Denver Broncos: Undrafted rookie spotlight on Andre Mintze
Following the 2021 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos reached out and signed Vanderbilt edge rusher Andre Mintze.
Mintze, who will round out our undrafted rookie spotlight series, may be the most intriguing of all of the undrafted players signed by the Broncos. His contract guarantees him $85,000, third-most on the team in terms of undrafted rookies behind only Drew Himmelman and Shaun Beyer.
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 248
School: Vanderbilt
Despite being a terrific high school player in the state of Pennsylvania, Mintze received few offers to play at the next level before choosing Vanderbilt. He didn’t make much of an impact with the Commodores until his junior season, but he played well in his last two years there.
He also made a proud name for himself off the field, helping to raise money for charity which went to a local children’s hospital.
During his college career, Mintze had 8.5 sacks. He plays with a lot of intensity and brings it on every down, but he has average athleticism and may be seen as a player who has already reached most of his full potential.
However, if any coach is going to bring the best out of a guy like this, it’s Vic Fangio. Heading into the draft process, Mintze was seen as a 3-4 outside linebacker in terms of his best fit. That’s exactly the opportunity he’ll have in Denver.
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Chances of making the final roster (1-10 scale): 4
Look, at least one undrafted free agent will probably make this team, the Broncos have a rich history of that being the case. Mintze has as good of a chance as anyone to make that a reality.
The Broncos have Bradley Chubb and Von Miller as their outside edge rushers and you would be hard-pressed to find a better one-two punch at that position in the league. But much like the starting safeties, where the team has Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, there are questions about the depth behind them.
Malik Reed has overperformed in a big way and has earned a spot on the team for sure. But aside from him, the Broncos have players like Natrez Patrick, Derrek Tuszka, Jonathon Cooper and Pita Taumoepenu.
From that list, seventh-round pick Cooper has a chance to really make an impact this summer, but Mintze should not be outshined by any of the other guys and could really be a surprise.
The Broncos need to find some production from guys not named Miller and Chubb on the outside and Reed has been that. But in today’s NFL, great, situational pass-rushers are one of the most important pieces on a team and Mintze has a chance to carve out a role for himself.