The Denver Broncos have some young talent at the tight end position, but could they look to the 2022 NFL free agent market for an upgrade?
The Denver Broncos offense is going to get a dramatic overhaul in 2022. Not only does the team have a brand-new coaching staff in place, but there will likely be a major change at the quarterback position and possibly some significant reshuffling on the roster overall.
One of the position groups that hasn’t been talked about a lot so far in the 2022 offseason (until the QB position is resolved, neglect for other positions is understandable) is the tight end position.
Of course, the Broncos have former first-round pick Noah Fant entering his fourth NFL season (how crazy is that to think about?) as well as former fourth-round pick Albert Okwuegbunam entering his third, but behind and besides those guys, this team has both Eric Saubert and Andrew Beck hitting unrestricted free agency.
The Denver Broncos could pursue upgrades at tight end in free agency
Although I anticipate the Broncos will pick up Noah Fant’s fifth-year rookie contract option (a hunch, not a report or inside info), as well as continue to build around him, I think a second option at tight end is needed and we could see general manager George Paton attempt to upgrade over Albert Okwuegbunam in the 2022 offseason.
Will that be a popular decision? Maybe not, but also, you could do a lot worse than Okwuegbunam as your TE3 and his consistency issues thus far don’t warrant better than a TE3 guarantee going into his third NFL season.
This is not a post suggesting the Denver Broncos upgrade over Noah Fant as the team’s TE1, but rather a suggestion that the team cannot afford to pass on the talent at the tight end position in free agency and bring someone in as the 1a or 1b, however you want to look at that.
Noah Fant led the Broncos in receptions in 2021, but his production was a lot more quiet because of the fact that he was constantly being thrown into coverage, thrown into contact, thrown the ball working back toward the line of scrimmage, or thrown near the boundary line.
In the Nathaniel Hackett offense, I expect the Broncos to be establishing the running game even more, which will necessitate a tight end that can block at a high level, but there are also some dynamic pass-catching options in free agency.
This list is limited, but really there are close to a dozen options that I would personally love to see George Paton pursue.
Let’s pick a handful of them.
Denver Broncos free agent TE target no. 1: Robert Tonyan, Packers
There are a number of very obvious connections between the Denver Broncos and free agent tight end Robert Tonyan.
First and foremost, two of his coaches from the Green Bay Packers are now with the Broncos’ offensive staff. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett and offensive coordinator Justin Outten worked directly with Tonynan in Green Bay, especially Outten who was the Packers’ tight ends coach.
Under the watch of Outten and Hackett, Tonyan went from being cut by the Detroit Lions and a practice squad, reserve/futures contract type of player to a Pro Bowl-caliber player in 2020.
In his breakout 2020 campaign, Tonyan caught 52 of 59 passes thrown in his direction with a whopping 11 touchdowns. He was only able to play in eight games in the 2021 season but still managed 18 receptions for over 200 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
I don’t put Tonyan first on the list because he would be my personal top target, but because there are so many connections here. Especially if the Broncos are able to pull off a trade for Aaron Rodgers, this kind of weapon added into the fold would make sense.
Even if Rodgers doesn’t come to Denver, Tonyan would make sense as an upgrade over Albert Okwuegbunam, at least potentially. Tonyan fits the profile of what the Broncos have sought after under George Paton in terms of elite-level athletes, and with his connections to the coaching staff, understanding of the offense, and productivity, he could be an ideal target on a 2-3 year deal.
Denver Broncos free agent TE target no. 2: Tyler Conklin, Vikings
Keeping in theme with players that have connections in Denver, free agent tight end Tyler Conklin could make a lot of sense for the Denver Broncos in 2022.
Conklin, who was forced into TE1 duties with Irv Smith Jr. on the shelf, had a breakout season for the Vikings in 2021. The fifth-round pick in 2018 out of Central Michigan burst onto the scene as he was called into action with 61 receptions on 87 targets for 593 yards and three touchdowns.
One of the primary connections in Denver for Tyler Conklin is obviously general manager George Paton, who undoubtedly had a hand in drafting Conklin back in 2018.
Another major connection here?
The Denver Broncos recently re-hired Klint Kubiak as their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Last year, Kubiak was the offensive coordinator with the Vikings and he’s been on Minnesota’s staff for a handful of years, so he’s very familiar with what Conklin brings to the table as a player and person.
Conklin is another guy that tested very well at the 2018 Scouting Combine and with his breakout 2021 season under Kubiak, I could see him as one of the Denver Broncos’ top targets in free agency for the right price.
Denver Broncos free agent TE target no. 3: OJ Howard, Buccaneers
Back before the 2017 NFL Draft, OJ Howard was one of my personal favorite prospects in the entire class.
Every game I watched of his at Alabama seemed better than the last.
Not only did Howard’s athletic traits pop off the tape, but he was a punishing and advanced blocker at Alabama even without a 265-pound frame.
In his first two seasons in the NFL, it appeared as though Howard was on a trajectory for superstardom, averaging over 16 yards per reception and 11 touchdowns in his first 24 NFL games.
Unfortunately, injuries played a major role in a diminished role for him with the Bucs, and Tampa Bay wound up pushing him down the depth chart with the 2020 acquisition of Rob Gronkowski.
Now, Howard is slated for free agency after a bit of a bounce-back year in 2021 in which he caught only 14 passes, but appeared in all 17 games. The latter is the more important statistic, at this point in time.
Now, the Denver Broncos have brought in Ben Steele as an assistant coach on the offensive side of the ball, specifically on the offensive line. Steele was the Buccaneers’ tight ends coach in 2017 and 2018 when Howard was playing his best football, so there’s an obvious connection there I think could lead to a free agent match.
Speaking of Ben Steele, he was also the Atlanta Falcons’ tight ends coach in 2020, so maybe Hayden Hurst is an option in Denver as well.
For now, however, I would consider OJ Howard — who is only 27 — the top free agent target at tight end for the Broncos with his combination of athleticism, coaching connections, prior production, and upside.
Denver Broncos free agent TE target no. 4: David Njoku, Browns
David Njoku is a former first-round pick out of Miami who, at this time a year ago, was thought to be demanding a trade out of Cleveland and away from the Browns.
Instead, he dropped his trade demands and played, and he played very well.
He racked up 475 yards on 38 receptions and matched his career-high with four touchdowns, proving that even in a rotation he can be a highly effective weapon for a passing game.
Given the fact that Njoku has played the past couple of seasons in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, the learning curve for him coming to Denver should be minimal, and he would give the Broncos a more established pass-catching threat to pair with Noah Fant than Albert Okwuegbunam is currently.
Even though Njoku has already been in the league for five seasons, he’s not going to turn 26 until June.
Depending on what kind of money he’s looking for, if Njoku is willing to be the TE1a to Noah Fant’s TE1, then this could be a fantastic pairing for the Denver Broncos.
I love the idea of having a variety of young, athletic options at the tight end position who can create after the catch. The idea of having Njoku along with Fant and Okwuegbunam as the projected TE3 is downright scary for opposing teams to have to match up with.
Denver Broncos free agent TE target no. 5: Evan Engram, Giants
Yes, Evan Engram is more of a big wide receiver than anything else. You’re not going to mistake Evan Engram for Lee Smith anytime soon, but he can still be an upgrade for you in the passing game and a major mismatch as a big slot.
Whose brand was it on some of Nathaniel Hackett’s recent teams to go after the big slot types of tight end/receiver hybrids? Remember when the Jaguars stole Julius Thomas from the Denver Broncos in 2015? That was Nathaniel Hackett’s first year on staff in Jacksonville.
The Packers had Jimmy Graham in 2019, Hackett’s first year as their OC, although he was acquired the year prior.
In the 2020 offseason, the Packers went out and acquired Devin Funchess in free agency.
You can sense the pattern and theme here with teams Hackett has been part of in recent years, so I think Evan Engram could be pretty on-brand depending on how much Hackett had to do with that.
Engram strikes me as very much the Tony Scheffler type of player and at his best, I think he can be a highly effective weapon for you as a tight end, big slot, or even in the backfield.
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Most importantly, Engram was healthy in 2021 and missing only two games the past two seasons, I think the future could be bright for him. He’s only 27 and I think he would pair very well with Noah Fant for the Broncos.