Here's Why Undrafted Rookie WR Warren Jackson is a Darkhorse to Make Broncos' Roster
Coming into the 2021 season, the Denver Broncos have one of the most explosive receiving corps in all of football, boasting a young group that possesses every skill-set imaginable.
The team's wide receiver room starts with 4.3 speedster KJ Hamler, who can take the top off any defense, as well as route-running extraordinaire Jerry Jeudy, whose cuts, change of speed, and footwork are a thing of beauty, and the big-bodied journeyman with a gigantic chip on his shoulder Tim Patrick.
Finally, the Broncos have the successor to Demaryius Thomas, but with superior hands, in Courtland Sutton — who has only shown the tip of the iceberg regarding his production. That being the top-4 at the wideout position, the Broncos might have another ace up their sleeve in undrafted rookie receiver Warren Jackson.
Who is Jackson? Allow me to break it down.
Strengths
The Colorado State product showed tremendous promise during his collegiate career. In his final season suiting up for the Rams, Jackson hauled in 77 receptions for 1,119 yards and eight touchdowns, using his enormous 6-foot-6 size and strength to dominate smaller defensive backs.
Jackson also possesses a 7-foot wingspan which aided him in high-pointing the catches and turning 50/50 balls into 60/40 propositions in his favor, allowing the quarterback to just chuck it up, and either Warren’s coming down with the ball or nobody is.
Jackson also has shown potential as a strong run blocker. He puts himself in the proper position and uses his strength to run through the defender in the open field — a skill that will come in handy as the Broncos are equipped with a two-headed monster of a running game in Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams.
Weaknesses
Jackson has terrific size but seriously lacks in the speed and explosiveness department. In the 40-yard dash, he was clocked at 4.72 seconds, which put him in the second percentile for wideouts, and recorded a 33.5-inch vertical jump, which may seem high, but only ranked him in the 27th percentile among receivers.
Finally, even though Jackson has some serious height, he will need to pack on some muscle to fill out his frame. He tends to struggle when jammed at the line if he is matched up against physical defensive backs.
Projecting Ahead
Jackson will give the Broncos another outside wideout with good size, as well as another red-zone threat. The Broncos can use it as an insurance policy, as the team faces some tough decisions in the future with both of the team's big-bodied wideouts — Sutton and Patrick — entering a contract year.
The Broncos can only hope Jackson shows promise in his rookie training camp. If so, it could make moving on from Patrick an easier pill to swallow because I don’t see the Broncos letting any team outbid them for Sutton’s services.
It's worth noting that Jackson is sporting the jersey No. 80, which comes with a fair amount of legacy cache. The team's all-time leading receiver Rod Smith sported No. 80, as well as Ring-of-Famer Rick Upchurch, Mark Jackson — he of 'The Drive' and 'Three Amigos' fame — and most recently, Julius Thomas.
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