Who will be catching passes from Drew Lock vs. Chargers?
The Denver Broncos have a ton of players on the COVID/reserve list. With multiple WRs out, who will be catching passes from Drew Lock?
The Denver Broncos’ roster has been ravaged this week by players landing on the COVID/reserve list.
Quarterback Drew Lock already had his work cut out for him in this game with a full complement of receivers, but now he’ll be without starters Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy in Los Angeles.
And there is a chance Courtland Sutton could join those guys on the COVID/reserve list, but for the time being, his status for the game remains unchanged. He will travel with the team and as of the time of this writing, is expected to play.
Drew Lock will have Courtland Sutton, but who else?
Source: #Broncos WR Courtland Sutton, who Vic Fangio said could land on COVID list, has been cleared to travel with the team to LA with the expectation of playing Sunday vs the #Chargers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 1, 2022
Sutton should be in line for a big day against the Chargers in terms of targets, but who else will be catching passes from Drew Lock in this game? Of course, we can expect to see plenty of tight ends Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam, but the Denver Broncos are bringing up some wide receivers off the practice squad who will get a chance to make an impression.
Unless you’re a roster deep diver, you’ve probably got no clue who most of these players are. That’s okay, because we’ve got you covered.
Which players will actually be catching passes from Drew Lock against the Chargers?
Behind Courtland Sutton and Kendall Hinton, let’s take a look…
19 Seth Williams (rookie)
Williams is a 6-foot-2 rookie out of Auburn who has outstanding explosiveness and big-play ability at the position. He was picked in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and has yet to make any regular season appearances for the Broncos, but he should play a pretty substantial role this week with both Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy out.
Williams’ combination of size and speed makes him a mismatch on the outside, but it’s his ability to win contested-catch situations that made him such an intriguing prospect at Auburn.
80 Rico Gafford (3rd year)
Rico Gafford is a fascinating player who has been on the Broncos’ practice squad for most of the season. He actually has some regular season NFL experience and caught a 49-yard touchdown back in the 2019 season against the Titans as a member of the Raiders.
At 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Gafford may not be one of the biggest players on the Broncos’ roster but he’s certainly one of the fastest.
At the Wyoming pro day back in 2018, Gafford ran a blazing 4.22 in the 40-yard dash. At the time, he was being scouted as a cornerback prospect.
Hopefully, the Broncos will get the chance to throw Gafford into the mix a little bit on Sunday and see what kind of things he can do with his speed out there.
17 Travis Fulgham (3rd year)
Formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, Travis Fulgham is a player that surprisingly didn’t make the cut in 2021.
He had a really strong first half of the 2020 season with the Eagles, including a pretty dominant game against the Dallas Cowboys last season in Week 8. His impressive five-game stretch in 2020 wasn’t sustained, and Fulgham wound up signing with the Broncos on the practice squad just a few weeks ago.
He was called up likely with Courtland Sutton’s status in jeopardy for this game, so who knows if we’ll actually see him play against the Chargers?
If we do, Fulgham is a big-bodied receiver with strong hands who showed last season that he can win with his routes as well as his frame.
Overall, is it ideal for Drew Lock to have to be throwing passes to practice squad guys? No, but thankfully, the Broncos have been replenishing their depth at receiver throughout the season and players like Gafford, Fulgham, and Williams all offer you a level of upside you wouldn’t otherwise have in a situation like this.
While we can expect the bulk of targets to be divided among Sutton, Fant, Okwuegbunam, and the backs, don’t be shocked if one or multiple of these guys here end up making significant contributions as well.