Broncos Country is still bubbling after George Paton hauled in an impressive amount of talent via the NFL Draft, but don’t sleep on the undrafted free agent class.
For 16 of the past 17 seasons, an undrafted free agent has made Denver’s final roster, and this class appears to boast quite a bit of talent as well, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Here are 3 of Denver’s UDFA’s who are most likely to make the final roster.
Warren Jackson, WR, Colorado St.
Warren Jackson will compete with Seth Williams for the same roster spot — that being the Tim Patrick insurance plan and eventual replacement — with the loser of the competition likely sticking around on the practice squad.
While Williams has the upper hand as of now — considering the Broncos spent a sixth-round selection on him and Jackson is a UDFA — but don’t count out former Ram yet.
Before opting out of the 2020 season, Jackson was projected to go late on the second day or early on the third day of the draft, and his tape looks every bit as good as recent CSU success stories Michael Gallup and Preston Williams.
Don't let "UDFA" fool you. The Broncos have a stud in Warren Jackson pic.twitter.com/wLqiSDfXUg
— Justin Michael (@JustinTMichael) May 3, 2021
Jackson is masterful at reeling in contested catches and being a headache in the opponent’s redzone. He also has jaw-dropping size at the position, measuring in at 6-foot-6, 219 pounds, but he doesn’t offer much in terms of speed or agility.
The battle between Seth Williams and him should be one of training camp’s best.
Shaun Beyer, TE, Iowa
Shaun Beyer should be the odds-on favorite to make the final roster out of all of Denver’s undrafted free agent signings from this draft cycle.
The only one of the undrafted free agents entering a shallower position group is Adam Prentice, though the need for his position is debatable. Meanwhile, behind Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam — who is coming off a torn ACL and was injury-prone in college — the Broncos have almost nothing at tight end, leaving the door wide open for Beyer.
Beyer was an excellent blocking tight end for the Hawkeyes who caught just 18 passes during his collegiate career, but don’t assume that lack of usage equals a lack of receiving talent. Although Beyer’s blocking is his best trait, he was actually recruited to Iowa City as a wide receiver, so the potential is there — as evidenced by the fact he produced 275 yards (15.3 average) and a touchdown off that measly workload.
Drew Himmelman, OT, Illinois St.
The Ja’wuan James injury greatly improves Himmelman’s chances of making the final roster, but they were already pretty solid, considering how little the Broncos had on the exterior of their line behind James and Garett Bolles, and the fact they didn’t add a tackle through the draft.
Himmelman fits the profile of a ‘Mike Munchak guy’ with a gargantuan 6-foot-9, 320 pound build that leaves a lot of room for development. However, don’t let that frame give you too much confidence as the Broncos signed Hunter Watts (6-foot-8, 320 pounds) as an undrafted free agent and cut him before the start of the season.
With that said, Himmelman does show some intriguing traits. He’s a really good mover for a tackle of his size, who has good feet and good experience at tackle. However, he struggles to create leverage considering he’s always the high man and he’ll have to add quite a bit of play strength before he can see the NFL field.