Broncos' individual players grades for preseason Game 4 vs. Rams revealed

The Denver Broncos took on the Los Angeles Rams in what was their fourth preseason game. No starters took the field for either side, so it was a battle of depth.

There were plenty of players on both sides of the ball who stood out in a positive light, but more so on the defensive side of the ball. As for the Broncos' offense, they had a few standouts, but mostly it was because of poor play.

My grading system rewards players for their impact on a play, either positive or negative, and it varies for the level of impact they have on a given play. For example, a receiver blocking away from the play who whiffs won’t lose as many points as a lead blocker whiffing.

So it essentially measures a player's impact and involvement on the play, and for each snap they take, their score fluctuates positively and negatively. The more negative there is, the lower a guy's score goes, etc.

As I have done with each of the other games so far, there will be 21 players talked about in this article. Seven of them with a good grade, seven with a bad grade and seven that can fall into either that need to be highlighted for one reason or another.

The Good

Mike Purcell, DL: 92.3

What a game from the defensive lineman. He started to emerge against the Niners, and continued on that trajectory against the Rams. Purcell was a stud and the highest-graded player from the game.

His play against the run was stellar, and he got some solid push in the passing game. With one game left, he is pushing for a roster spot, and he managed to push Zach Kerr off of the roster entirely.

Justin Hollins, LB: 87.9

As a rookie hybrid, Hollins has flashed as an edge rusher and as an off-ball linebacker. Consistency is still needed, but if he gets it down he can be quite the defensive weapon for the Broncos.

There were some hits and misses in the run game, but as a pass rusher, he was pretty consistent in applying pressure and getting the quarterback to be uncomfortable.

Ahmad Gooden, OLB: 86.4

Denver has a knack for finding undrafted gems at edge rusher, and Gooden can be added to the list. In his first real action in a game, he was generating all kinds of pressure off the edge.

Not only that, he looked solid against the run. He won’t make the roster, but he made a case for the practice squad.

Khalfani Muhammad, RB: 85.1

The fourth back on the roster broke out in the Hall of Fame game before fading away vs Seattle and not playing against the 49ers. His game against the Rams picked up from the Hall of Fame game. He made defenders miss as a receiver and runner, and even created for himself a few times. There is a big play potential, but he hasn’t quite hit the big play just yet. If he manages to, it could be what gets him on the roster.

Trinity Benson, WR: 80.0

Opportunity hasn’t quite been there for Benson, but he shows his speed and good route running whenever he is on the field. He's still yet to get a chance as a returner, which with his speed could be huge for the Broncos. While he doesn’t have the catches like other receivers, he is still showing what he can do.

DeMarcus Walker, DL: 84.5

Despite making a couple plays in the first quarter and a half, it was a mediocre game from Walker. However, he really turned it up and made his presence felt for the remainder of the game.

He wasn’t able to get home, but he applied plenty of pressure and showed more flashes against the run. Consistency is still missing from his game overall, and something he still needs to work on.

Kelvin McKnight, WR: 83.3

The receiver actually looked solid and his routes were strong. He was lagging behind for a potential sixth receiver spot but regained some ground. Was it enough to get him a spot? Not quite that strong, but he took the right steps with only one game left.

The Bad

Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien, QBs: 14.3 & 14.5

I am cheating here and having both backup quarterbacks together since their grades are so similar. They missed open guys, had bad ball placement, off-target throws abounded and each held the ball far too long on multiple occasions. Neither of these guys looked like they can actually be a backup quarterback for the Broncos.

Trey Johnson, CB: 17.9

It seems like a broken record at this point with Trey Johnson. His coverage was a mess, he doesn’t fight for positioning or for the ball, and failed to make multiple tackles. Why he's still around is something worth asking.

Quinn Bailey, OT: 21.2

Bailey got the start at right tackle, which is a huge boost for the former fourth-stringer. After his game against the Rams where he gave up multiple pressures and failed to get push on the ground, he should be moving back down.

Elijah Wilkinson, OL: 24.4

The backup tackle had some huge mistakes against the Niners that led to Drew Lock getting hurt, and again against the Rams that seemed to really rattle Brett Rypien. Wilkinson's run blocking was great, but only at times, while at others he was missing big. He got the start at right guard, a position he played to finish last season, and he looked like he didn’t belong on the field.

Jake Rogers, OT: 27.3

It was a rough game for one of the studs from the Niners game. A bad holding call, multiple pressures, and defeat in the run game, made it clear that he struggled mightily in his start at left tackle. When he has played right tackle, it has been a really good showing, and it might be a case of just being a right tackle only.

Shamarko Thomas, S: 31.3

Missed tackles and blown coverage plague his tape against the Rams. Thomas stuck to the roster a year ago for special teams play, but this year he has to have an impact on the defense. Getting a decent amount of playing time did show one thing for Thomas and that is he doesn’t belong on the roster.

Other notable performances

DeShawn Williams, DL: 79.8

It was a good game from the majority of the Broncos' defensive line and Williams helped with that. He was strong at the point of attack, and held his ground against the run. His pass rush is still inconsistent, but he flashed more potential there than he has in the previous games.

Dre’Mont Jones, DL: 70.1

The rookie defensive lineman has yet to have that one moment where he really shows this is why they drafted him. His play has been solid, and he has been able to generate pressure as an interior pass rusher, but his play against the run is inconsistent and a weak point in his game. The Rams' backup linemen blew him off his spot multiple times and he struggled to recover. There were a couple great run defense plays, but very few and that shows the inconsistency.

John Leglue, OL: 68.8

In previous games, Leglue has been impressive when getting reps at right guard. In this game, he got a shot at tackle, which is something I had hoped would happen. He looked rough around the edges, and struggled more than he did at guard, but it was a solid performance. While he did give up some pressure and failed to get some push on the ground at times, it didn’t happen as often as it did with other tackles that took the field from the Broncos.

Alexander Johnson, ILB: 67.3

It is pretty safe to say that Johnson will be the first backup at linebacker for the Broncos. While his play hasn’t been consistent or great even, he has been better than any of the other reserve linebackers that the Broncos have. He has shown growth from where he was last year, and the game looks like it has slowed down a lot for him. Against the Rams, he had some bright spots of reading the run and clogging the lanes, but has continued to look lost and might be a liability in coverage.

Jake Butt, TE: 65.0

For his first game back in almost a year, it was a solid performance. There were some plays he looked like he was being cautious with his he moved, especially as a blocker. That was to be expected, as players coming off serious injuries are a little cautious. Is this a reason to be concerned moving forward? As long as it doesn’t stick to his game, it isn’t. He flashed what he can bring as a receiver to compliment what Noah Fant brings.

Troy Fumagalli, TE: 57.9

After a really bad game against the Niners, Denver needed Fumagalli to bounce back. There is no doubt it was a better game, but he still had his struggles, especially as a blocker. He hasn’t shown the technique or consistency to be a viable blocker in the NFL just yet. Could that change with time? Of course, but it shouldn’t be counted upon this year. His play as a receiver was solid, with solid route running and he looked like a viable second or third receiving option from the tight end position.

Jamal Carter, ILB: 55.6

Carter was moved to linebacker just before the game against the Niners, and it showed with how poor of a performance he had. With more time at the position under his belt, he was able to step it up and looked capable as a run defender from the new position. There were still some mistakes in coverage, but not as bad as they were before he moved from safety.

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