Finding Broncos: Senior Bowl Week Takeaways

Representatives from every team went to Mobile, AL, to scout the latest batch of senior prospects with the final chance to show what they can do in a game setting.

Over the years, the Denver Broncos have found multiple prospects from the Senior Bowl, including 2021 third-rounders Quinn Meinerz and Baron Browning.

While the Broncos don't have the number of picks they have had in recent years, they still have a pair of third-rounders. It was a great week for multiple prospects that should entice the Broncos.

Let's review the offensive takeaways from Senior Bowl week.

Quarterbacks

Fresno State's Jake Haener had the best week of all the quarterbacks and ended it with the MVP from the game. His accuracy, timing, and reads were consistent. A few throws got away from in during the week, but he always managed to respond.

The rest of the quarterbacks who practice had their moments, but Haener was the quarterback of the week. Tennessee's Hendon Hooker was still recovering from a late injury, so he wasn't able to practice, be he was still involved. On the field during drills, in the meeting rooms, and everywhere Hooker was involved.

TCU's Max Duggan showed some improved footwork, but it was inconsistent along with his placement. The big concerns around his game showed up in the game.

BYU's Jarren Hall had a rough week but didn't play in the game with an injury. Houston's Clayton Tune had a week as you'd expect when watching his tape with timing and mechanics. When it came to the game, however, Tune toned things down and mostly checked it down or took high-percentage throws.

The two other quarterbacks who stood out were Louisville's Malik Cunningham and Shepherd's Tyson Bagent. Cunningham missed the first day of practice, but the other two days were enticing.

Cunningham had a bad interception in the game and showed his inconsistencies as a quarterback. His legs are a weapon, but throwing the ball was a bit rough.

Running Backs

It was disappointing that Texas' Roschon Johnson broke his hand during the first day of practice, as he had a huge opportunity to emerge from the shadow of Bijan Robinson. Oklahoma's Eric Gray and Appalachian State's Camerun Peoples both had a disappointing week of practice. Gray ended up having a good game, where Peoples had a drop on back-to-back plays with one big run showing his power.

Tulane Tujae Spears had the best week of practice but ended with four touches (one run) for 17 total yards in the game. With multiple running backs to spread it around, Spears' touches would always be limited, but he wanted to see what he showed during the week carryover.

Northwestern's Evan Hull had a wonderful game where he showed lightning quickness out of the backfield as a receiver and as a runner. In addition, his ability to make himself small through the hole made him extra hard to defend against.

Kentucky's Chris Rogruguiez had a solid week of practices leading to a solid game. He is a back that runs hard and with power. National Champion Kenny McIntosh was another back who had a solid week of practice but didn't get many opportunities to show it in the game. Finally, Illinois' Chase Brown, a quick back, also fell into that solid week overall.

Wide Receivers

Multiple receivers had a huge week, but Stanford's Michael Wilson carried it to the game. With only four catches, he picked up 76 yards. The big issue with Wilson has been his availability, as he has played 14 games over three years. However, as a bigger receiver, Wilson is surprisingly smooth and crisp with his route running.

Houston's Nathaniel "Tank" Dell had a great week of practice with how smooth and quick he is with his routes. He was unfair in one-on-one drills but carried it over to team periods. Cincinnati's Tre Tucker also was unfair in one-on-one drills for the same reason, but he didn't carry it over to team drills as Dell did.

While it was only for one day, BYU's Puka Nacua had a huge day. His route running with his size was a formidable combination for defensive backs.

Nebraska's Trey Palmer made his long speed clear as the fastest player on offense and fourth fastest overall with a top speed of 21.15mph. He combined that with a good size catch frame for his size.

Expectations were high for Iowa State's Xavier Hutchinson and Michigan's Ronnie Bell. While both of them were solid, they didn't meet expectations. In addition, they both struggled to separate, which were concerns entering the week.

Michigan State's Jayden Reed and Ole Miss' Jonathan Mingo had a good week. Mingo has some good technique with his routes, and is well built and thick, and already drawing comparisons to Deebo Samuel. As for Reed, he was extremely quick and sharp with his routes while showing a rapid deceleration and was one of the fastest to accelerate.

Charlotte's Grant Dubose helped himself during the week. He showed how physical he is with his routes while also having soft hands. One area he has praise for, his blocking, wasn't shown off consistently due to the setting, but he managed to show his ability on some team reps.

The last two receivers to mention were disappointing during the week. SMU's Rashee Rise was the top receiver, and while he had a few plays, he didn't take over the practice.

Princeton's Andrei Iosavis has good size, but he wasn't using it and seemed to shy away from contact during his routes. On one individual drill, the defender threw his hands in a press, and Iosavis allowed him to alter his route.

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Tight Ends

The tight ends had a solid week, but Purdue's Payne Durham had the best week. He consistently helped create plays with his blocking and showed plenty as a receiver.

Cincinnati's Josh Whyle and Oklahoma's Brayden Willis showed their versatility to play all over the formation. Willis often lined up as a fullback and killed it as a lead blocker. Whyle, a solid blocker, has the determination and desire, but technique failed him a few times.

Oregon State's Luke Musgrave was the cream of the crop but didn't get an excellent chance to show his overall ability. He was one of the faster players on offense and could attack the seam, but due to other things, he wasn't able to show it.

Clemson's Davis Allen and Miami's Will Mallory were probably the bottom two, but they both had a solid week. However, Allen struggled with his blocking compared to the others in his group, and Mallory dropped several passes.

Offensive Line

Multiple offensive linemen had a chance to cement themselves in certain positions, mostly at tackle, with the chatter of moving them to guard. Maryland's Jaelyn Duncan did an excellent job protecting his outside lane and showed he could work as a tackle on either side of the offensive line. However, Tennessee's Darnell Wright showed the opposite.

Wright has heavy hands and plenty of power, but his feet are heavy and slow. He wasn't consistently attacked on the outside lane, but when he was, he lost the rep pretty consistently. The losses led to him oversetting and leaving himself open to inside counters. In the suitable scheme, he could work as a tackle but thrive as a guard in the NFL.

Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron, Oklahoma's Wanya Morris, and Georgia's Warren McClendon also had those questions. Morris and McClendon struggled with their work at offensive tackle while Bergeron held his own.

Unfortunately, Dawand Jones got hurt during the first practice, as he won every rep except for one and quickly won them. His power was outstanding, and his movement skills were good enough to live as a tackle in the NFL. His lone loss came in team drills, where he bought on an inside move, then was beaten with an outside counter.

Alabama offensive linemen Tyler Steen and Emil Ekiyor Jr both had a solid week. Steen wasn't near the top of the tackles, but he showed he could work there and won many of his reps. Ekiyor got a lot of reps at center, something he hasn't done much, and he looked better than his limited guard reps.

BYU's Blake Freeland and Michigan's Ryan Hayes hurt their stock during the week with constant struggles. Freeland won very few reps, and his issues carried over to the game. Hayes did better in team drills but didn't partake in the game.

Florida had a pair of offensive linemen in Richard Gouraige and O'Cyrus Torrence. Gouraige was a pleasant surprise, and while he wasn't dominant, he did well enough to earn a chance at tackle in the NFL as a developmental option.

Torrence has insane power, and when he got his hands on defenders, that was that. TCU's Steve Avila also has excellent power. Still, he showed some positional versatility taking reps at center, where he started in 2021 for TCU, and scheme versatility with some solid movement skills.

A few small-school guys had a great week. North Dakota State's Cody Mauch had a good week, but there were some technical lapses moving inside. Old Dominion's Nick Saldaveri is a smooth mover, but he plays with a high pad level and has to get stronger. UT-Chatanooga's McClendon Curtis had a great week where he showed dominance at the guard spot but struggled when pushed outside in practice and the game.

Minnesota's John Michael Schmitz was the best center and made it clear he is a top-two center in the class. Troy's Jake Andrew was the second-best center. Michigan's Olusegun Oluwatimi had a rough week with consistent struggles in practice and didn't have a great game to bounce back from.

The final offensive lineman to mention is North Carolina's Asim Richards. He showed good versatility in playing tackle and guard. What was great about watching him was when the practices started back-to-back drills with the same two, Richards would correct an issue the first rep for the second rep.

There are plenty of others that can be mentioned on the offensive side of the ball, but these are the ones that stood out. Stay tuned for the defensive side of the ball.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!