Denver Broncos: Can Albert Okwuegbunam be TE2 as a rookie?

The Denver Broncos used a fourth-round pick on Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. Can he be the team’s TE2 already as a rookie?

The Denver Broncos used a first-round pick on tight end Noah Fant in the 2019 offseason, a move that really solidified John Elway’s newfound addiction to speedy offensive skill players early on in the NFL Draft.

After taking Fant in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Elway went and picked Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the first and second rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. In the fourth round of the 2020 draft, Elway made somewhat of a surprising selection when he pulled the trigger on Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.

The pick caught many off guard because the Broncos certainly have no shortage of tight ends on their roster right now:

• Noah Fant
• Nick Vannett
• Jeff Heuerman
• Jake Butt
• Troy Fumagalli
• Andrew Beck
• Austin Fort

The Broncos’ move to pick up free agent tight end Nick Vannett caught some people off guard considering the previous depth at the position, but clearly John Elway, the rest of the front office, and the coaching staff wanted an overhaul at the position.

Even with Heuerman having just one year remaining on a new contract he signed in 2019, the Broncos still appeared to have plenty of guys at the tight end position who could legitimately compete for roster spots and make an impact in 2020.

Now, Vannett and Okwuegbunam have been added to the mix. But why?

What were the Broncos doing with these moves?

Specifically, what were the Broncos thinking with the Albert Okwuegbunam pick?

Can he actually make an impact in 2020? Is he going to be able to beat out the other guys on the roster for playing time?

That’s a tall task to ask of any rookie coming in — just completely taking on a group of veterans or young players who have paid their dues, but Okwuegbunam has the raw talent to come in and be the guy playing with and directly behind Noah Fant.

With Fant and Okwuegbunam on the field at the same time — which might not happen a lot but should definitely happen some — the Broncos have a pair of players at 6-foot-4/6-foot-5, 250-plus pounds, who run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds or less.

Despite the fact that some seem to believe Okwuegbunam made the majority of his plays (23 touchdowns on 98 career receptions) while he was wide open (plenty of times, he was), Okwuegbunam made a lot of really tough plays and showed a lot of savvy with his size and speed throughout the course of his Missouri career.

Especially when it was Drew Lock throwing passes.

Interestingly enough, when you watch Okwuegbunam play in college compared to when Noah Fant was in college, you see a lot of the same athleticism but plenty of differences in their game.

Fant has a lot of experience coming from Iowa playing the in-line tight end position. Okwuegbunam has a lot more experience playing a ‘big slot’ role.

When he was coming out of Iowa, there were questions about Fant surrounding his ability to make tough, contested catches. There were also questions about his after-the-catch abilities, which were all but squashed his rookie season (hello, Cleveland). Fant also had some concerns about dropped passes coming out of Iowa.

For Okwuegbunam, most of his strengths are what Fant’s perceived weaknesses were coming out. He excels at making contested catches. He is tremendous after the catch and an absolute burner in the open field. He has absolutely no concerns with drops, and may have some of the best hands on the Broncos’ roster immediately upon arrival.

Although Okwuegbunam doesn’t have the grace as a route runner of a guy like Jerry Jeudy or the acceleration of a KJ Hamler, he’s got such an intriguing skill set that the Broncos will have to find a way to get him on the field in 2020.

In addition to being a great receiving threat, Okwuegbunam is also an asset as a big slot in the running game. He doesn’t get notoriety for his blocking, but if you put him up against a smaller defensive back or ask him to get to the second level and make a block, he’s good at that.

Although the Broncos took him in the fourth round, the fact that they took him at all is an indicator that they have interest in getting him on the field sooner rather than later. They even consulted their second-year quarterback before making the pick.

This guy has so many fun skills to utilize that the Broncos are going to have a tough time keeping him off the field. Not that he’s going to take away snaps from Noah Fant, but behind Fant on the Broncos’ depth chart, it’s an open competition.

So can he do it? Can he take the TE2 spot as a rookie?

Depending on how valuable Vannett proves himself to be, there’s no question that the upside with Fant and Okwuegbunam as the top two guys is greater athletically than any other combination on the roster.

Fant is going to have to solidify himself as a viable in-line option up against stronger NFL edge players and if that’s the case, Okwuegbunam’s involvement could see a major uptick.

If Okwuegbunam can prove himself as an absolute necessity in the passing game, he should see plenty of reps this year and even beat out guys like Nick Vannett and Jeff Heuerman for spots on the depth chart.