Shurmur & Lock Confirm a Fant/Okwuegbunam Package Will Continue to be Featured in Broncos' Offense
Heading down south to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Falcons, the reenergized Denver Broncos still find themselves battling their never-ending injury problems. Rising from the numerous setbacks, the opportunity for other players to step into the limelight and make the most of increased playing time presents itself.
Tight end Jake Butt was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring and even Nick Vannett limped out of last Sunday’s comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The tight end position was regarded as a strength for Denver heading into the 2020 season, so much so that fourth-round pick Albert Okwuegbunam was kept on ice until the Week 6 tilt at the New England Patriots, but the injuries have taken a toll and the onus is increasingly falling on the rookie to step up.
The door to more playing time is now swinging wide open for Okwuegbunam, which means he needs to prove to the coaches that he can handle the extra responsibilities headed his way. After notching his first career touchdown last week, confidence should be riding high for the 22-year-old from Illinois which will help him further develop his bond with his close friend Drew Lock.
The rookie tight end's notable improvements have not gone unnoticed by Lock, who spoke of the exciting prospect of Okwuegbunam and starting tight end Noah combining on the field.
“The package with Albert and Noah is definitely a dangerous one,” Lock declared during Thursday’s presser. “There are definitely ways to mold it into a game and I think coach Shurmur has done a good job of it with those guys. Especially since Albert doesn’t have very many games under his belt. He needed to see what he could do out on the field before we made a whole package out of it. I think Albert’s making a good statement for himself to be able to be on the field a little bit.”
Had the fateful injury bug not hit hard within the tight end room, it's hard to say whether Okwuegbunam may have remained as a healthy scratch on gamedays instead of suiting up. The current incarnation of the 'Baby Broncos' feels like it’s more happenstance than planned, however, that set of circumstances has already allowed the likes of rookies like Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler to develop rapidly at wide receiver.
If Okwuegbunam is going to follow suit, it will take a combination of his own diligence and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur trusting his talented rookie tight end enough to assert his involvement in the passing game. On Thursday, Shurmur expressed a level of confidence in the Fant/Okwuegbunam duo.
“They’re on the field quite a bit together, quite frankly,” the veteran coach said. “With the way our offense is structured, right now, we’re down to only a handful of receivers, and with the move we made with Jake Butt, only a couple of tight ends. They were on the field a handful of times the other night together and I anticipate that they’ll continue to be on the field together.”
Due to injuries, the Broncos are clearly shorthanded, but being forced into playing two predominantly pass-catching tight ends at the same time might turn out to be Shurmur’s ace in the hole. The unique mix of size, speed, and strength when doubled up on the field together could present some sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.
With this talented and explosive tight end duo, Shurmur still has a large element of surprise to unleash should he decide to show his hand. Those opportunities will come as the Broncos continue to push down the stretch.
The Broncos' 2020 rookie class has combined to play 2,164 total snaps through Week 8, which is the third-most in the NFL. The coaches have been forced to lean on the rookies due to the injury bug but luckily, it's beginning to pay real dividends as the Broncos near the .500 mark.
Broncos Country will be looking for that upward momentum to continue this Sunday down in the Peach State.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
