Broncos rookie DB Will Parks should have instant impact
Denver Broncos rookie defensive back Will Parks should be in line to make an instant impact on this team. How will he solidify his roster status?
The Denver Broncos could see a rare level of impact from their 2016 rookie class, and it’s due to the fact that the team lost so many players in free agency this past offseason. One such player in line to make an impact is defensive back Will Parks, one of my favorite picks in the Broncos’ class and an absolute baller on the football field.
Parks was listed as a safety coming out, but he’s played all over the defense. He’s not only played all over, but he’s made plays all over the place. Just to remind you of how good Parks was at Arizona, let me rewind back to the time of the 2016 NFL Draft, already a couple of months ago now.
“There are obviously reasons that Parks fell to the sixth round. I’m not going to try and paint every player as though they should have been a first round pick, but this guy has some impressive skills. If it takes 53 guys to put together a Super Bowl caliber team, this is a player I would certainly want on my side.
He has been productive in a number of different roles for Arizona over the last three years, including both safety positions, nickel defensive back, matched up one-on-one as an outside corner, even playing some LB and DE for the Wildcats. This guy’s toughness obviously plays a huge role in the ability he has to play multiple positions, but his instincts as a football player are likely what drew the interest of the Broncos here.”
The toughness and instincts you see from Parks when you watch him play are phenomenal.
Pro Football Focus ranked Parks as the 15th best pick (in terms of value and grade in college) in the entire draft. Here’s what they had to say about him:
“Another versatile piece to add to a loaded Broncos secondary. Parks was our highest-graded cornerback in college football in 2014 after he dominated in a slot role for Arizona. Last season he lined up all over the Wildcats defense while adding more snaps at deep safety and graded out similarly well. He doesn’t check the athletic boxes, but for a sixth-round pick, the Broncos got a heck of a football player.”
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The Broncos have seen plenty of guys come into their system in recent years who weren’t necessarily going to be trying out for the Olympics anytime soon in terms of their athletic ability, but the fact that they are such instinctive football players makes all the difference on Sundays.
Parks has the feel of a player who is going to come out looking to make a statement on every snap, every special teams play, giving the kind of effort it takes to not only make a 53-man roster as a sixth round pick, but to stand out and make yourself a necessity on game day.
If Parks can show the Broncos in training camp and the preseason the kind of tenacity he put on display the last couple of years at Arizona, he should be in line for a role with the best defense in the league.