Broncos Rookie Report Card: Week 1 at Giants
The Denver Broncos had a 2021 NFL draft class, but only five rookies saw any action against the New York Giants. Just three rookies saw action on defense, two on special teams, and one on offense.
How did each rookie do in Week 1? Here's the Broncos' rookie report card.
Javonte Williams | RB | Grade: B
Of the group, the most impressive rookie was the one on offense. Williams was the only rookie to see action on that side of the ball, and he received the most snaps of them all, leading the team with 14 carries for 45 yards.
There were plenty of flashes from Williams during this game, where he got to show off his physical running style against a physical defense. The Broncos’ interior offensive line struggled, leading to Denver turning to Williams a little more often than Melvin Gordon.
The rookie ran hard which helped wear down the Giants’ defense and opened up more on the offense. It will be interesting to watch the split of touches between Gordon and Williams as the season goes on.
This game suggested it will be more matchup-based, which is how it should be, combining the running back touch-share with the hot-hand approach. Whatever ends up happening, this was a solid game from Williams as a runner where he showed potential for a lot more.
Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: C
Surtain saw 16 snaps on defense. The talented young cornerback played too far off in trail technique on a crosser before missing a tackle on a touchdown play.
Jonathon Cooper | OLB | Grade: D
Cooper edged out all rookies on defense with 17 total snaps. He entered the game to spell Von Miller and Malik Reed after Bradley Chubb was ruled out. Neither Cooper nor the next rookie was particularly effective when on the field.
Andre Mintze | OLB | Grade: D
Mintze saw 16 snaps on defense. Like Cooper, he was used to spell Miller and Reed.
Caden Sterns | S | Grade: C
All of Sterns' reps came on special teams. It was disappointing not to see him get any reps on defense, but it isn’t that surprising with Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons being atop the depth chart.
Sterns' play on special teams was solid, and he wasn’t responsible for any significant returns, which is the minimum of what you want. He will get reps on defense at some point, but he has to wait until his opportunity comes knocking.
Baron Browning | LB | Grade: C
Like Sterns, Browning's number was only called in the third phase. Browning was the last rookie to see any action, garnering just four total snaps on special teams.
There wasn’t anything he did that was particularly noteworthy, in a good or bad way. With how long of the offseason programs he missed with injury, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Denver continue to bring him along slowly this season.
Bottom Line
This was a pretty quiet game for the Broncos' rookie class, especially with its hype entering the season. Of course, there were a fair number of rookie mistakes, which was bound to happen.
But, with their feet wet, these rookies now have to learn from their mistakes and grow from there.
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