Broncos have a high upside futures player in LB Tre’ Crawford
The Denver Broncos added some serious athleticism to their roster with the signing of linebacker Tre’ Crawford, a rookie in 2019.
As we progress toward the 2020 free agency period, we know the Denver Broncos will leave no stones unturned when putting together the best possible roster to make a playoff run in 2020.
You never know which players are going to turn out to be studs, and the especially unlikely stories are those players who are signed as reserve/future contract players, players who don’t technically become part of the team until the new league year in March.
When those players officially become part of the roster, the Broncos will have a fascinating young prospect at the linebacker position to get a closer look at.
That player is former UAB star Tre’ Crawford, somewhat of a hybrid rush linebacker with ridiculous athletic ability who originally signed as an undrafted player with the Atlanta Falcons last year.
Here’s the pro day he put together at UAB before the 2019 NFL Draft.
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 228 pounds
- 40-time: 4.65
- Vertical jump: 42 inches
- Bench press: 19 reps
While Crawford played a lot of ‘edge’ in college, the thought is that with the Broncos he will be an off-ball or inside linebacker, and what really stands out about him among those measurables is the ridiculous 42-inch vertical jump.
Talk about explosive.
Crawford, incidentally, made his NFL debut in the Hall of Fame game last year against the Broncos when he was with the Atlanta Falcons, and he terrorized the Broncos to the tune of four tackles. He ended up recording his first preseason sack in the final week of preseason play against the Jaguars and showed his versatility.
There’s plenty to be developed here, but even as somewhat of an undersized edge player, Crawford managed to make an impression on the Falcons’ coaching staff last year.
Next. Broncos 2020 free agency plan: Linebackers. dark
His athletic makeup seems like an ideal special teams player in the NFL, but if he can prove himself as a defender over the next couple of months, especially with the Broncos in need of athletic linebackers who can cover, it’s possible this athletic freak could wind up being a contributor on this defense.