Denver Broncos: 9 young players who must shine in 2021

Denver Broncos young players who must shine in 2021

6. Lloyd Cushenberry III & Dalton Risner

Alright, I’m going to cheat here and put two players together.

The Broncos need these two young offensive linemen to absolutely shine in 2021 and give them consistency on the interior, something we’ve been seeing a lot more of as of late than we were earlier in the season.

Cushenberry was learning the ropes as a starting NFL center and he had some extremely tough matchups early on. Perhaps his toughest matchup was going up against the big, fast, and nasty front of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Everyone assumed Risner would be the Broncos’ best offensive lineman in the 2020 season but seemingly struggled early on in the year.

Since the Broncos’ game against the Miami Dolphins, it seems as though the entire offensive line has really turned a corner, but specifically Cushenberry and Risner.

The Broncos’ depth on the offensive line has been tested throughout the season, but this bunch of mostly home-grown talent has proven to be well-coached and much better than anyone could have imagined, all things considered.

The interior line will be critical to keeping the Broncos’ offense balanced and these two young players — Cushenberry and Risner — each have to take steps forward in their game in 2021 to ensure that balance.