5 Broncos who may not be with team in 2023 following NFL Draft

Albert Okwuegbunam, Tight End

The Broncos' trade for Adam Trautman during the draft added another tight end to the roster and while the Broncos could keep as many as four of them on the 53-man roster, it wasn't a vote of confidence for Albert Okwuegbunam.

The Broncos got a good rookie season out of Greg Dulcich last year and signed Chris Manhertz as a free agent to be the team's blocking tight end. Trautman gives Sean Payton a tight end who he is familiar with.

The Broncos also signed two tight ends as undrafted free agents.

Though Okwuegbunam has always been a promising athlete, he has not shown it very often on the field. When the Broncos sent Noah Fant to Seattle last year in the Russell Wilson trade, it was a vote of confidence toward Okwuegbunam.

But he seemed to quickly fall out of favor with Nathaniel Hackett, who had him on the field during preseason games despite resting the starters for the entire preseason. When the season opened, Hackett seemed intent on using guys like Andrew Beck and Eric Tomlinson at that position, guys not known for their receiving ability.

Soon, Okwuegbunam was a healthy scratch for pretty much every game. Once Hackett was fired, he was put on the field and showed he can make plays. But how will the new coaching staff feel about him?

This will be a very important offseason for Okwuegbunam but he could be fighting an uphill battle to make the team.