Broncos will count on several rookies to make immediate impact
The Broncos need only to turn on film of their two games against the Chiefs last season for a reminder of the impact a rookie can make in the NFL.
In two games against Denver last season, Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill, a 2016 fifth-round pick, amassed 302 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. Those performances played a large role in handing the Broncos a pair of losses that kept them out of the postseason.
In today’s NFL, teams count on their rookies to make quick impacts. The following is a breakdown of the Broncos’ rookie class.
Garett Bolles, LT
Drafted: First round (20th overall) College: Utah Size: 6-foot-5, 300 pounds With an eye on reconfiguring the offensive line in the offseason, general manager John Elway had his eye on Bolles from the start. He liked the size and toughness of the left tackle from Utah, who was the first offensive lineman taken in the draft and filled an immediate position of need for the Broncos. Bolles bullied his way into a starting position by the middle of the preseason. He has kept the pocket clean for the most part during preseason games, using the lateral quickness that made him the top tackle in the draft to handle the onslaught of pass rushers he has faced. Bolles doesn’t lack for confidence. His oft-stated mission is to “put people in the ground,” and he plays with an edge, not unexpected for a young man who had to overcome numerous hardships in his youth and traveled an unconventional junior-college path into first-round status. The challenge for Bolles is harnessing his raw aggression that makes him the player the Broncos need him to become. He was often hampered by penalties while at Utah and committed four — including three holding infractions — in Denver’s second preseason game at San Francisco. Bolles rebounded with a cleaner preseason game against the Packers in Game 3.
Demarcus Walker, OLB
Drafted: Second round (51st overall) College: Florida State Size: 6-4, 280 In keeping with the tradition of playful rookie hazing, the Broncos dished out awful haircuts to members of their rookie class in August. The new look for Walker — the front half of his head was shaved with the rest of his hair left in place — just so happened to represent the versatile nature of a player who is expected to add depth to the Denver defense this season. Walker, who had 25 sacks in his last two seasons at Florida State as a defensive end, began training camp in that position in the Broncos’ 3-4 alignment. But within the first week of camp the coaches moved him to outside linebacker, where he’ll now be tasked with pressuring quarterbacks from a standing position. “It’s something I did in high school and in college as well,” Walker said after being switched. “Whatever I can do to contribute to this team and win a Super Bowl and whatever a coach asks me to do, I do it.” Outside linebacker is a position of strength and depth for the Broncos. That begins with all-pro Von Miller and former first-round pick Shane Ray manning the starting spots. Shaquil Barrett is one of the league’s top reserves at the position, and Kasim Edebali, a free-agent acquisition who played his first three seasons in New Orleans, looks to be a solid rotational player after a strong training camp.
Carlos Henderson, WR
Drafted: Third round (82nd overall) College: Louisiana Tech Size: 5-11, 199 As the Conference USA offensive and special teams player of the year in 2016, Henderson flashed Tyreek Hill-like qualities. He was a versatile player with the ability to hurt opponents in multiple ways. It was clear when training camp began that Henderson had work to do before he would be able to have that level of impact with the Broncos. He had trouble catching the ball early in camp as he worked through new route concepts and responsibilities in offensive coordinator Mike Mccoy’s scheme. Just as Henderson began picking up steam midway through camp he suffered a major setback. A torn ligament in his thumb required surgery that put Henderson’s rookie season in doubt. A spot on the injured reserve list, which will keep him out at least half of the season, is where he landed. All signs point to his rookie season being an exercise in patience and development. “The key is just being a reliable guy,” he said. “Just being in each spot at the right time, running the correct depth in the routes, doing everything the coach asks you to do and just being consistent. Being consistent, that’s what makes you get on the field.”
Brendan Langley, CB
Drafted: Third round (101st overall) College: Lamar Size: 6-0, 199 The Broncos have more depth at cornerback than any team in the NFL. Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby, who often share the field in nickel-and-dime defensive packages, may be the best cornerback trio in the league. The strength of that group doesn’t open the door for much playing time, but defensive coordinator Joe Woods said depth is an unheralded key to Denver’s defensive success the past two seasons. That gives Langley, an athletically gifted player who climbed to the spotlight from a smallschool stage, an opportunity to provide an impact, though it probably won’t happen right away. Langley was a highly-rated defensive back while in high school, switched to wide receiver at Georgia, then switched back after transferring to Football Championship Subdivision program Lamar, where he intercepted six passes and returned two punts for touchdowns as a senior. Langley is still a raw player given that he didn’t play the cornerback position for his entire college career. But he demonstrated a strong knack for getting to the ball during training camp and graded out as Denver’s top cornerback by Pro Football Focus during the team’s third preseason game against Green Bay.
Jake Butt, TE
Drafted: Fifth round (145th overall) College: Michigan Size: 6-6, 250 An ACL tear suffered in his final college game, the Citrus Bowl in January, was the culprit behind the talented tight end’s steep fall in the draft. If healthy, Butt may have been a first- or second-round draft selection. But selecting Butt in the fifth round was a risk worth taking for the Broncos, who have struggled to find consistent production at the tight end position since Julius Thomas left for free agency three seasons ago. Butt is a big target who averaged 49 catches during his final two seasons at Michigan. He stands tall over the middle and is a strong route runner. The mystery for the Broncos is whether they will be able to use Butt much this season. Butt wll begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, which gives him the ability to join the active roster after Week 6. “Jake just depends on how fast he can come off that ACL, and I think physically he is getting a lot closer,” general manager John Elway said. “But you know when you have an ACL (injury), the mental side of it is a big side of it, too. We’re hoping that four to six weeks into (the season) Jake can come back.”
Isaiah Mckenzie, WR
Drafted: Fifth round (172nd overall) College: Georgia Size: 5-8, 173 Mckenzie was the first Broncos rookie to win a starting job after coach Vance Joseph named him the team’s top punt returner early in training camp. The Broncos are hoping they’ll see some of the instincts in that role that helped Mckenzie return five punts for touchdowns during his three seasons at Georgia. That’s five times as many punt return touchdowns as the Broncos have had during that same span. Simply put, the Broncos could use a special teams boost and are hopeful Mckenzie can be the one to provide it. “I’ll tell you where it starts, it’s with the confidence,” special teams coach Brock Olivo said of Mckenzie. “He wants the ball in his hands and he likes the fact that there is a Tyreek Hill in our division, a guy that he can strive to be as good as or better someday. I know he’s thinking that in his head because he’s very confident and I love that about him.” Mckenzie could also be used to provide a spark on offense. The Broncos lined him up in multiple spots during training camp, and he showed breakaway speed with a 47-yard touchdown catch during Denver’s first preseason game. “I come out here with the mindset that I can do anything a 6-5 guy can do,” Mckenzie said. “I can do anything any other guy can do.”
De’angelo Henderson, RB
Drafted: Sixth round (203rd overall) College: Coastal Carolina Size: 5-7, 208 Henderson saw a sliver of light as he took the handoff in the Broncos’ preseason opener at Chicago. A sliver was all he needed to spring through the hole, juke a defensive back and race 41 yards to the end zone. It was a play that epitomized the Broncos’ optimism for the young running back, who displayed speed, sharp cutting ability and a quick grasp of the offense during his first NFL training camp. It’s much of what Henderson put on tape at Coastal Carolina, where he rushed for a school record 4,635 yards and 58 touchdowns. “At that level of competition, when you turned on the tape, he flashed,” Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville said. “He made a lot of plays and made you like him and watch him. He runs hard and yeah, he’s a little guy, but he’s tough. I like his game.” Henderson fumbled twice in Denver’s third preseason game, losing one. That’s an area he’ll have to clean up as the Broncos head into the season. Putting the ball onto the ground is a quick way into a coaches’ doghouse.
Chad Kelly, QB
Drafted: Seventh round (253rd overall) College: Ole Miss Size: 6-2, 224 The final selection in the 2017 draft likely will not see the field in his rookie season as he recovers from injuries. That gives Kelly time to grasp an NFL offense from afar as he continues to recover from a wrist injury that played a role — along with some off-field transgressions — in his drop in the draft. Even rookies who participate in training camp face a steep learning curve in the league. Kelly’s absence from camp puts him way behind. The task for “Mr. Irrelevant,” the name given to the last player selected in an NFL draft, this season is becoming fully healthy and showing coaches he’ll be ready to compete in 2018. Referencing his off-field problems at Mississippi, Kelly said: “I have a great opportunity ahead of me. I want to prove to everybody that I’m not the same person I was a couple of years ago.”
Jamal Carter, S
Drafted: Undrafted College: Miami Size: 6-1, 215 The Broncos kept an undrafted rookie on the 53-man roster in 12 of the previous 13 seasons heading into 2017. Carter made his play to become another in a long list of players from that position — a list that includes all-pro cornerback Chris Harris and running back C.J. Anderson — by taking advantage of his opportunity. Carter was inserted into the Broncos’ preseason opener in the first quarter. Denver was thin at the safety position at the time because hard-hitting T.J. Ward was nursing a hamstring injury. All Carter did with his chance that night in Chicago was zoom into the backfield to recover a fumble, get a quarterback hurry and finish with a game-high six tackles. The big night put Carter, who led Miami as a senior with 85 tackles, on the radar. And he kept showing up — on special teams and on defense. Through three preseason games, Carter led the Broncos with 12 tackles. “I think Carter can play,” Anderson said midway through training camp. “He’s flying around and making plays.” And in the end, he made the 53-man roster.