Denver Broncos: Early depth chart observations at training camp

Early depth chart observations from Denver Broncos 2020 training camp.

The Denver Broncos have kicked off training camp in 2020, just one day before they were slated to play their first scheduled preseason contest.

Of course, all of the preseason games across the entire NFL have been canceled in 2020 so for the time being, all NFL fans have to look forward to are highlights and eyewitness accounts of training camp.

The Broncos have so many new players on the roster and such an exciting young team, but how quickly will some of the newcomers and young guys make their way into the starting lineup?

Even though most of the Broncos’ starting lineup is known and bordering on ‘solidified’, there are still fun roster battles and depth chart battles on both sides of the ball.

In particular, everyone is fascinated to see how things shake out at wide receiver, center, right tackle, and cornerback when it comes to which players will ‘start’ in 2020.

How does the Broncos’ lineup look to open training camp in 2020? Are there any surprises already?

Let’s take a look at what the coaching staff has been doing in terms of the depth chart to open camp and how things could change in the next couple of weeks.

1. Wide receiver

There certainly has been no question about the Broncos’ WR1, which is Courtland Sutton. Beyond that, there’s obviously a battle between rookies Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler as well as holdovers Tim Patrick and DaeSean Hamilton.

If you’ve been listening to Benjamin Allbright on 850 KOA this offseason, you would know that Patrick was going to open as the WR2 regardless of Jerry Jeudy’s draft status. That has stayed true through two days of practice.

Even with Patrick getting the majority of WR2 reps, the Broncos will utilize plenty of three-wide sets and they have been working in both Jerry Jeudy and DaeSean Hamilton with the first-team.

Ultimately, it would not be surprising if the Broncos opened the season with Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton as the primary outside receivers with Jerry Jeudy getting significant work in the slot, and both DaeSean Hamilton and KJ Hamler close behind.

For now, they are getting looks at the offense with Patrick in it, another sign that the running game could be emphasized early on for this team.

2. Center

When the Denver Broncos were dealt a hand of good fortune in the 2020 NFL Draft and able to draft LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry III in the third round, it was assumed by many (me) that he would simply be this year’s version of Dalton Risner — a proven collegiate player and one of the best in the draft at his position who could step immediately into a starting role.

That’s not happening just yet.

Cushenberry seem to be third in line at this point for top center reps with the Broncos as Austin Schlottmann was the number one center on day one of camp with his former TCU teammate Patrick Morris taking center reps on day two.

This is not necessarily bad news for Cushenberry, at all.

On the contrary, the Broncos have a couple of young players they like in both Schlottmann and Morris, and Schlottmann transitioned to the no. 2 right guard behind Graham Glasgow on day two of practice.

Morris is more of a true center, though he filled in as an emergency guard for the Broncos last year as well.

In all likelihood, the Broncos are going to open the season with Cushenberry as the starting center but they have a couple of other guys capable of doing a good job, and perhaps both Morris and Schlottmann are competing for one roster spot.

It would not be shocking to see all three of these guys make the roster, either.

3. Right tackle

After the decision Ja’Wuan James made to opt-out of the 2020 season, the focus shifted over to Elijah Wilkinson, who has been a relief starter for the Broncos both at right guard and right tackle.

Entering 2020 training camp as the no. 1 right tackle, Wilkinson has the confidence of the coaching staff, but they also didn’t want to leave him without competition.

The Broncos were hoping to push Garett Bolles at left tackle with Wilkinson, but now they are hoping to push Wilkinson at right tackle with veteran Demar Dotson.

It feels like it’s only a matter of time before Dotson takes over as the full-time right tackle, opening up the possibility for Wilkinson to again compete on the left side.

With that said, perhaps the Broncos feel more comfortable with Wilkinson on the right side. Through two years of on-field reps, it’s been hard to identify whether or not the Broncos have really found Wilkinson’s true home on the offensive line, or if he’s perhaps best suited as a sixth-man of sorts.

Even though the Broncos are paying Dotson a modest salary for 2020 with only $400,000 in guaranteed money. Even with the fact that Tampa Bay let him go, that’s a bargain price.

He’s not making more money than Wilkinson in 2020, but Dotson’s experience gives him an inside track to the job.

4. Cornerback

To open training camp, the Broncos’ top two cornerbacks are veterans AJ Bouye and Bryce Callahan.

Callahan, who is fully healthy and recovered from a 2019 foot injury, will play an outside cornerback role in the Broncos’ base defense.

But what about when the team goes to the nickel, which basically adds another starting role for a player?

To open camp, the Broncos had third-year player Isaac Yiadom out there. On day two, it was De’Vante Bausby.

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1295040909688492032

Even though the Broncos may have been planning this regardless of Yiadom’s day one performance, you can’t help but wonder how much longer Yiadom is going to be with the team and getting chances to learn on the job.

Bausby was very good for the Broncos when he was given opportunities in 2019, and he may be the unquestioned third corner were it not for a scary spinal injury that ended his season.

Bausby has some of the best closing speed and natural ball skills on the team, and he could be the guy who beats out all of these young, talented players with higher draft status in the end.