3. Lloyd Cushenberry, center
Keeping the theme going with the offensive line, it seems appropriate to mention the center of attention up front. Lloyd Cushenberry has been a disappointment since entering the league coming from one of college football’s best teams of all time. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called Cushenberry invaluable on the offensive side of the ball. This is due to his smarts and understanding of blocking assignments. He also translated his athletic traits getting to the second level and pushing the defensive line back.
Now, Cushenberry has brought the smarts; however, he has been getting bullied up front consistently since entering the NFL. While the talent is better, faster, and stronger, Cushenberry must prove to be a stronger viable player to withstand pressure. He cannot afford to lose his anchor. Look at Cushenberry on the Wilson scramble against San Francisco.
yeah, Russ looks much quicker than last year. pic.twitter.com/EGaExe0mNC
— Robby (@Robby_NFL) August 21, 2023
In this preseason, the Broncos' offensive line was a mixed bag from the starters, but there was one huge improvement and it was Cushenberry from what we saw. He looked like a brand-new player in the preseason. Cushenberry needs a bounce-back season because if not the team could look to move on. The team decided to draft Alex Forsyth in the seventh round, and he has garnered a lot of praise. But it is still up to Cushenberry to perform.