Denver Broncos 3 underrated players to watch for at training camp

As training camp progresses for the Denver Broncos, here are three underrated players that you should be keeping an eye on.

The first week of training camp for the Denver Broncos is in the books, and it left no shortages of excitement and discussion topics for Broncos Country.

Between everything Russell Wilson-related to Jerry Jeudy‘s strong performances thus far, there is a lot for fans to be excited for as we inch closer to the regular season.

Some of those things to be excited for could come in the shape of players that aren’t getting enough looks right now. As things pick up steam going into the season, there is often players putting up performances worthy of discussion that are overlooked in favor of bigger names.

Going into week two of training camp on Monday, there are three underrated players to keep an eye on throughout training camp and further on:

Denver Broncos underrated player no. 1: Jonas Griffith, LB

Those who attended training camp week one saw a lot of good things from inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, who is expected to start alongside Josey Jewell this season.

Traded to the Denver Broncos by the San Francisco 49ers before the opening of the 2021 season, Griffith was primarily expected to serve as a special teamer, but injuries throughout the season resulted in Griffith starting at inside linebacker by Week 14.

As the Bengals barely scraped by the Broncos, Griffith led the defense in tackles.

In the last four games of the 2021 season, Griffith accumulated 40 tackles (per 9 News).

Coming into 2022, it seems that the Denver Broncos feel confident that Jonas Griffith is ready to make the move to a full-time starter. So far through training camp, Griffith has been commended for his looks in pass coverage and his athleticism.

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Though linebacker Alex Singleton was brought in during free agency to compete for the starting inside linebacker position, it seems that all signs point to Jonas Griffith winning the job.

Though not being discussed much by fans, Jonas Griffith may quietly be having one of the best training camps so far.

However, another thing to watch for concerning Griffith is that the Broncos brought in free agent LB Joe Schobert for a visit over the weekend.

Though he apparently left the facility without a deal, this could be a good signing to add depth, especially in the event that Griffith were to regress. However, do not expect the latter.

Denver Broncos underrated player no. 2: Nik Bonitto, EDGE

With the Broncos trading away their top two picks of the 2022 NFL draft as part of the package for Russell Wilson, they drafted Bonitto with their first pick of the draft, and the former Oklahoma Sooner has not disappointed thus far.

Bonitto also impressed throughout OTA’s, and it seems that he is making a solid transition from the collegiate to pro levels.

However, coming into the season, Paton did have one concern about Bonitto: “He needs to get a little stronger” (per The Athletic).

Ideally, the Broncos would like Bonitto to weigh about 10 more pounds than he is currently at (240). However, there seems to be little concern that he will fail to meet expectations. In fact, he is already impressing teammates.

"“On the field, he’s had it since Day 1”, Bradley Chubb said of his understudy, “He had the bend, all the intangibles that you can’t coach, that you just go out there and do. Mainly for him, it’s learning the process of being a pro, taking care of your body and stuff like that, and I’ve seen him take that step” (per The Athletic)."

All in all, it seems that Nik Bonitto is quickly adjusting to the NFL grind and has been a little overlooked.

This is to be expected, as Bonitto is not looking to be taking a starting spot away from either Bradley Chubb or Randy Gregory. However, with the health history of both edge rushers, it is certainly possible we could see Bonitto on the field sooner than expected.

Based on what we know, it sounds like he will be ready if the opportunity comes.

Denver Broncos underrated player no. 3: Eric Saubert, TE

One player quietly having a solid training camp, that could even be gunning for a starting role in the offense, is tight end Eric Saubert.

Most are likely familiar with the myth that Russell Wilson doesn’t utilize his tight ends, he has quickly disputed that theory so far in training camp, and Saubert has seemingly emerged as one of his favorite targets so far.

Though primarily a practice squad player so far in his career, Saubert caught his first touchdown pass in Week 12 of the 2021 season, and with a new quarterback in town, it’s very possible that Saubert’s career may be on the up and up.

In the first week of training camp, it became clear that Russell Wilson and Eric Saubert were developing great chemistry, as he got a lot of looks and even two scores in one session.

Realistically, Saubert is having the training camp that most expected from Albert Okwuegbunam,
who many expect could be one of the breakout offensive stars in 2022.

Coming into training camp as the TE 3, it could have been arguable that Saubert was a bubble player.

However, not only has he likely earned himself a spot on the 53-man roster, it’s possible that Saubert is even vying for the starting TE job if Okwuegbunam does not make the expected strides throughout camp.

Arguably one of the most underrated stories at training camp right now, Saubert is confident in his abilities: “As a player, I feel I’m turning that corner. It’s a different timetable for everyone on how they progress in the league, but every year, you want to improve” Saubert said (per Andrew Mason).

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Eric Saubert is betting on himself, and it looks like we should be betting on him too.