Broncos training camp: Can Juwann Winfree be a factor again?

Can Juwann Winfree be a factor for the Broncos in 2020 training camp?

The Denver Broncos have a loaded wide receiver position heading into 2020 training camp, and there are a lot of players who could realistically factor into the discussion for roster spots this season.

Predominantly Orange site expert Travis Wakeman took a look at the names of some unheralded receivers who could step up in camp, and one of those players is certainly 2019 sixth-round pick Juwann Winfree.

Winfree was a bit of a mystery man when he was drafted by the Broncos in 2019, starting only seven of his 21 college games between Maryland and Colorado.

He finished his collegiate career with six touchdown catches, a number of really impressive big plays, and plenty of strong reps where he didn’t get the ball as a route runner or blocker.

Coming into camp with the Broncos in 2019 after the team traded up to get him in the 2019 draft, there were not exactly low expectations for Winfree, but he was really a wild card option for the team.

He ended up impressing all throughout the offseason and into training camp where he was getting some reps with the first-team offense. Whether or not that was just how Rich Scangarello was operating camp (many receivers got first-team reps), Winfree seemed to take advantage of the reps he was given, especially the ones I saw when I was personally in attendance last year.

He carried some of that over into preseason action, but ultimately, I think Winfree made the 2019 Broncos based more on what he was doing in practices than what he did in the preseason games, even though he did have some success there.

Winfree is a smooth player at the wide receiver position who had some really nice success running out of the slot at Colorado, and I think his size and athletic ability still translate there entering his second NFL season.

The Broncos have a lot of guys who can work the slot right now, and Winfree is one of them, but he also has the size, play strength, and speed to be an effective player behind someone like Courtland Sutton in the X role.

The Broncos don’t have a ton of guys like that on the roster.

Winfree is one of only three players in the Broncos’ receiver group (Sutton, Tim Patrick) listed at 6-foot-3 or taller.

With Winfree’s size, speed, and inside-outside versatility, he can be a factor again in Broncos camp in 2020.

Whose spot is he going to have to take? If Winfree was the Broncos’ WR6 last year, the additions of guys like Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Tyrie Cleveland, and the return of a healthy Tim Patrick certainly don’t seem to bode well for his roster chances but there’s no question the team likes him, and he was a guy you have to think has the backing of both the front office and wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni.

It will be fun to see how much Winfree has grown from year one to year two, but it’s important to remember that this was a player the Broncos were excited about last season and he can be a factor again in 2020.