Training camp is almost underway in Dove Valley for the Denver Broncos. This is the time of year when we see veterans get back to their regular schedule, see rookies get acclimated to the NFL lifestyle, and occasionally see new faces turn some heads on the field and in the crowd. Who could those five players be for the Broncos?
With training camp starting back up for the Denver Broncos this week, some familiar faces will be returning to Dove Valley to prep for the 2021 NFL regular season. Coaches, media members, and fans (finally!) will be able to watch their guys get back to work.
Every year in camp there seems to be a number of players that regularly make “ooh and ahh” plays that leave coaches and fans speechless and shocked. Names like Justin Simmons, Von Miller, and Jerry Jeudy will be regularly heard throughout camp as guys that made big plays on the reg.
However, there are plenty of new faces in camp this season thanks to new general manager George Paton. There will be plenty of opportunities for young guys and some not-so-known players to shine. With the bevy of new talent in the room and competition stirring up some heated camp battles, who will make a name for themselves and turn heads at training camp?
Could we see a rookie beat out a veteran for a starting spot? Could we see a player coming off of injury take back his throne? Here are the five players who could turn heads at Broncos camp.
Denver Broncos players that could turn heads at camp
Rookie safety Jamar Johnson is ready to make his presence felt
The Broncos did something in the 2021 NFL Draft that they haven’t done since…well since they drafted Justin Simmons and Will Parks back in 2016. They drafted two safeties. After last year’s struggles in the secondary, it appears Paton sought out to remedy the situation.
The Broncos’ new head honcho took Texas safety Caden Sterns with their fifth-round pick and then selected Indiana safety Jamar Johnson with their next pick, which was 12 picks after Sterns.
Johnson has already been turning heads before training camp at the team’s rookie minicamp, however, so it was only right that we feature him at the top of this list. Johnson is an extremely versatile safety, with great ball skills and a high football IQ. He fits the bill for a Vic Fangio safety: can cover and can also play the run.
With the backup safety position becoming more important behind Simmons and Kareem Jackson, Johnson’s playmaking skills in camp could make or break his chances of getting on to the final roster.
Could Javonte Williams push Melvin Gordon for carries in camp?
Another rookie looking to turn heads in this year’s training camp is second-round running back Javonte Williams. After the team made the tough decision to let Phillip Lindsay test the free-agent market, it was apparent that George Paton and the Denver Broncos coaching staff was ready to go in a different direction with their running back room.
The team still had Melvin Gordon, Royce Freeman, and LeVante Bellamy in the group, but still added more depth in the form of Mike Boone, the former Minnesota Vikings running back. Then the team traded up in the second for Williams, a talented, all-around back out of North Carolina that seems poised to be the future for the offense.
Williams’ hard playing style and explosiveness will almost certainly turn some heads at camp, but the bigger question is can he push the veteran Gordon for the lion’s share of carries? It’s entirely possible, but not likely. Gordon is in the last year of his current contract and the team will likely get the most out of their 2020 free agent signing and save Williams for the future.
If Williams continues to showcase his impressive abilities to run the ball, catch passes out of the backfield, and pass block (one of the biggest reasons they made the investment in him), he will do a lot more than just turn heads at camp.
Assuming he starts training camp splitting reps with Gordon, we will see a lot of Williams against the first-team defense, which will be the ultimate test for the rookie.
Justin Strnad is looking to finally show what he’s got to offer
The inside linebacker position has been the topic of discussions among media and fans for what seems like an eternity for the Broncos. With the evolution of the tight end position in the NFL, coverage has become more of a necessity for linebackers than ever before.
The Broncos have a good, underrated tandem in Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell, but coverage isn’t necessarily either of those guys’ forte. The team invested a draft pick in Wake Forest linebacker Justin Strnad last year in the hopes that he could be “that guy” for the Broncos’ defense.
Unfortunately, an injury in training camp forced Strnad to sit out for the entire 2020 season. Now, Strnad is going to have an uphill battle after sitting out for a season. The Broncos drafted Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning in this year’s draft and Browning’s versatility and athleticism make him an ideal rotational backer behind Jewell and Johnson. So, how can Strnad prove that he belongs and turn heads this camp?
Strnad’s biggest opportunity to shine comes when training camp begins. With Browning currently on the PUP list due to his own injury, Strnad will be able to show what he can do. He’s a linebacker with great size and speed as well, also possessing a high football IQ. With his time on the sidelines, he can show that he’s truly learned the defensive scheme.
If he showcases his traits and stays healthy through the camp, there’s a big chance he turns some heads. Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell would likely feel better about their depth at the position heading into the season with a healthy and effective rotation of linebackers that includes Strnad.
Can Kendall Hinton turn enough heads to earn a roster spot?
Last season was definitely an interesting one for the Denver Broncos, but there was not a story on the team more interesting than Kendall Hinton’s.
With the Broncos’ matchup with the New Orleans Saints in doubt due to COVID-19 protocols that prevented all the team’s quarterbacks from playing, Hinton stepped up in a huge way for the team. A former quarterback at Wake Forest, Hinton was called up from the practice squad where he was playing wide receiver and was named the starter against Taysom Hill and the Saints.
While Hinton and the Broncos took the loss against New Orleans, Hinton made history as the first non-quarterback to play significant snaps at quarterback since Tom Matte of the Baltimore Colts in 1965.
After the game, Hinton reverted back to the practice squad and signed a futures contract with the team this offseason, keeping him around at least for training camp. Now, Hinton is fighting for a roster spot as a wide receiver, but he may surprise some people in camp.
During the team’s rookie minicamp, Hinton was working with both the defensive backs and the wide receivers, showing his athleticism and versatility. He apparently stood out as a wide receiver to those in camp and especially his teammate Jerry Jeudy, who had high praise for the former undrafted free agent.
There has been some noticeable buzz around Hinton potentially making the final roster as a wide receiver after the injury to DaeSean Hamilton and how Hinton could also help on special teams.
If Hinton’s skills are where Jeudy and his teammates say they’re at as a receiver, he might turn enough heads in camp to make that final jump to the opening day roster.
Netane Muti is ready to make heads turn and bodies roll in Broncos training camp
The Denver Broncos got a great steal in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft in the form of Fresno State guard Netane Muti. After spending some time on the sidelines early in the season, Muti got his chance to shine when he started in place of an injured Graham Glasgow against the Carolina Panthers. As he heads into his second professional season, Muti is ready to turn some heads in training camp and possibly see his role grow in year two.
Muti had all the desired measurables of a great offensive lineman coming out of Fresno State, but injuries were ultimately what led to his steep drop in the draft. With so many red flags around his health, it was important that Muti was preserved for as long as possible. Offensive line coach Mike Munchak and his staff did a fantastic job of easing Muti into the league and when he got his chance on the field, he made the most of it.
Already a fan favorite, it’s pretty likely that we’ll see Muti turning heads when Denver Broncos camp starts up. His agility and strength are a thing of beauty, especially on screen plays and outside runs where he is forced to block in space. With Glasgow possibly becoming an expendable piece, could Muti show enough in training camp to push the veteran out of the building?
Denver Broncos trade options with the Miami Dolphins
The Denver Broncos have some strong relationships and ties with the Miami Dolphins. Will the two teams come together on any trades?
Probably not this season, but it’s very possible that this may be the year they groom Muti to take over in 2022.