Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett Previews TE Albert Okwuegbunam's New Offensive Role
Broncos Country was often quick to voice its collective displeasure at how the previous coaching staff went about things last season. One major recurring gripe was how the Denver Broncos' talented pass-catching tight end duo of Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam were so obviously and inexplicably underutilized in the passing game.
Fant, a former first-round pick, flashed at times, but not enough to make his inclusion in the Russell Wilson trade bundle a proverbial no-brainer. Okwuegbunam, somewhat by accident, now assumes Denver's TE1 designation and is very likely to be licking his chops at the prospect of snagging the passes of a future Hall-of-Famer.
Broncos' new head coach Nathaniel Hackett knows there is potential to unlock within Okwuegbunam, particularly if the emphasis can be put on making him a featured receiver, but that's a major focus moving forward.
“He’s going to be one of those move tight ends,” Hackett said on Monday from the NFL Owners Meetings. “He’s going to be more of a receiver right now. We want to train him in blocking so he can be right there next to [tight end Eric] Tomlinson.”
The general consensus coming out of college was that 'Albert O.' had all the physical tools and natural ability teams could hope for, but he would need to be more slowly brought along, especially as a blocker. Through two seasons of limited exposure, the young tight end has displayed tantalizing upside with the ability to break things wide open on big plays, which hasn't been lost on Hackett.
“He’s going to be a guy that we’re going to slowly develop and we’re very excited to see him work," Hackett said. "I remember watching the tape. He caught a short pass and just took off for a touchdown. I think it was like a 70 yarder or something like that. It was pretty impressive. [I’m] excited to get the ball in his hands.”
Polishing the 23-year-old into a diamond will be a test of Hackett's new collaborative coaching system in 2022, but the upside of developing Okwuegbunam is obvious. Tight end is a position at the NFL level that traditionally requires some careful seasoning before the refined dish emerges, so such a studious approach seems wise.
Supplanting a genuine game-breaking tight end in the line-up alongside the Broncos' potential crop of superstar wide receivers provides the offense, led by Wilson, a real ace up its sleeve in a division where it will very likely need it.
In 18 NFL games, Okwuegbunam has totaled 44 receptions (on 55 targets) for 451 yards and three touchdowns. That's as a No. 2 and sometimes No. 3 tight end.
The Broncos have barely scratched the surface of his potential.
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