Denver Broncos: Undrafted rookie spotlight on WR Zimari Manning
The Denver Broncos selected three wide receivers in the 2020 NFL draft. But they didn’t stop there, adding two more as undrafted free agents.
The first of those to be the subject of this undrafted rookie spotlight is Zimari Manning, a player from a school almost no one has ever heard of.
Manning shares the same last name with one of the most famous Broncos in team history, but he will have to take a much tougher road to reach the great heights of professional football.
Manning played collegiately as a Division II player at Tarleton State, a school in the town of Stephenville, Texas. Though the school will become a Division I FCS competitor this coming season, it is not known for churning out NFL talent.
Among the names that have come out of the school to join the professional ranks are Randy Winkler, James Dearth, Richard Bartel and Rufus Johnson. Any of those names ring a bell? Manning hopes to be a memorable star from the school.
Last season, Manning caught 68 passes for over 1,400 yards and he had 22 touchdown receptions, which was more than any player in college football in any division.
That led to him finishing third in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Manning has great size for the position and a good pair of hands. Those are things that will help him succeed as he tries to make the team, but the question of the level of competition he went up against will be something he’ll have to overcome. Is he fast enough to get past NFL defensive backs? Will his route-running hold up against stiffer competition?
Those are the questions he’ll have to answer.
Looking at Tarleton’s schedule last season, you won’t recognize one team they played. The list of opponents includes the likes of Doane University, Permian Basis and Angelo State.
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Odds of making 2020 roster (1-10 scale): 2
The Broncos invested three draft picks on the wide receiver position and the team already has Courtland Sutton, a lock to make the roster, in place. Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler will all be on the roster for sure, so that leaves two or three spots to be claimed.
Here is the rest of the roster at the wide receiver position:
Tyrie Cleveland, DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick, Diontae Spencer, Fred Brown, Juwann Winfree, Kelvin McKnight, Trinity Benson and fellow undrafted free agent, Kendall Hinton.
Though wide receiver was clearly the Broncos’ weakest position entering the draft, that is a lot of names for Manning to leapfrog. As a result, he is likely pushing for a spot on the practice squad, but there is a good chance he could emerge as a candidate for that if his impressive, undeveloped talent can quickly translate over.