The Denver Broncos have a chance to start hot in week one against the New York Giants. Which players have arrows pointing way up ahead of this game?
Week one of the NFL season is drawing near, and the Denver Broncos have to get off to a 1-0 start with a road game against the New York Giants. Of course, the Giants and their fans probably feel the same way, but Vic Fangio has been 0-7 in his head coaching tenure in the month of September. Even though there have been some brutally close losses among those seven, it’s simply too important to get off to a hot start for this team to do anything but win this first game.
Calling week one a must-win is definitely a bit over the top, but the pressure is certainly making it feel like that’s the case.
New general manager George Paton has assembled a very talented and deep 53-man roster, and over the course of the last nine months, we have done our best to make sure every single one of the players the Denver Broncos have or could have had has been appropriately discussed in a hypothetical manner.
It’s now time for the real thing.
Real matchups.
Regular season football.
Which Broncos players are trending up for this road game against the Giants?
Denver Broncos stock up heading into Giants game
1. Von Miller, outside linebacker
When players get to a certain level of “good” we tend to stop talking about them as much in the content-creating business. Everyone wants to know what’s new most of the time, and that’s okay, but there are still opportunities to talk about Von Miller and this is one of them.
Coming back from a season-ending injury in 2020, Miller looked outstanding in his preseason debut against the Los Angeles Rams. That one tune-up against Los Angeles was all Miller needed to show that, even at the age of 32, he’s back and ready to rack up double-digit sacks again.
The New York Giants don’t exactly have a “patchwork” offensive line but it’s been a clear area of concern for them all offseason.
Veteran Nate Solder returns to the starting lineup at right tackle with second-year player Andrew Thomas at the left tackle spot, and it’s fair to wonder whether or not the Denver Broncos’ pass rush duo is about to absolutely feast on these tackles.
Giants fans seem disappointed that 2020 third-round pick Matt Peart couldn’t clearly beat Solder for this starting right tackle job, and it’s possible that we will see both guys against the Broncos.
Most of Miller’s reps will likely come against either Solder or Peart. Solder, the starter on the Giants depth chart, didn’t play in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Miller’s stock is trending way up for this game.
2. Eric Saubert, tight end
The Denver Broncos have Noah Fant, who is expected to play week one despite a leg injury that no one really knows much about.
They also have Albert Okwuegbunam, a player who could be a breakout candidate in 2021.
I still think Eric Saubert is going to have a huge impact and is definitely trending up for this game against the Giants.
The Broncos will likely use plenty of 12 personnel looks against the Giants, meaning two tight ends will be on the field at the same time. Establishing the run is going to be critical for the offense to have success, and while the Broncos certainly have the running backs to be able to wear the Giants down on the ground, they’ve got to have the guys that can get out and block in space as well.
Saubert can help them do exactly that, and he showed in preseason play that he can stay in and pass protect as well.
He also showed some really nice hands and after-the-catch ability.
With all due respect to Nick Vannett, Saubert feels like a massive upgrade at the back of the tight end depth chart and although he may not make a substantial impact on the stat sheet, I think he will have a massive impact on this game as a blocker.
If he happens to do the same as a secondary receiver, don’t be surprised, either.
Saubert has also become a core special teams player for the Broncos and could have an impact in that regard as well.
He will be rewarded for his great offseason with a major role in week one, even if he’s not getting the postgame glory from the media.
3. Ronald Darby, cornerback
Out of all the major offseason additions the Denver Broncos made in 2021, the one that’s probably been talked about the least is the acquisition of Ronald Darby.
Let’s not forget, the Denver Broncos gave Darby a three-year deal worth $30 million, and based on cold hard cash, that makes him the CB1 of this team.
Darby had a tremendous offseason for the Broncos and was consistently good across the board. He didn’t need to play much in the preseason because this team knows what he can do, and Vic Fangio has talked about how quickly Darby has picked up on his defense.
Expectations are high for Darby heading into the 2021 season after he did such a tremendous job in Ron Rivera’s defense in 2020 with Washington.
His 16 pass breakups last season were the most he has had since his rookie season with the Buffalo Bills back in 2015.
He has 81 pass breakups and eight interceptions for his career, and he’s going to be tasked with ramping up the Denver Broncos’ defensive turnover production from one of those outside cornerback positions.
When fully healthy, Darby brings an element to the Denver Broncos’ cornerback position that has simply been missing in recent years — speed.
He said earlier this offseason that he runs faster now than he did when he ran a 4.38 at the Scouting Combine. Take that for what it’s worth.
Darby’s ball production and speed have him trending way up ahead of this game against the Giants.
4. Bobby Massie, right tackle
Congratulations are in order for Bobby Massie, who won the other primary position battle for the Denver Broncos in the 2021 offseason at right tackle.
He was able to fend off young Calvin Anderson, who got a couple of shots to start at both tackle positions in 2020 and show what he can do.
The Broncos opted for the veteran Massie to open the year at right tackle and he played well in the preseason. If he’s healthy, he’s been a Pro Bowl tackle in the past, why not this season under Mike Munchak?
The Denver Broncos’ right tackle position has been a revolving door in recent years, to say the least. The offensive line in general has dealt with some bad injuries and reshuffling of the deck on almost a week-to-week basis.
Consistency would be welcomed, and Massie has a chance to parlay this season into at least a short-term extension from the Denver Broncos if things go well.
His first task? Stopping a talented rookie in Azeez Ojulari.
Ojulari could line up on either side for the Giants as he did at times for the Georgia Bulldogs, but the talented second-round pick will certainly be in the rotation for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
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After winning the job in training camp, Massie’s stock is trending way up and expectations will be high for week one.