Denver Broncos: 9 young players who must shine in 2021

Denver Broncos young players who must shine in 2021

9. Noah Fant, TE

As I initially put together this list, I didn’t even have Noah Fant on it.

Fant is a young player, and the Broncos do need him to shine in 2021, so after giving it some thought, I gave him the ninth spot on this list.

The primary reason Fant was nearly left off of the list completely is the fact that, of all the players included on the list, he is one who — in 2020 specifically — has proven himself to be a top-tier player at his position in the NFL.

Although he’s not breaking single-season yardage records like Travis Kelce or George Kittle (yet), there can be no doubt at this point that Fant is one of the best tight ends in all of football.

Fant has been sure-handed in year two with the Broncos, increasing his catch percentage from just over 60 percent to nearly 67 percent. He has 58 receptions for 625 yards in 2020 and has nine games with 45 yards or more.

He can break his rookie touchdown mark in week 17 with a score against the Raiders, and Fant has proven to be an extremely effective weapon to every level of the field and especially after the catch.

Fant’s continued development will be crucial to the Broncos’ offense, but as of right now, there’s not much reason to call it into question or doubt it. The progression we have seen from Fant since his first handful of NFL games has been awesome to watch unfold, even though the wins haven’t necessarily come along with it.