The Denver Broncos have a fun roster from top to bottom, but which players are really poised to break out in the 2021 season? We take a look at seven.
The Denver Broncos have one of the most talented and interesting rosters in the entire NFL heading into the 2021 season. Unlike at the start of the 2020 season, they are healthy to open 2021 and it will be fascinating to see what this team can do with all hands on deck.
Although there are reasonably high expectations for a lot of players on this Denver Broncos roster, which players could be “breakout” candidates in the 2021 season?
One of the fun annual traditions in the NFL content world, breakout players are always great to try and project if your team has a lot of potential candidates.
Let’s take a look through some of the Denver Broncos’ potential breakout players in 2021, and while rookies are certainly eligible for this, I don’t always love to include them. Any high draft pick could be a “breakout” player given the fact that it’s his first season in the league.
I’ll go for some deeper cuts in this post when it comes to rookie inclusions, though it should be noted I have very high expectations for Patrick Surtain II and Javonte Williams.
Denver Broncos: 7 breakout player candidates in 2021
1. Albert Okwuegbunam, tight end
Dating back to the pre-draft process in 2020, I have been extremely high on Albert Okwuegbunam. I think the Broncos sort of wasted time in 2020 with Nick Vannett on the field and that was proven rather quickly upon Okwuegbunam’s insertion into the lineup.
He’s dynamic at the tight end position with outstanding body control, size, speed, catch radius, and natural playmaking ability.
Unfortunately, his promising rookie season was cut short due to injury.
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Even in a limited sample, it was clear that Okwuegbunam was primed for a major role in the Denver Broncos’ offense prior to his season-ending ACL injury, and he looks primed once again for a big role.
With Noah Fant dealing with what the team is calling a “leg” injury, there’s a chance that the new “Ochocinco” could open the 2021 season as the team’s TE1.
That’s certainly not preferred if you’re the Denver Broncos, but Okwuegbunam is an outstanding talent and he would definitely be able to hold his own if he needs to.
2. PJ Locke or Caden Sterns, safety
I’m going to cheat a little bit on this one and say that I think one of two Texas safeties could break out for the Denver Broncos defense in 2021.
On my latest podcast, I talked about the idea of Kareem Jackson perhaps not playing 100 percent of the defensive snaps in 2021 as he did in 2020.
Jackson played as many snaps as he did last season out of necessity but there was absolutely an opportunity for someone to come in and earn some playing time but obviously, nobody on the team was going to bring to the table as competent of play as Jackson and Justin Simmons, arguably the top safety duo in the entire NFL.
With Justin Simmons signing a brand-new contract, he’s not coming off the field, but there should be chances to rotate the 33-year-old Simmons if the team is as high on both PJ Locke and Caden Sterns as I think they are.
The Broncos got a really good look at both Locke and Sterns in the 2021 preseason and both guys made some big-time plays, not just in coverage but in the running game as well.
I think Locke is going to get the first crack at snaps behind Jackson, but we should see both of these guys play quite a bit in 2021.
3. Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver
If you want to talk about low-hanging fruit when it comes to the Denver Broncos’ possible breakout players in 2021, it’s Jerry Jeudy.
The second-year wide receiver was understandably scrutinized for his dropped passes in 2020 as a rookie, but that is not an uncommon issue with young receivers.
He’s been the hottest player for the Denver Broncos throughout the entire 2021 offseason, and the talk out of Denver Broncos camp was that he and Teddy Bridgewater had built up some impressive chemistry together.
Jeudy, despite issues with drops last season, still managed to catch 52 passes for 856 yards and three touchdowns.
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There were no shortage of highlight-reel plays in Jeudy’s rookie season, and with stronger hands in year two, there’s no doubt that he is the top breakout candidate on the Denver Broncos.
Even with the return of Courtland Sutton, it’s possible that Jeudy could lead the team in most if not all receiving categories.
He’s a superstar in the making, Broncos Country.
4. Justin Strnad, linebacker
Somewhat similar to the way that Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson really played all of the defensive snaps for the Denver Broncos in 2021 out of necessity, I also think Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell played most of the linebacker snaps out of necessity as well.
I don’t think that would have necessarily been the case had Justin Strnad been able to stay healthy through training camp and into the regular season.
Strnad, a 2020 fifth-round pick out of Wake Forest, suffered a season-ending injury in his final year on campus and then suffered a season-ending injury his first year in Denver.
Rough.
He was back in 2021 for the entire offseason program and he looked really good throughout training camp and preseason play.
The Broncos gave Strnad the green dot in preseason play, meaning he was relaying the defensive calls in the huddle.
Would it be shocking to see Strnad in the Denver Broncos’ nickel package?
Absolutely not.
As a result, I think we could see a breakout season from the former Demon Deacon.
Strnad was known in college for his abilities in coverage as well as attacking the line of scrimmage. He did a good job in the preseason at working off of blocks and making plays in the run game as well as showing some nice things in coverage.
5. KJ Hamler, wide receiver
KJ Hamler is an impressive specimen when it comes to just being able to flat out blow by other NFL athletes with his pure speed.
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As outstanding as Hamler is in the speed department, I think one other aspect of his game gets pretty underrated. This is a physical player who is a bull when the ball is in his hands (and even when it’s not).
He’s a playmaker, no question about it, but he’s also the type of guy that is going to give tremendous effort in the running game and when the ball is not in his hands.
Hamler’s speed is a unique weapon and when this receiver group is fully healthy, who do defenses have the luxury of double-covering?
A guy like Hamler in single coverage, whether he’s lined up outside or in the slot, is going to absolutely destroy defenses.
The Broncos will get creative in the ways they get Hamler the ball. I think they will scheme him plenty of touches in the 2021 season and it could lead to a big-time breakout year for the former Penn State star.
6. Jonathon Cooper, outside linebacker
Again, I’m not a huge fan of putting rookies on this type of list, but for Jonathon Cooper, it feels an exception is necessary.
Like a number of late-round or undrafted edge rushers before him, Jonathon Cooper had a dominant preseason that led to his being a lock for the active roster long before the final preseason game.
At Ohio State, a factory of tremendous pass rush talent, Cooper was somewhat lost in the shuffle due to some bad injury luck as well as the presence of other superstar NFL prospects in his time on campus.
He arrived on campus the year Joey Bosa left for the NFL, then had to wait his turn behind Nick Bosa and Chase Young.
Even with limited opportunities due to the variety of circumstances he faced, Cooper managed to put some really nice stuff on film and he was beloved by his teammates at Ohio State.
He showed out for the Denver Broncos in preseason play, loading up the stat sheet and proving he could be ready for a part-time pass-rushing role at the next level right away.
I think even though he’s EDGE4 on this team, Cooper could have a significant impact on both defense and special teams.
7. DeShawn Williams, defensive lineman
DeShawn Williams is poised for a “breakout” season in 2021 after a “coming out” party in 2020.
After battling his way onto the active roster in 2020 after years of being cut by multiple NFL teams, Williams made good on his opportunity and racked up 37 total tackles in 14 games with four tackles for loss, three passes defended, six quarterback hits, and an interception.
He added 10 quarterback pressures as well and solidified his role with the team moving forward.
McTelvin Agim has been another popular breakout player candidate, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Williams was the first one off the “bench” for the Denver Broncos’ defensive line, which returns all of Shelby Harris, Dre’Mont Jones, and Mike Purcell this season.
DT DeShawn Williams with a BIG BOY INT.
— NFL (@NFL) August 22, 2021
And all the @Broncos came to celebrate.#DENvsSEA | @iamdeshawnw pic.twitter.com/0KvILcnhvC
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Williams is a tremendous athlete who can obviously make plays both against the run and as a pass rusher, and he was anointed by Shelby Harris as having the “best hands” on the team.
Even in limited snaps, we’ve seen Williams make some truly game-changing plays on the defensive line and I think he’s due for a big breakout year in 2021.
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Nothing against Mike Purcell, who is a fine player as well, but Williams might currently be the third-best defensive lineman on the team.