Denver Broncos: Jalen Virgil can help fix offensive woes

The Denver Broncos have a litany of issues on offense.  Does Jalen Virgil provide the tools to fix one of them? Through four games of the 2022 season, Broncos Country finds themselves in a precarious position. Staring at a 2-2 record, the team has unintentionally given Broncos Country a figurative Rorshach test.

Depending on who you ask, fans view the Broncos as a contender that stubbed their toes twice or a team in an early free fall.  The reality is (and always has been) that this team is a talented unit that needed TIME to gel.  Do I need to remind anyone of how slow the 2012 Broncos started with Peyton? There are too many new pieces in town to expect this team to be a juggernaut on day one.

With 23/32 teams 2-2 or better, the path to the playoffs is still more than attainable.  With that said, there are definitely a few things to clean up in order to reach that goal.

Denver Broncos could look to undrafted rookie for a big boost on offense

That begins on offense.  Despite the influx of new talent in the Mile High City, Broncos Country is disappointed with the consistent output (or lack, thereof) from the offense. Whether it’s been the spotty offensive line play, inconsistent play calling, or porous 3rd down efficiency, the Broncos’ offense has bucked their way out of the stable to start the year.

So that leads us to the question, “How do we get the most out of this offense?”.

The answer is multi-faceted.

With the recent news of Javonte Williams suffering a brutal season-ending injury, the first step in improving the offense is re-assembling the running game.  With the much-maligned Melvin Gordon leading the stable, the Broncos will have to rally around this group to carry out the tough yards going forward.  With that said, there is one player that I think could help with some of these concerns.

What if I were to tell you that there’s another player on the roster that could help generate yards, albeit in an unorthodox fashion? Of course, the player I’m referring to is UDFA rookie, Jalen Virgil.

Let’s take a look at his background and why I think his unique skill set could help jump-start a lagging offense.

Raw potential

Let me preface by saying that I don’t think Virgil is the WR equivalent of Philip Lindsay.  The latter was a decorated college RB that continued to overachieve early in his NFL career. Virgil, on the other hand, is about as raw of a player that will ever make a 53-man roster.

In his five years at Appalachian State, Virgil compiled just under 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 12 TDs along with 1,142 return yards (3 scores).  Yeah, those are numbers nobody’s going to boast about.

Jalen Virgil is a classic case study in what a player CAN be, as opposed to what he’s previously shown. I’ll let this tweet illustrate this point.

Using him like Cordarrelle. Hmm… It’s almost as if someone in the front office saw similar traits in Virgil to the current Falcon.

During George Paton’s tenure in Minnesota, the Vikings had a knack for identifying versatile offensive weapons.  In Percy Harvin and Cordarrelle Patterson, the Vikings employed talented hybrids that have served as the prototype for guys like Deebo Samuel today.

Again, I’m not saying that Virgil’s going to become the caliber of player that Deebo is. I just think it’s important to highlight the type of player that Virgil is. Acquiring players of his ilk has been something that Paton has made a pattern of over his career.

To further examine the comparisons, let’s take a look at how his numbers in the tweet above stack up against the former Vikings.

1. Cordarrelle Patterson: 6’1, 216 lbs. 4.42 40 yard dash. 10.33 100 meter dash.

2. Percy Harvin: 5’11, 200lbs. 4.39 40 yard dash. 10.43 100 meter dash.

*Virgil clocked a 4.40 40-yard dash during his pre-draft process.

What do these guys all share? For their size, they all have tremendous speed and athleticism.  We know that George Paton prioritizes raw athleticism when scouting college players and in the case of these three, they all had exceptional Track & Field backgrounds. As a former track guy, I can’t help but geek out over these kinds of athletes.

So how does Jalen Virgil factor into the Denver Broncos offense and what can we deduce from Harvin and Patterson’s experience to carve out a role for the rookie? Let’s take a look.

How he fits with the Denver Broncos

Before we draw up plays for Virgil, let’s take a look at some highlights of the other two and find some plays that can inspire our confidence in the rookie.

Percy Harvin

Cordarrelle Patterson

From those highlight videos, there are two distinct plays that I think the Broncos could draw up for Jalen Virgil ASAP.

The first would be the pitch play seen from both players.  Line up Virgil in the backfield and use a quick pitch to maximize his athleticism. Let him make the most of the space up the sideline. With his size and speed, it would be an easy way to generate yardage from the backfield, while giving the RB’s a minute to breathe.

The other notable play was at the 2:53 mark of Percy’s video. In that clip, Harvin took a quick screen pass in space and juked his way around the defenders for the score. Now, this example is an idyllic version of what this play would usually result in but it highlights the potential of what Virgil can do with this kind of play.

One final play that could be drawn up for Virgil is…A jet sweep. Yeah, that dreaded play we’ve tried to run with Noah Fant, Jeudy, etc. Unlike those who have attempted before him, Virgil is the kind of athlete that should be utilized on this play.

Jet sweeps are notorious for ending one of two ways.  If you’re going to dial up a boom or bust play like this, why not use an athlete that is adept at hurdling and striding with maximum speed? Jerry Jeudy is a great athlete, but he’s not the kind of person that can maximize a jet sweep. Jalen Virgil can be.

Conclusion

Look, nobody’s going to expect one player to come in and rescue this offense. New players and systems take time to mesh. As a fanbase, we should all be well aware of that by now.  One thing we should be expecting from this team though is creativity in their playcalling.

After all, wasn’t a big selling point for Nathaniel Hackett his infamous “Gold Zone” package? His reputation was built on using creative play calls to maximize the talent of his players.

If that’s the case, then why aren’t we thinking outside of the box to utilize a talented rookie? Jalen Virgil’s biggest deficiency could also be used as a weapon. He’s an excellent athletic lump of clay. Use that ability to create  mismatches and give your offense the occasional spark.

Both Harvin and Patterson came into the league with similar profiles and eventually, found their own brand of success. Both of them became Pro Bowl returners (which is another area where Virgil could excel) that eventually carved out prolific roles on offense.

Harvin was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009 and had a season where he tallied over 1,300 yards from scrimmage (with 8 TDs). He eventually went to Seattle where his unique skills were put to use by a certain person wearing #3.  I don’t think I need to remind Broncos Country what he did to us in SB48.

As for Patterson, he served as a fun RB/WR hybrid for multiple teams until he went to Atlanta. There, he became a full-time RB and is currently 4th in the league in rushing yards (340).

The point is, I think this coaching staff is getting in their own way. Instead of following through on their fun, creative mentality to play calling, they’re letting inconsistent decision-making spoil segments of a game.

Nobody’s expecting Jalen Virgil to be the next version of anybody I mentioned in this article. What he can be is a versatile chess piece that this team can utilize to help kickstart a stagnant offense. That alone is a valuable asset to a team with offensive struggles.

Instead of letting Russ cook, maybe we should be more focused on grilling.  Let’s take the raw ingredients we have now and make the most out of them now to satiate our hunger.  If we can grill now and stack wins, the real cooking will come in the near future.

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When it comes to the grilling in the playbook, there isn’t a better ingredient to experiment with than Jalen Virgil.