Fangio singles out two Broncos rookies after preseason opener

To the average fan, the Denver Broncos’ preseason opener vs. the Atlanta Falcons was a snoozefest. The final score had the Broncos coming out on top 14-10 but it took some late-game heroics in order to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

However, to we in media covering the Broncos who’ve been studying the film on the team’s draft class and rookies, Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game was highly illuminating. Several depth players acquitted themselves well, while others were not equal to their opportunity.

Following the game, head coach Vic Fangio was asked which players stood out to him on the night.

“Well obviously, [DE] Dre’Mont [Jones] had some nice plays there at the end,” Fangio said from the podium post-game. “[WR Juwann] Winfree made the acrobatic catch. Those were some of the guys, but I need to watch the tape first.”

The question was posed immediately following the game, so Fangio’s answer was informed simply by what he saw from his vantage on the sideline. After he studies the film, he’ll likely have a sheet full of standouts to praise in the Broncos’ next team meeting.

Dre’Mont Jones’ performance was eye-opening. The rookie third-rounder was a constant force in creating interior pressure. The Trey Johnson interception that came in the second half was a result of the pressure generated by Jones.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jones won his matchups, creating pressure on the QB, on 23.1% of his pass-rush snaps. That’s a huge number.

Pass-Rush Win% #HOFGame
(min 20 pass-rush snaps)

DEN - DeMarcus Walker 27.3%
DEN - Malik Reed 25.0%
DEN - Dre'Mont Jones 23.1%
ATL - Justin Zimmer 18.2%
— Connor Price (@ConnorPrice00) August 2, 2019

However, as encouraging as Jones’ performance was, especially with it coming on the heels of a relatively quiet first two weeks of training camp, we have to remember that the preseason format favors defensive lines. Remember, the offensive linemen playing in a contest like the Hall of Fame Game are far from elite-level players at their positions and at least half of them won’t even be in the league a month from now.

Still, you’ve got to tip your cap to Dre’Mont Jones, who finished as PFF’s highest-graded Bronco on the night (90.9). It’s worth mentioning, even though Fangio didn’t, that DeMarcus Walker also had a huge game, generating pass pressure on 27.3% of his snaps, which resulted in a sack and a QB hit.

“Yeah, that’s what he told me,” Fangio said. “He came right up to me after the game and he was talking some smack. We’ll see, I’m anxious to see—you don’t see everything during the course of the game, especially where I’m standing now. But he did tell me he played well.”

Walker finished with a PFF grade of 89.5 — good for second-best on the team. It would appear as if the message the Broncos sent by drafting Jones did not fall on deaf ears. The competition between those two young D-linemen will be one of the most exciting of the preseason.

As for Juwann Winfree, his night was honestly a mixed bag. But make no mistake, this kid is a killer and he’s destined for big things as a Bronco. The sixth-round rookie WR started off his night on shaky ground, dropping a Kevin Hogan pass in the first quarter.

However, his game-winning acrobatic catch late in the fourth quarter redeemed his past blunder. Winfree is a player who’s best performance seems to come in the clutch moments.

The Broncos appear to have some young players whose trajectories are on the uptick.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.

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