One of the notable competitions brewing inside the Denver Broncos training camp is who will step up and claim the third wide receiver position along side Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
The Broncos tried a number of wide receivers in that spot in 2016, but weren’t ever able to find the right fit. As a result, Jordan Taylor, Bennie Fowler, Jordan Norwood and Cody Latimer all saw time in 2016.
Despite being just two days into training camp, one Broncos receiver feels like he knows whose spot it is to lose.
“I think Bennie has that job right now” Emmanuel Sanders said following Friday morning’s practice. “Obviously Bennie don’t wanna lose it, but it’s Bennie’s job right now to lose if you ask me. He’s the one playing in the slot the majority of the time.”
In his first two years in the NFL, Fowler has played in all but three games for the Broncos. Fowler caught 16 passes for 203 yards in 16 games in addition to making some big catches during the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 playoff run in 2015. He also helped seal the deal in the Super Bowl, catching a two-point conversion that turned out to be Peyton Manning‘s final pass in the NFL.
After missing the first two games of the season with an elbow injury in and a week 13 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fowler finished the season with 11 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Fowler isn’t only catching the eye of his fellow receivers, he’s catching the eye of some of the defenders as well.
“Bennie has great releases, great hands,” cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “I think he’s going to be great. I think Trevor and him have a great chemistry. I don’t know what the chemistry is with him and Paxton yet, but Trevor, he loves to find him, man. You can see it from the season last year, Bennie came in, Trevor, he always looked for him. I like the competition. I’m definitely going to make him better everyday. He should be ready to go. He should be able to take on the slot receiver.”
Camp is still young, and the Broncos haven’t even put the pads on yet, but as of now it seems as if the third wide receiver spot is Bennie Fowler’s to lose.