Finding Broncos: Two Ole Miss Prospects on Offense to Bolster Depth
There has been a lot of work done to improve the offense of the Denver Broncos. They made a couple of vital signings on their offensive line, as well as adding to their tight end and running back rooms. However, they still can use some depth on offense, primarily at wide receiver and running back. These two prospects coming out of Ole Miss can make sense for the Broncos to draft.
Jonathan Mingo | WR | Ole Miss
Pros
- He played over 2,500 snaps in college.
- He secured the ball nicely with one fumble in college.
- Had solid production with 113 catches for 1,772 yards and 12 touchdowns.
- Had a good drop percentage in college, dropping 13 passes over four years.
- He tested exceptionally well at the Combine and posted a Relative Athletic Score of 9.93.
- Has an ideal size and build with a good frame.
- Has the proper footwork and technique, in general, to get by strong press coverage.
- He is a reliable first-down getter picking up 76 on his 113 catches.
- He kept the penalties down with only five in his career; however, four came in 2022.
- Has a quick acceleration off the snap.
- He brings it as a run blocker on the edge.
- Has the size and traits to work on the boundary or in the slot.
Cons
- Production was solid but wanted to see more, especially a few more missed tackles forced with his size and frame.
- Lacks burst to get instant separation, leading to a few more contested catch situations, where he caught 43.9% in that situation.
- Body catch after body catch, and needs to show natural ball skills to pluck the ball.
- He can be late turning his head for the pass, leading to missed opportunities.
- His feet are a bit heavy in his routes, and he rounds out his breaks.
- Route running lacks cleanness to it.
Overview
Mingo is a big-body receiver that is reliable in catching the ball and making a play. However, there are some issues in contested catch situations, where he will need to be more reliable to secure the catch than the 43.9% he had in college. In addition, his lack of burst in and out of breaks can lead to more contested catch situations in the NFL. There is no doubt Mingo can be a weapon in the NFL as is, but how dangerous of a weapon would depend on how he grows.
Fit with Broncos
When looking at what Sean Payton looked for in receivers during his time with the Saints, Mingo fits the mold. He has had some success with receivers like Mingo, and the team is looking for additional receiver help after being in on Allan Lazard and Adam Thielen. Mingo would give them a versatile option as a receiver that can easily fit the scheme.
© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Evans | RB | Ole Miss
Pros
- Has the size and frame to be the top back in the NFL.
- Has great speed to take the ball to the house.
- He is an elusive runner who forced 76 missed tackles over three years.
- He was reliable with picking up chunks of yards with 99 first-down runs.
- Doesn't get penalized with only one in college.
- Quick processor to read the defense and quick reactionary athleticism.
- Excellent burst to blow through the hole and pick up chunks of yards.
- He churns his legs through contact and tackles to make sure he falls forward and often picks up an extra couple of yards.
- Maintains excellent balance throughout his runs.
- He can make defenders miss with some elusive ability or bring enough power into his runs.
Cons
- Saw limited exposure as a receiver, with only 43 targets and 30 catches in his career, while dropping five passes.
- The fumble rate was high, averaging a fumble every 64 touches, dropping to once every 58 carries.
- He is not overly creative as a runner, especially when he gets past the line.
- He struggled in pass protection, with the technique being a mess.
- Doesn't offer up a lot of scheme versatility, with production coming from zone runs.
- Not overly fluid in the lower body.
- Doesn't stay tight to the line on outside runs.
Overview
Zach Evans has the prototypical size and build to be the main back in the NFL. However, his fumble rate is highly concerning, with the minimum rate being roughly one in one hundred touches. There is enough there with his physicality, and makes people miss. His scheme limitation is for a zone scheme, which he did more in college and significantly better production.
Fit with Broncos
The Broncos can use an explosive runner with home-run potential; however, his fumble rate is scary. You can improve how he runs the ball, but after what the Broncos dealt with over the past couple of years, that may be a risk they don't want to take. This is a solid running back class, and other running back options can offer up what Evans does without the fumble rate and could probably be had later.
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