In a recent article from Pro Football Focus, Josey Jewell was mentioned as someone who could be an unsung hero for the Denver Broncos.
Josey Jewell fits the mold of the Denver Broncos’ unsung hero, but with how talented the 2022 roster may be, there could be several.
Dating back to 2020, Josey Jewell’s play has improved significantly. During the first few seasons, Jewell was hampered due to athletic limitations for the job he was asked to do.
Let’s face it, asking Josey Jewell to go man-to-man with Darren Waller or Travis Kelce just isn’t going to work.
That is ok.
Denver Broncos play to Josey Jewell’s strengths
Part of being a great coach is understanding what your players can do, but even more importantly, what they can’t do. Josey Jewell is a smart, instinctive player who is fantastic if he is able to keep things in front of him.
If he is asked to turn his back and chase an athletic pass catcher, he is probably going to lose that battle.
However, his presence in the run game is missed when it is not available, even his ability to play coverage that operates mainly through zone concepts.
With instinctive players like Jewell, allowing them to play downhill will garnish the most out of them.
In 2020 and the beginning of 2021, Josey Jewell was allowed to play to his own strengths and the Denver Broncos were gifted the great play of the former Iowa Hawkeye that was born on December 25th.