The Denver Broncos have significantly improved their roster in the 2023 offseason after winning just five games last year. When you add in the fact that Sean Payton and his staff are now in charge of the player development on the roster, you can't help but be even more excited about the upcoming year. Even though the Broncos have the second-longest playoff drought in the league behind the New York Jets, optimism is brimming in Broncos Country.
Tempered optimism, of course, but optimism nevertheless.
The roster is full of players with huge expectations going into next season, but what about underrated role players? There are some players who just won't get a ton of due credit because they don't play 80 percent of the snaps, but these guys will suit up on gamedays and make a significant contribution in 2023.
Let's take a look at four.
4 important role players on the Denver Broncos roster in 2023
1. Essang Bassey, CB
Although he doesn't get that much recognition, Essang Bassey has actually developed into quite a valuable piece of the Denver Broncos' secondary and special teams since he came into the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2020. Bassey was considered one of the best slot corners in college football while he was at Wake Forest, and he wound up cracking the roster and playing almost 400 defensive snaps his rookie year back in 2020.
That was pretty significant, considering Bassey was playing for Vic Fangio, who is certainly not just going to throw anyone out there.
After playing only two games in 2021 and floating between the Broncos and Chargers, Bassey returned in 2022 to play his most significant role yet for the team, amassing 473 total snaps -- 252 on special teams and 221 on defense.
Among those 221 defensive snaps, Bassey didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage. Although Pro Football Focus' grades are highly contested, what can't really be disputed is passer rating into a player's coverage. In that particular category, Bassey was one of the best in the NFL.
"Bassey did not allow a touchdown from a slot alignment, and his 15.8 snaps per reception ranked first among the qualified corners. Although he isn’t a projected starter, he has proven to be a more-than-solid rotational piece in the secondary and a plus player in special teams."Pro Football Focus
Things could be looking up for Bassey, who is part of a young group of corners on the Denver Broncos' roster. He has developed nicely for DBs coach Christian Parker, and looks like he might be a fixture for this team after getting re-signed yet again in the 2023 offseason.
Denver Broncos underrated, important role players in 2023
2. Jonas Griffith, LB
The 2022 season was supposed to be a breakout year for Jonas Griffith, but just like a number of his teammates on the Denver Broncos last year, injuries really prevented us from seeing the fullness of what this young player can bring to the table.
He only played in nine games, but still managed to match his tackle production from 2021 when he played in 13 games. Griffith racked up 46 total tackles, 3 QB hits, an interception, and 5 QB pressures while playing 336 defensive snaps and 141 special teams snaps.
It feels like he played way less than that because of how often Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton were on the field making plays, but even in an injury-affected season, Griffith found ways to make his presence felt. The Broncos were lucky enough to have him as an exclusive rights free agent in 2023, which basically meant that they got to re-sign him for pennies on the dollar and other teams couldn't negotiate with him.
Griffith is an incredible athlete at the linebacker position, and frankly, his presence on the roster made the Drew Sanders pick in April all the more surprising. I feel like Griffith has the ideal makeup of an every-down linebacker in today's NFL, with the speed and size to attack the line of scrimmage in any situation.
Going forward, I don't know what his role is going to be defensively, but I think Griffith's best days are ahead of him and I think he's only just begun to scratch the surface of what he can contribute every week on special teams. Hopefully, he gets the chance to play in all 17 games this season, and we get to see that breakout campaign one way or the other.
Denver Broncos underrated, important role players in 2023
3. Cam Fleming, OL
After the 2023 NFL Draft, Denver Broncos fans began clamoring for the team to add some competent depth at the offensive tackle position. Nobody felt overly comfortable about the team going into the regular season with Isaiah Prince as the primary backup to Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, especially with Bolles coming off of a season-ending injury.
So, the front office obviously agreed, and went out and re-signed Cameron Fleming. Fleming signed a contract to return to the Broncos that has a decent base but is also incentive driven. Fleming can make a decent chunk of change if he plays, which he absolutely did last season for the Broncos.
Fleming ended up playing and starting 15 games with almost 1,000 snaps last season as both a right tackle and left tackle for the Denver Broncos. He played 976 snaps, to be exact, the most he's ever played as an NFL lineman.
Pro Football Focus actually graded Fleming pretty great last year at a 72.6 overall for the season. There was some competition for his services as Fleming took visits to Miami and Jacksonville but ultimately, he opted to come back to the Broncos and he's proven his value to Denver since signing.
Although there was a period of time there where his presence on the roster felt like an extreme waste, Fleming has done his part on the field to prove his value as a swing tackle, and I think he's proven himself to be one of the very best swing tackles in the entire league. He's valuable to the Broncos not only because he can play both tackle positions, but he can also play both guard positions.
This is the type of utility player you absolutely need on your offensive line in today's NFL.
Denver Broncos underrated, important role players in 2023
4. Chris Manhertz, TE
Over the course of the offseason, the Broncos did a little makeover to the tight end room. They let players like Eric Tomlinson and Eric Saubert leave while bringing in guys like Adam Trautman and Chris Manhertz.
Manhertz is one of the most fascinating players in the league.
He's played over 100 games and only has 24 career receptions. Over the last three years, Manhertz's role has increased substantially with both Carolina and Jacksonville, where he's been averaging about 440 snaps per season offensively. To play that many snaps offensively and only catch a couple of passes?
We all know what Manhertz is here in Denver to do. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound mauler at the tight end position is an extension of the offensive line. Not just in the running game, but in pass protection as well.
Manhertz is a veteran who will not only upgrades your offense but special teams, too. He played 155 special teams snaps for the Jaguars last season and has added value in that phase of the game.
When you talk about underrated but important players, especially those who don't get properly recognized, Manhertz is one of the best possible examples. A lot of fans didn't even know this guy was an NFL player when he signed a two-year deal with the Broncos, but the more you watch him play and the more you hear people talking about him, the more you can't help but think this is going to be a massively important pickup for Denver.