Russell Wilson Sends Message to Broncos' TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Maserting the art of playing the tight end position in the NFL takes time. Glance at the Denver Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and you’ll see the prototypal athlete, and one who would be an ideal fit to create mismatches all over the field as an explosive downfield threat.
Broncos Country has been eager to see a stunning breakthrough from the big-bodied former Mizzou Tiger, especially when you factor in that former starter Noah Fant is now a Seattle Seahawk. The public vote of confidence in Albert O.’s abilities to adequately replace Fant was bundled up in the wider ramifications of the trade to acquire Russell Wilson back in March.
Wilson admitted that he’s been hard on Okwuegbunam at times, but that’s now paying off as the natural talent of the Broncos' TE1 catches up with his football education.
“Albert looked exceptional today,” Wilson said after Thursday's practice with the Dallas Cowboys. “His ability to run away and he’s been working at his craft every day. I’ve been pretty hard on him. We’ve been pushing, he’s been receiving the information and working his butt off every day. For him, his ability to get open, his ability to read concepts and understand what he’s trying to do right now.”
Okwuegbunam has actively embraced the often hard schooling his quarterback has been dishing out, and he's also responding when it matters most — against tough competition like the Cowboys.
“There was a play today that we talked about, for example, and I told him in the early morning walk-thru that we had at seven o’clock in the morning or whatever time it was, and it was like, ‘On this play today, if you get this, I want you to do this.’ And he did it,” Wilson explained. “It was like, ‘Boom, there it is,‘ and he ran for 40 yards down the sidelines.”
Wilson is looking towards his talented group of tight ends perhaps much more often than at any stage of his illustrious career. Having more than one strong presence in the tight room is the key to the veteran QB trusting in using them, to not only move the chains, but to break big plays deeper downfield.
Dovetailing alongside the development of Okwuegbunam has been the emergence of fellow tight end Eric Saubert, a player who’s no longer being overlooked by anyone, including Wilson.
“Those little details are everything. He’s working on his craft and I’m really proud of him. He’s going to have an exceptional year, I believe,” Wilson said of Okwuegbunam. “And then Eric Saubert, he’s doing extremely well, too. You saw him make some big plays down the field and how physical he is blocking as well. It’s been really cool to see.”
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