4 players that stood out on Day 1 of Denver Broncos training camp

Which four players stood out on Day 1 of Denver Broncos training camp in 2022? We take a look at some of the earliest standouts.

Denver Broncos training camp is officially underway.

The Broncos hit the field with a berm full of fans eager to see day one of the Russell Wilson era, and the team did not disappoint.

Although the team is not yet wearing pads and you can only draw so many conclusions from the practices at this point, players found ways to stand out and get a little bit of an edge on day one of camp.

But who stood out?

Let’s take a look at a couple of players on either side of the ball with some different observations from those who were in attendance on day one of camp.

Jonas Griffith stands out on day one of Denver Broncos training camp

It should come as no surprise to anyone, but linebacker Jonas Griffith continued on his impressive OTAs and offseason so far.

On day one of training camp, with no pads, Griffith had the opportunity to shine a little bit more in coverage.

And he did just that.

Griffith was acquired by the Denver Broncos last year around roster cut time in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Broncos thought they were getting some special teams help, but what they ended up getting may be a legit starting inside linebacker next to Josey Jewell.

Griffith might not be playing as many special teams this year if he’s an every-down defender for the Broncos.

He showed great range over the last handful of games last season as well as the ability to attack the line of scrimmage and make plays behind the line.

This guy might just be a star in the making.

Denver Broncos Day 1 standout no. 2: Eric Saubert, TE

Opportunity abounds for backup tight ends with the Denver Broncos at this particular point in time.

With Greg Dulcich getting worked back into the mix slowly, players like Eric Saubert have a real shot at making some noise in training camp.

And Saubert wasted no time making said noise.

Getting some early chemistry going with Russell Wilson is great news for a player like Eric Saubert.

Saubert was essentially a camp body last year who worked his way onto the active roster and not only that, but he also became a pretty integral part of the team both on offense and on special teams.

The ability to play on both of those units will once again be an advantage for Saubert, who was also at the most recent throwing session at Russell Wilson’s San Diego chalet.

If Saubert is gaining the favor of the coaching staff, the star quarterback, and making plays in training camp? Look out.

I’m not saying he’s going to take over as the team’s TE1 or anything like that, but the Broncos definitely need someone consistently making plays at that position and the competition is wide open.

Albert Okwuegbunam is the favorite to be the team’s TE1 but his job is up for grabs. As of OTAs, the Greg Dulcich hype train was out of control and he ended up suffering a hamstring injury that kind of slowed the hype down a bit.

After Day 1 of Denver Broncos training camp, it sounds like Saubert was the one cashing in on the looks he was given in red zone work.

Denver Broncos Day 1 standout no. 3: PJ Locke, S

One player defensively that not enough people have really talked about this offseason?

Backup safety PJ Locke.

The safety position hasn’t been talked about a ton because everybody has generally expected Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, and Caden Sterns to mostly dominate the reps there.

PJ Locke will have something to say about that.

Locke has worked his way from being an undrafted player to being a contributor on special teams, to now potentially factoring into the rotation at the safety position.

A few more days like this at training camp, and you might start to wonder about that “s” word…

Starter?

The nuggets we’ve been getting regarding PJ Locke since the beginning of OTAs are really the types of nuggets I think everyone expected to be getting about Caden Sterns most of the offseason.

Not that Sterns has had a bad offseason, but Locke has really just been that good.

Justin Simmons talked about Locke earlier in the offseason and as of OTAs, it was being reported that Locke was the guy in next to Justin Simmons when Kareem Jackson wasn’t there, not Sterns or anyone else.

We should see the Denver Broncos keep a healthy number of safeties on the roster this year with linebackers seemingly not being overly emphasized.

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.

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.