For right now, the Denver Broncos have an unofficial, official 53-man roster. What were some of the biggest takeaways from the transactions?
While there is a chance Kendall Hinton returns to the Denver Broncos practice squad, he did not make the team’s first 53-man roster.
Speculation had Hinton as the Denver Broncos’ fourth wide receiver on the depth chart after Mr. Reliable, Tim Patrick, went down for the season. This made a lot of sense on the surface. However, rookies Montell Washington and Jalen Virgil continued to make constant plays throughout the preseason.
Both offer a quick twitch and fast playmaking ability. Washington and Virgil both possess a high gear and ceiling that maybe Kendall Hinton does not have.
1. Denver Broncos young receivers passed Kendall Hinton
If you paid attention to the preseason action, it was clear Montrell Washington was learning and learning quickly. Jalen Virgil made several plays as a wide receiver.
Jalen Virgil did have one bonehead mistake on the opening kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings, but that was certainly a teachable moment for the rookie. What you can not teach is his raw athleticism. It seems Jalen Virgil was starting to catch the eye of several teams across the league with what he was doing in the preseason and losing his abilities was something George Paton was just not willing to do.
Rounding out the rest of the wide receiver room is the obvious trio of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and K.J. Hamler, but the last man on is Tyrie Cleveland, a guy Dwayne Stukes clearly wanted on his special teams unit.
Cleveland now has a chance to re-make his name after sputtering out in his sophomore season, after what was a promising rookie campaign.