One Second-Year Bronco Really Stood Out to Evan Engram This Summer

Training camp is officially in the books, and now the Denver Broncos stand on the doorstep of the regular season.

We saw several young players take a big leap forward this summer. On offense, second-year wideout Pat Bryant and rookie running back Jonah Coleman stood out.

On defense, it's hard to say that any young player popped more than second-year outside linebacker Que Robinson. The early returns on Robinson are exciting, and that was only further hammered home by veteran tight end Evan Engram's comments after practice this week.

Engram was asked to name a player who was around last season who seemed to take a big step this summer in camp, and while he acknowledged that the Broncos' defense is "full of dogs," he landed on Robinson's name with no hesitation.

" I think the guy I’ve been super impressed with, and I’ve told him, is Que Robinson. He’s been a force all camp," Engram said on Wednesday.

As a tight end, blocking is always going to be one of Engram's responsibilities, but that's even more true this season with new offensive coordinator Davis Webb taking over the play-calling. The Broncos kept Engram in to block at a significantly higher clip this summer, which pitted him in more one-on-one matchups with edge defenders like Robinson.

"There’s been a couple times I’ve been in pass pro and he’s lined up across from me, and I’ve had to bring it," Engram said of Robinson. "I’ve had to lock in. He’s definitely growing as a player, and he has a bright future ahead of him, for sure."

Hungry For More

Que Robinson and Drake Maye. — Que Robinson pressures Drake Maye in the AFC championship game. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

As a rookie, Robinson was buried on the Broncos' outside linebacker depth chart. The fourth-round pick out of Alabama was a healthy scratch in 11 regular-season games last year, playing behind Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, and Dondrea Tillman.

Robinson appeared in just six games, totaling 150 snaps. When he was on the field, he made an impact, notching 12 tackles (six solo), a half-sack, three quarterback hits, and a tipped pass at the line.

With Cooper opening the season on the commissioner's exempt list, Robinson is in line for far more playing time. His summer alone would have dictated that he see the field more this year, but the Broncos are going to need him.

Unfortunately, we don't know exactly how many games Cooper will miss. With his criminal trial not set to begin until November 10, he could miss upwards of half the season, unless the NFL manages to complete its investigation into Cooper's two arrests in June, and independently of the criminal case, hands down an actual suspension. If so, it would be somewhere between two to six games.

So get ready to see a lot of Robinson this year. Bonitto, the Pro Bowler, will start on the weakside of the formation with Elliss likely stepping into Cooper's shoes opposite him.

Tillman and Robinson will rotate in. Tillman played north of 600 snaps last year on defense, so Robinson could be in line for 500-600 snaps in Year 2.

The Broncos are excited to see how Robinson's growth takes shape on the field in Year 2.

"We led the league in sacks the last two years, and these guys were all a part of that. Que coming on late," GM George Paton said on Sunday after forming the initial roster. "I think you saw what Que did in the New England game late in the season, even the Houston game last year and some of the things he did. Then you watched him in training camp and the games this year. We feel really good about him.”

The Takeaway

It's going to be a big year for Robinson. Depending on his exact pitch count, so to speak, he's a breakout candidate to watch in 2026.

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