Denver Broncos: Second year players with bigger roles in 2021

At this time of year, everyone is excited about their favorite team’s newest acquisitions, and rightfully so. The Denver Broncos have made a number of huge moves in year one of the George Paton era and those moves are the ones everyone has largely been focused on.

What is often not given as much attention as it deserves is the year-to-year development of players everyone was really excited about just one offseason ago. Second-year players can become your team’s breakout players and the Denver Broncos have some intriguing candidates to do just that.

Players on both sides of the ball have the chance to go from small contributors or essentially “redshirt” players in 2020 to big-time contributors and core pieces of the franchise moving forward.

While everyone expects big things from Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler — the team’s top two picks last year — what other second-year players can we expect to make a big jump?

Denver Broncos second-year breakout candidates

1. Albert Okwuegbunam, TE

The Denver Broncos got themselves a steal in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft in former Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.

The 2020 Draft class was not exactly known for its stellar depth at tight end, but Okwuebunam posted such ridiculous speed numbers at the Combine that it was shocking he was not a top-100 pick at all.

At 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, Okwuegbunam ran a ridiculous 4.49 in the 40-yard dash. With over 34-inch arms and over 10-inch hands, Okwuegbunam is a massive target in the passing game with rare athletic ability, body control, size, and catch radius.

He showed us glimpses of what he can be prior to a season-ending knee injury.

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The Denver Broncos cut veteran Nick Vannett this offseason and let Troy Fumagalli and Jake Butt walk in free agency. They have not made any other moves at the tight end position other than bringing in Shaun Beyer as an undrafted free agent and Eric Saubert as a camp body.

One of the players on the roster already along with Okwuegbunam could certainly surprise, but the Broncos were understandably quite impressed with the small sample from the Missouri product in 2020.

He is one of the top candidates on the team to break out as a tight end, big slot, and red zone weapon.

2. McTelvin Agim, DL

It was common practice for John Elway to use at least one top-100 pick on the defensive front seven throughout his tenure as the Denver Broncos general manager. As it turns out, McTelvin Agim was the last such pick he would make.

George Paton ended that annual tradition, although just barely, with linebacker Baron Browning getting picked at number 105 overall.

Agim was the 95th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and the third of three Denver Broncos third-round picks last year (Michael Ojemudia, Lloyd Cushenberry III).

Appearing in 10 games, Agim racked up eight total tackles and three quarterback hurries, playing 141 snaps total on defense.

Agim posted really solid measurables at the Combine at 6-foot-3, 309 pounds, running a 4.98 in the 40-yard dash and putting up 27 bench press reps at 225 pounds.

There’s no doubt that Agim is a good athlete, but how quickly will that transition to strong play on the defensive line? The time is now for the former Arkansas product.

Whether it was because of injuries, COVID protocols, or just the fact that Vic Fangio wanted to rotate guys, the Denver Broncos used a lot of defensive linemen in 2020. How much will that change in 2021? That remains to be seen, but the team let DeMarcus Walker leave in free agency and he played 384 snaps for Fangio last season.

Could that role go to Agim in 2021, more than tripling his rookie snap count? That’s not impossible, and if it happens, Agim could be a breakthrough rotational piece for the Broncos on the defensive line.

3. Justin Strnad, LB

If you see number 40 running around with the Denver Broncos’ star-studded first-team defense in photos and videos throughout the offseason, just remember that it’s 2020 fifth-round pick Justin Strnad.

Strnad’s 2020 season was over before it ever really started, though he was able to participate in the majority of training camp where he had already carved out a role for himself in the Broncos’ nickel defensive package.

Scouts and talent evaluators alike really loved Strnad’s work at Wake Forest but a biceps injury pushed him down the draft board.

A wrist injury in late August derailed what could have been a fun story throughout the 2020 season.

Strnad showed tremendous coverage abilities and instincts at Wake Forest that reminded me somewhat of 49ers linebacker Fred Warner given his size profile.

Strnad didn’t test great in terms of his speed and explosiveness, but he’s a good player and even with the addition of third-round linebacker Baron Browning, the expectation is and should be that Strnad will have a role in the defense this season as long as he’s able to stay healthy.

That’s at least one thing that Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson have going for them as the incumbents — they have not gotten hurt for the most part and have been able to provide steady play against the run and as pass rushers when asked to blitz for Vic Fangio.

Strnad is going to need to prove his health and prove his worth once again, and the Broncos will be better off if he does.

4. Netane Muti, OG

You don’t often get offensive linemen with highlight reels in college, but that’s exactly what Netane Muti provided in his short time at Fresno State.

Muti was so good at Fresno State, in fact, that Pro Football Focus had him as the top-ranked interior offensive linemen in the entire 2020 NFL Draft class as well as the 37th-ranked player overall on their board.

Muti is an outstanding athlete with great movement skills, strength, and power at the position. He got the chance to play late in the season in 2020 for the Broncos with a start against the Carolina Panthers, and it was awesome.

Evaluating that game, you’re perhaps grading on a slight curve because Muti was in his rookie NFL season, but it was a very positive debut nonetheless.

Further, Muti did not struggle through any injuries in his rookie season with the Denver Broncos and seems poised to make some noise in year two.

It seems rather unlikely that the Denver Broncos would just supplant 2020 free agent pickup Graham Glasgow with Muti unless the difference in their level of play was drastic, but if Glasgow struggles or suffers an injury, don’t be shocked if Muti gets into the lineup and stays there.

5. Tyrie Cleveland, WR

Tyrie Cleveland came into the NFL with a reputation as one of the 2020 NFL Draft’s top special teams players, and he ended up getting plenty of run there for the Denver Broncos as a rookie with 132 special teams reps in 10 games.

He returned 10 kickoffs for the Broncos and averaged 23.4 yards per return, showing he can contribute in that way as well as on the offensive side of the ball with six receptions for 63 yards, including four receptions in the season finale.

Cleveland is a long receiver who runs good routes, has strong hands, and can make plays deep downfield.

The Broncos were planning on DaeSean Hamilton not being in the picture this season and there’s no doubt that Cleveland should be considered the odds-on favorite as the WR5 in the Denver offense.

He will certainly contribute on special teams, but Cleveland could have an expanded role in the offense this season as well, and he should based on what we saw from him last year.

Drew Lock has a few things going for him vs. Teddy Bridgewater

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As if the Denver Broncos didn’t already have enough firepower on offense, they have another 6-foot-3 receiver with legit 4.4 speed waiting in the wings who can make an impact on a weekly basis.