The Denver Broncos have several tight ends fighting for a roster spot. 2020 draft pick Albert Okwuegbunam has been impressive in training camp thus far.
The Denver Broncos have needed tight end help for a while, even with the drafting of Noah Fant in the 2019 NFL Draft. They added several players this offseason, including free agent Nick Vannett, and rookie draft pick Albert Okwuegbunam.
Okwuegbunam played college ball at Missouri for three seasons, two of those years with Drew Lock as the quarterback.
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said that he and the other coaches have been happy with how Okwuegbunam is coming along.
"“Overall, we’ve been pleased with his play thus far. He’s obviously a big target at six-five-and-a-half. He runs well. He’s got good hands. He’s been playing with a splint on his thumb here the last few days that he’s done very well with. You can’t even tell so that’s always good to see that he’s not taking the easy way out with a crutch there. Overall, we’ve been pleased with him, yes.”— Broncos coach Vic Fangio (via Broncos PR)"
There had been a report from Broncos camp that he was making the easy catches look hard and the hard catches look easy. It seemed like an odd comment at the time, and then there was the news about the split on his thumb.
It is not an easy task to impress coaches as a rookie. With Noah Fant leading the way at the tight end position, and Jake Butt appearing to be on track to have a significant role in the offense, it will be interesting to see where Okwuegbunam fits into this offense.
The Broncos also released Jeff Heuerman this offseason. That move could mean big things for Okwuegbunam. It surely helps his chances of getting more targets.
At Missouri, Okwuegbunam caught 98 passes for 1,187 yards and 23 touchdowns. He figures to play a big role in the team’s red zone offense—something he is used to.
The fact that his college quarterback is now his starting quarterback in the NFL is a huge advantage. We’ve seen a lot of people mention how continuity is very important, and this is no different. Keep an eye on this quarterback-tight end duo.