Broncos' Rookie Class Grades at the Bye

The Denver Broncos ended up making nine selections in the 2022 NFL draft. A few of Denver's draft picks are seeing the field regularly, primarily due to injuries.

With eight games under their belt, now is an excellent time to evaluate how the Broncos' rookie class has been doing against the rest of the NFL and their fellow rookies.

We'll be using advanced analytics and some grading by Pro Football Focus.

Nik Bonitto | OLB | Pick 64

Bonitto has the lowest overall grade among Broncos edge defenders with at least 120 total snaps. He has picked up seven total pressures on 61 pass-rush snaps, which is a pressure every 8.7 snaps. For context, Bradley Chubb was averaging a pressure every 8.5 snaps.

Among the rest of the NFL edge defenders with at least 120 total snaps, Bonitto has the 39th-lowest overall grade. His pass-rush grade, 78.5, is the 19th-highest in the NFL, sitting behind Von Miller. However, Bonitto's seventh-worst run defense grade brings it down.

While he is tied for the 20th-fewest pressures among edges with at least 60 pass-rush snaps, only two players with seven or fewer pressures have fewer pass-rush snaps than Bonitto. That is made clear by his 17th-highest pass-rush win rate and his 27th-highest pass-rush productivity.

That's how Bonitto measures up to the rest of the NFL, but what about his fellow rookies?

There have only been 14 rookie edge defenders to have at least 60 pass-rush snaps, and seven of them have more pressures than Bonitto, but all have played more than twice as many pass-rush snaps. And Bonitto leads the rookies in pass-rush productivity and pass-rush win rate.

Again, his positive play is as a pass rusher only. Bonitto is tied for the second-fewest stops among rookie edge defenders while being the fourth-lowest-graded edge in run defense.

What it Means: The Broncos have seen the promise of Bonitto as a pass-rusher, which helped make them comfortable trading Chubb. However, he has made it clear there is still much work to do as a run defender.

Greg Dulcich | TE | Pick 80

With Dulcich missing so much time, he won't be compared to all of the NFL tight ends, only his fellow rookies. So how he compares to the rest is quite telling.

Dulcich has played the fourth most pass-play snaps among the rookie tight ends, with only 98 this season. He has the third-most targets and fourth-most receptions while leading in receiving yards.

The average depth of target for Dulcich has been 13.3 yards, which is the third-highest. However, the two above him have only been targeted once.

As for his blocking, Dulcich has graded out as the worst run-blocking rookie tight end so far this season. That is apt, as his blocking has been an issue, but he gives effort and will win some reps ugly.

What it Means: The athleticism Dulcich brings to the offense was needed, and he is well exceeding what would be fair expectations. Tight ends rarely make much of an impact as rookies, especially third-rounders, but Dulcich is an exception. Let's hope he can keep it up as the season continues.

Damarri Mathis | CB | Pick 115

Mathis has 202 coverage snaps, so setting the minimum at 200 still left 70 total players. Of those 70, Mathis was tied for 51st in coverage grade. So let's jump to his comparison to the other rookie corners, where 10 have played at least 200 snaps.

Among the 10 qualifying rookies, Mathis ranks seventh in his coverage grade while being the eighth-most targeted. His reception percentage allowed is the fourth-highest while having the third-lowest snap per target.

The good news is Mathis is tied for fourth in forced incompletion percentage. So there are positives to take away from his game, even when he has been getting picked on since taking over for Ronald Darby.

Only one rookie corner and two corners overall have been penalized more than Mathis this season. In college, Mathis had some issues with grabby hands, and it has not been favorable in his few starts.

What it Means: There have been some great flashes, but they get lost with the penalties he picks up. He was thrown to the fire this season, and the early returns have been concerning.

Eyioma Uwazurike | IDL | Pick 116

Uwazurike was a bit of a project when Denver drafted him with his usage at Iowa State. He has only seen the field for 27 snaps, and there have been some highs but a lot of lows as well.

Nevertheless, there are signs of promise with more development.

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Delarrin Turner-Yell | S | Pick 152

Turner-Yell has been a core special teams player with 80 snaps over the various units. He has picked up two tackles and looks more than competent.

However, with no snaps on the defensive side of the ball, it is impossible to evaluate that aspect.

Montrell Washington | WR/KR | Pick162

Washington is one of nine returners with at least 20 return attempts and one of three rookies. With kickoff returns, he has the lowest return average with 18.5 yards and is one of three returners below the 20-yard mark.

Washington's punt return average is better in comparison, being the fifth-highest with 9.4 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, Washington is also one of three returners with two muffed punts.

What it Means: While he has flashed his few plays on offense, there hasn't been enough consistency with Washington's usage to evaluate him there properly.

Luke Wattenberg | IOL | Pick 171

Unless Denver is eliminated from the playoffs or knock on wood, more injuries mount, don't expect to see a lot of Wattenberg this season. He has played one snap through eight games and was brought in as a sixth offensive lineman on the goal line.

Matt Henningsen | IDL | Pick 202

Henningsen is one of 12 rookie interior defensive linemen to play at least 100 snaps on defense. He finds himself tied with the fourth fewest snaps. Despite that, he has the second-highest grade overall, behind only Jordan Davis, and it is the same with run defense grades.

Henningsen takes the top spot with his tackling grade but has the eighth-lowest pass-rush grade among the group with only two pressures.

What it Means: Henningsen was a motor defender at Wisconsin with decent athleticism. In addition, he had a good technical foundation, which is why he could see the field so early, especially compared to Uwazurike. While Uwazurike develops, Henningsen is showing his ability as a depth piece on the Broncos line.

Faion Hicks | CB | Pick 232

Unfortunately, Hicks has not seen the field but has been sticking around on the Broncos' practice squad. However, there is a chance he could get on the field over the final nine games.

The Takeaway

After the 2022 NFL draft, one thing was clear about the Broncos draft class: they were selections based more on the 2023 season than this year.

Outside of Dulcich and Henningsen, the Broncos' rookies seeing the field are mostly doing so due to injuries. Mathis for Darby, Bonitto for Randy Gregory, and Baron Browning, Washington for Tim Patrick. Even then, unless they are thrust into a starting job, the number of reps they see is still limited.

Henningsen has been part of a rotation on the defensive line, but he doesn't see 20 snaps a game regularly. Dulcich stepped into a starting role when he was healthy, but that probably had a lot to do with Denver's underperforming tight ends.

There is some promise with this 2022 class. This group will get a chance to show it over the second half of the season. It's on them to turn the flashes into more consistency.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

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