Could these Broncos bubble players make the roster because of Vic Fangio?

Although he decided not to do what we saw Vance Joseph do and return to the Denver Broncos as defensive coordinator in 2023, it's possible that Vic Fangio's fingerprints could still be on the Broncos' 53-man roster when all is said and done this coming season.

Fangio is one of the most widely respected coaches in the entire NFL, and specifically, he's beloved by both Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton. Fangio and Payton are "close", and Fangio actually had a big hand in George Paton landing the job in Denver in the first place back in 2021.

The fact that Fangio was part of that initial hiring process for the GM job speaks to how respected and valuable his opinions across all areas of the team are. Paton did ultimately fire Fangio in 2022, but I don't think it's out of the question that Fangio has given Sean Payton his recommendations on certain players on this Denver Broncos roster.

We have already seen some Vic Fangio impact on the roster, at least if you want to draw those conclusions. Fangio was effusive in his praise of a player like Kareem Jackson, who played three seasons for Fangio, and is now back for another season in Denver. Fangio and kicker Brandon McManus also notably had moments in which they butted heads, and now McManus is not with the team.

Don't be surprised if some "surprise" names end up going from being written off to being on the team. Let's look at a few names of players that Vic Fangio seemingly liked when he was in Denver who could end up in Sean Payton's good graces as a result.

Players that could crack Denver Broncos roster because of Vic Fangio

1. Kendall Hinton, WR

One player that Vic Fangio was never really shy about complimenting was wide receiver Kendall Hinton. Of course, Fangio was the head coach of the Broncos during the infamous "Kendall Hinton game" in 2020 and that display of courage on Hinton's part really endeared him to Fangio.

In the following offseason, Fangio made a note during training camp that one of the guys impressing him the most was Kendall Hinton, who had made big strides after that 2020 season. Hinton not only saw playing time as a rookie when he was called upon in an emergency situation, but he wound up playing a decent amount in 2021, what would be Fangio's final year with the team. And he did show flashes that season, in particular against the Dallas Cowboys.

I think at this point, Hinton has been somewhat written off but perhaps he's got a better chance than anyone really thinks thanks to whatever recommendation Fangio might give.

2. Albert Okwuegbunam, TE

One position group right now which seems to be pretty set in terms of the 53-man roster is the tight end position. Greg Dulcich and Adam Trautman look like they will be atop the Broncos' depth chart with free agent pickup Chris Manhertz on the roster as the team's top backup.

So where does that leave Albert Okwuegbunam in a contract year? Well, most people seem to think Albert O. is set to be the odd man out, but is that really the case?

Fangio stated just ahead of the 2021 season that he was "really excited" about Okwuegbunam's development and he noted that Albert had picked up right where he left off in 2021. Here is a quote from Vic Fangio on September 2, 2021:

"He’s just picked up from where he left off last year. If you remember last year, he didn't play much early, then he was starting to play more. [He was] playing [well], having success. He's just picked up right from where he left off there. He's blocking [well]. He's a much better blocker than I think people are aware of. We know he can catch, and he's a good runner after the catch. I’m really excited about him."

Vic Fangio (via Broncos PR)

It appeared as though Okwuegbunam was in line to be the Denver Broncos' TE1 last season and even the team appeared to think so when Noah Fant was sent to the Seattle Seahawks in the Russell Wilson trade. The team posted a video of Albert Okwuegbunam basically reacting to being the team's top TE.

Unfortunately, Okwuegbunam found himself in the proverbial doghouse under Nathaniel Hackett, and the 2022 season was virtually a complete waste in terms of utilizing Albert's overall skill-set, adding value to the offense which was struggling for playmakers. He was immediately re-inserted into the lineup after Hackett was fired, and he immediately had a touchdown in the late game against Kansas City upon actually being involved in the game plan.

It will be interesting to see what Okwuegbunam can do now with a clean slate. Could a recommendation from Fangio prompt Sean Payton to not only keep Okwuegbunam on the roster but also net him a prominent role in 2023?

3. KJ Hamler, WR

The Denver Broncos used a second-round pick on KJ Hamler out of Penn State in the 2020 NFL Draft after using their first-round pick in the same draft class on wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. It was exciting, at the time, for the Broncos to have taken back-to-back receivers because everyone was still riding the high of Drew Lock's strong finish to the 2019 season.

During KJ Hamler's draft call from the Broncos, Vic Fangio joked that his Pennsylvania family members were "bugging me to pick you for months". From the start, it felt like Hamler was a pick made with a very heavy Vic Fangio emphasis.

Given the fact that Fangio once stated he looked at offensive players in the NFL Draft from the perspective of guys he would prefer not to have to coach against defensively, the running theory that Hamler was a "Fangio pick" has always made sense.

As of right now, the Broncos have seemingly "replaced" Hamler -- dealing with yet another injury -- with the 2023 NFL Draft selection of wide receiver Marvin Mims. I wouldn't be so sure that Hamler is gone just yet. I think this Broncos coaching staff is smart, and Sean Payton would be wise to see what he's got from Hamler in that offense before just moving on just for the sake of moving on.

4. Jonathan Harris, DL

Another player who has stuck around on the roster since Vic Fangio was head coach of the team is defensive lineman Jonathan Harris. Harris was picked up back in 2019 after previously getting a look with the Chicago Bears, and although he didn't have Fangio connections in Chicago, Harris was someone who seemingly had endeared himself to Fangio and his staff very early on.

Harris has floated from the Broncos' 53-man roster to their practice squad frequently for the last three seasons and got his most significant opportunity to play last year with over 200 defensive snaps. With that being said, it was near the end of the 2021 season when he impressed Fangio and

"I think [ILB] Micah Kiser came in there and did a nice job for us. I think [DL] Jonathan Harris did, also. Those are two guys to me that of the guys that got to play because of the situation yesterday that did well. The rest of the guys did everything and anything they could with the limited exposure and preparation that they had for the game. I was pleased with the competitiveness and the play of all those guys overall really, but with [ILB] Micah [Kiser] and [DL] Jonathan [Harris] being two of the better ones on defense."

Vic Fangio

Is it possible that Jonathan Harris is in line not only to make the Denver Broncos' final roster in 2023, but perhaps to start opposite new defensive line acquisition Zach Allen? I think a number of people have written him off because he's not the biggest name, but Harris has paid his dues dating all the way back to 2019. Fans should undoubtedly be rooting for him and he would be another player likely to get a ringing endorsement from Fangio.

Again, it all depends on how much Sean Payton asks or has asked Fangio whether or not this will even come into play. But given the fact that Payton was taking defensive coordinator recommendations from Fangio, it makes plenty of sense that he's picked his brain about the roster and especially some of those "bubble" guys going into offseason activities.