Now that the pads have come on at Denver Broncos training camp, updates are finally starting to roll in regarding the defensive line. Although it's still early, the team's replacement plan for defensive end John Franklin-Myers is quickly coming into focus.
The Broncos have reportedly been rotating in a trio of players -- Eyioma Uwazurike, Sai'vion Jones, and Tyler Onyedim -- with the 1st-team defense up to this point. All of those players have made a handful of standout plays already, but one player is standing out among the others: Eyioma Uwazurike.
Uwazurike was a rotational player for the Broncos last season, logging a career-high 409 snaps and finishing the season with 39 total tackes, 3.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 5 tackles for loss.
With his experience in the defense and Franklin-Myers out the door, Uwazurike may be taking that next step in his evolution as a player at the best possible time.
Eyioma Uwazurike stepping up for Denver Broncos defensive line at training camp
In just the past couple of practices, Uwazurike has multiple tackles for loss as well as a sack on quarterback Bo Nix.
He apparently blew up a running play designed for RJ Harvey as soon as Harvey received the ball on a toss, knifing through the line of scrimmage and making a big stop.
As good of a player as John Franklin-Myers is and was for the Broncos the past couple of seasons, Uwazurike offers them a potentially better run defender and certainly more size at the defensive end position. Franklin-Myers is listed at 6-foot-4, 288 pounds, while Uwazurike is listed at 6-foot-6, 320 pounds.
Throughout the offseason, Uwazurike has been getting reps at both nose tackle and defensive end. He told Luca Evans of The Denver Post that he's watched Dexter Lawrence's film this offseason as he prepares for his expanded role.
The Broncos obviously have other young, talented players waiting in the wings as well, and they will certainly be using a rotation, but Uwazurike has perhaps been a bit overlooked in the equation as a result of the team drafting players like Sai'vion Jones (3rd round, 2025) and Tyler Onyedim (3rd round, 2026).
Uwazurike was in line to potentially start during the 2023 season before he was suspended for a full year by the NFL for gambling. Since he's returned, he's carved out a spot in the Broncos' rotation, he's grown tremendously as both a person and a player, and now he might be one of the most important developing players on the team.
It's no secret that Franklin-Myers was a weapon in the pass rush department. He had 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons, and earned a big-money deal with the Titans in free agency. But the Broncos believe in their development system, and Uwazurike has been putting in the work necessary to add to his arsenal. He's picking the brain of All-Pro Zach Allen.
With the pads on, it's a lot easier to evaluate who is making real progress in the trenches, and Uwazurike being a standout at this point is one of the more notable developments of camp.
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