5 Denver Broncos Players Poised for a Breakout Campaign in 2016
With Super Bowl 50 in the past, the Broncos are solely focused on defending their Super Bowl title. Offseason workouts have begun at UCHealth Training Center, and the Broncos have a chip on their shoulder due to perceived disrespect from those in the national media.
These “hot takes” include such lazy analysis like “the defense won’t be better” and “this team will have a Super Bowl hangover.”
Looking at this team realistically, there is a much different story being prepared to be written for the 2016 version of the Broncos. This team managed through free agency as best it could. Yes, the Broncos lost key starters on the defense in free agency, but they have the necessary depth to continue on with a high level of play on that side of the ball in 2016.
Merriam-Webster defines a hangover as “a letdown following great excitement or excess.” There was certainly great excitement after the Broncos earned their third Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, but this team did not get drunk on elation. Instead, head coach Gary Kubiak has the team focused on defending its title to the best of its abilities.
In order to do that, there must be players who improve their production this season. The roster is full of talent, but there are a few players who could do more than some think.
Here are five Broncos players poised for a breakout campaign in 2016.
5. DE Vance Walker
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The Broncos are going to have a couple of new starters this year on defense at certain positions. One of the key losses they had this year in free agency is Malik Jackson. Filling his spot on the defensive line is going to take more than one player.
Vance Walker may be the player who is most capable of playing like Jackson did for the Broncos.
Walker originally came into the league as a seventh-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2009 NFL draft. He went to the Oakland Raiders in 2013 and then the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014 before signing with the Broncos last year.
Last year, Walker appeared in 15 games for the Broncos as a part-time player. He was on the field for 336 snaps in 2015, compiling 33 tackles and two sacks. He showed a relentless motor in training camp, and he was able to carry that over to the regular season too. With a larger role, Walker should have better production.
This season we should see Walker in Jackson’s old spot at times. He’s going to compete with free-agent addition Jared Crick for the starting defensive end spot opposite Derek Wolfe. Crick knows the Wade Phillips defense after playing under him during their days together with the Houston Texans. The veteran is more of a run-stuffer, and that may limit his snaps to running downs only.
Phillips likes both players.
“Walker played really well for us last year. I think he’s a really good player. Of course, we brought Jared Crick in. [A guy] that we had in Houston. He’s a very good player also.” Phillips smiled, “We have two veteran guys that can play. We feel good about that.”
At the very least, Walker should come onto the field on passing downs to provide more pressure from the edge. Replacing Jackson is likely to take more than one player, but it’s Walker who could be counted on to aid the pass rush.
4. WR Bennie Fowler
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In the Gary Kubiak system, the tight end is heavily emphasized, and this leaves receivers scrambling for targets outside of the top two. The Broncos are set with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders at the top of the wide receiver depth chart. Behind those two stars, there are a bunch of question marks that will compete to establish the pecking order in training camp.
The player who may earn the third spot on the depth chart is Bennie Fowler.
Undrafted out of Michigan State in 2014, Fowler is a strong receiver who is not afraid to run routes over the middle. His fearless nature helps him move the chains if targeted at the linebacker level. He’s strong enough to run through arm tackles, and he's fast enough to pull away from sub-package corners tasked with covering him.
He’s been able to flash some of his playmaking ability during his short time on the field with the Broncos. Fowler worked to impress quarterback Peyton Manning, and he seemed to earn the future Hall of Famer's trust.
The young receiver has learned a lot from Manning in two years.
“He taught me how to be a pro—the way to approach the game, how to be a good player and teammate on and off the field. He’s taught me a lot...it’s amazing for me.”
With Cody Latimer yet to play up to his potential outside of practice, Fowler may rise to the third receiver spot for the Broncos.
3. LB Corey Nelson
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In addition to replacing defensive end Malik Jackson, the Broncos also have to find a replacement on defense for linebacker Danny Trevathan. There are a few players in the mix for that job, but it’s third-year pro Corey Nelson who may eventually win the starting nod.
The Broncos liked what they saw when they selected Nelson in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft. During his college career at Oklahoma, Nelson was known as an athletic player with the lateral agility to play from sideline to sideline.
Phillips knows there are three players competing for Trevathan’s old spot.
“We’ve got three guys that really played a lot last year at the inside 'backer position with Todd [Davis] and Corey [Nelson]. They [were] backups, but they played a lot. Either one of those guys can step in.”
Phillips revealed who is currently at the top of the depth chart. “Todd is in there right now. I think he’s doing a great job, as Corey is. Then Zaire [Anderson] is coming along. It’s a big position to fill certainly, but it’s also one that I think we have some guys that can certainly help there.”
Last year, Nelson was able to see the field for only 55 snaps. In the Week 17 game against the San Diego Chargers, Nelson had a season-high 11 snaps, and he was able to briefly show what he could do with a larger opportunity.
Earlier this week in OTAs, Nelson made his presence felt early when he picked off quarterback Mark Sanchez on the second play of practice. That type of play in coverage is what used to make Trevathan a standout player for the Broncos. Of all the options the Broncos have at the position, Nelson may be the most like Trevathan—and that could give him an advantage in this competition.
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2. TE Jeff Heuerman
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There’s no way to go but up for second-year pro Jeff Heuerman. Only a few days into rookie minicamp last year, Heuerman went down with a season-ending knee injury. While his teammates were winning the Super Bowl, Heuerman was left to watch and learn on the sidelines.
A third-round pick last year, Heuerman was underused as a tight end at Ohio State. He’s built like a super-sized tight end and can fly down the field. Heuerman is the type of player who can create mismatches whenever he’s on the field because he’s too fast for linebackers to cover and too big for safeties to cover.
Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison has seen growth in Heuerman.
“He looks pretty comfortable out there as far as knowing where to line [up] and what to do. Like everybody else, he’s still learning a little bit. It’s one thing to hear it and the other thing is to practice it—any reps on the field doing anything.” Dennison emphasized, “That’s a crucial part of learning—going through and doing it. We’ll get him a chance...[and] see what happens.”
Staying healthy isn’t the only question mark with the young tight end. Heuerman also needs to become more well-rounded as a player and improve his blocking ability. The Kubiak system features the tight end quite frequently as a receiver, but players at the position need to be able to block on what is a run-heavy scheme.
With Virgil Green currently recovering from finger surgery (and limited in OTAs because of it), Heuerman has a large opportunity to prove himself. So far in practice sessions open to the media, Heuerman has been looking fluid as an athlete and route-runner. It seems like he’s moving well and not thinking about the knee injury that cost him his rookie season.
There’s a good chance that Heuerman could’ve played a large role last year had he not been hurt. There perhaps is an even better chance that the team will use him a lot and make up for lost time this year.
1. LB Shane Ray
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The Broncos have an emerging star in linebacker Shane Ray. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage, has a nose for the football and shows great closing burst to the quarterback. As a rookie last year, Ray was able to flash incredible upside as a pass-rusher.
Under the guidance of general manager John Elway, the Broncos had never moved up in the first round of the NFL draft—until Ray fell close enough to their pick last year. His heart, hustle and intensity were fully on display in every game he played in college at Missouri. The Broncos wanted to bring some of that same energy to their world-class defense.
Ray has been learning behind two of the best in the league. Linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware have taken Ray under their wing to give him tips at the pro level.
Phillips knows what Ray must do to take the next step.
“We know he’s got talent. His attitude has been tremendous, and I think that’s a real key for him. When you come in and you’re a first-round pick, and you’ve got DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller playing out there in front of you, and you’re not the starter, I think it’s a little tougher mentally. But he’s come through that with shining colors and I think he’s ready to step up his game.”
In a limited amount of snaps as a rookie, Ray was able to produce. He played only 295 snaps in 14 games yet was able to snare the quarterback four times. By comparison, Oakland Raiders linebacker Malcolm Smith played 1,078 snaps and had the same amount of sacks as Ray.
Logic would dictate with perhaps double the snaps of his rookie season he could have double (or more) sacks during his sophomore season.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos media department unless otherwise noted.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.
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