Denver Broncos Day 1 standout no. 4: Montrell Washington, WR
The Denver Broncos desperately need someone to step up in the return game, and it seems like all signs are pointing to rookie Montrell Washington being that guy.
The Broncos selected Washington in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft in what was a surprising development for everybody watching the Draft, including Washington himself.
He didn’t necessarily expect to be drafted but the Broncos prioritized him.
After practice, Russell Wilson spoke about the rookie and how impressive his work ethic has been and how putting in extra work can help him throughout his career.
Putting in the extra work also helped Washington on Day 1 of practice.
Montrell Washington.
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) July 27, 2022
I’m impressed. @broncos
Montrell Washington just caught a TD in the back of the end zone from Brett Rypien. Interested to see how the #Broncos use him. He was also the first player returning kicks during special teams.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) July 27, 2022
With KJ Hamler on the PUP list to start camp, an opportunity is there for Washington to gain the respect and trust of his coaches and teammates.
Obviously, they’ve been seeing him since OTAs and they see him in the building every day, but getting out there on the field and making plays at training camp?
That changes things a bit.
Washington hasn’t really been expected to be a big contributor to the offense this year, and if everyone else is healthy, that could remain the case.
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However, he will need to be ready if and when his number is called. If nothing else, he’s going to need to continue to stand out among the return specialists to earn that job going forward.
It’s great to see that the rookie had a strong Day 1.