Wade Phillips talks up undrafted rookie Kyle Peko
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has coached some of the greatest defensive players in the game, and he had high marks for UDFA Kyle Peko…
With the Denver Broncos placing nose tackle Phil Taylor on injured reserve recently, opportunities have opened up behind Sylvester Williams. For undrafted rookie Kyle Peko out of Oregon State, those opportunities yielded some nice results at day five of Broncos camp.
Peko got the attention of everyone at camp when he batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage despite being a shorter defensive lineman at 6-1.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips spoke highly of Peko’s performance, even bringing up a great nose tackle that might ring a bell for Broncos fans…
“I told them that the tallest guy up there made the play. We’ve always stressed that as being able to get your hands up if you’re not able to get there quite in time. It just shows because he’s not a tall guy. I had [NT] Jamal Williams at San Diego. [He] was the same kind of stature and he knocked down a bunch of passes. That’s when I thought, ‘Well gee, anybody can do it if they just work at it,’ so he did a good job today. [DT Kyle] Peko’s been impressive.”
That’s a lofty comparison for Peko, who was considered one of the Broncos’ top UDFA signings right after the draft. His wide body and quickness make him the perfect fit for a nose tackle in Phillips’ defense.
Training camp and the preseason are going to be huge for Peko, who obviously has an uphill battle as an undrafted player. If he can prove that he can create pressure from the inside and get to the ball even when he’s not able to get past the offensive line, there will undoubtedly be a place for him.
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He’s currently battling with Darius Kilgo for the primary backup nose tackle spot, though the Broncos could rotate a number of different players at that spot, including Vance Walker.
Gary Kubiak is also taking notice of Peko’s performance, and noted that his ability to show out in the preseason could loom large for him.
“Peko is a good name. He looks like a good player. It is going to be interesting to see how he plays during the preseason. [NT Darius] Kilgo needs to continue to step up as a second year player. They are getting plenty of opportunities. That’s been our nick spot. There and tight end have really been missing some guys and are short on numbers. We’ll see. He’s obviously stood out.”
At this point, there’s nothing better that Peko could do than stand out.