broncos’ young receivers

Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph talked about his excitement for young receivers Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie at minicamp…

The Denver Broncos and head coach Vance Joseph talked this offseason about adding ‘juice’ to the offense, a reference that has already gotten old for me. However, the reason behind the reference still rings true, but now we’re getting to see the ‘juice’ the Broncos added out on the practice field.

At the team’s rookie orientation/minicamp this weekend, young wide receivers Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie were on the field for the first time in orange and blue. The good news for both of them?

Joseph was impressed.

"“I think McKenzie for me, confirms his ball skills. Sometimes when you have a smaller receiver, their ball skills suffer. But, he’s got big man ball skills and it confirmed today. With Carlos Henderson, he looked the same. He’s a receiver that’s built like a running back. He’s got a big upper body so he can break tackles. He’s got a quick twist to play the slot position for us. I’m excited about both of those kids.”*  Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph (quotes obtained via Denver Broncos PR)"

The ‘big man ball skills’ were prevalent in film study of McKenzie during his time at Georgia. The first Broncos rookie to sign his contract is one of the most explosive playmakers the team has added to the roster since bringing in Emmanuel Sanders in 2014.

No, that doesn’t mean McKenzie is going to come in and ‘be’ Sanders right away, but he offers the type of speed, quickness, and open-field elusiveness that truly eluded the Broncos the last few years. Denver’s options at receiver behind Sanders and Demaryius Thomas have been atrocious, so the team made some moves to go and get the smaller McKenzie and Henderson.

But like Joseph said, it would be a mistake to pair McKenzie’s smaller size with an inability to play the ball. He consistently made tough, contested catches at Georgia and I think that ability will translate immediately.

Henderson is one of the most versatile threats on the team, and was an incredible playmaker in college at Louisiana Tech. How good was he?

Henderson essentially scored a touchdown once every five touches in college, and averaged over 20 yards per play. That’s astounding efficiency and it really shows how great he is after the catch and in the open field.

That’s what the Broncos are excited about, and it’s the perfect remedy for a desperate, ailing offense.