Nick Vannett is proving to be more than just a blocking tight end
Aug 25, 2020, 1:52 PM
When the Broncos signed Nick Vannett to a two-year, $6-million contract in March, the general consensus was that he’d fill one role on Denver’s offense. He’d be a blocking tight end, while players like Noah Fant were the pass catchers.
To some extent, this theory made sense. During the first four years of his career, the Ohio State product had only hauled in 61 passes for 591 yards and four touchdowns. So he didn’t secure jobs with both the Seahawks and Steelers because he was prolific in the passing game.
That being the case, it took most people by surprise when Drew Lock was singing Vannett’s praises last week. The Broncos quarterback sees the tight end as another viable target in the team’s passing game.
“He’s a monster,” Lock said. “He’s going to help us in both aspects — running and the passing game.
That news may have surprised those outside the Broncos facility, but it was music to Vannett’s ears.
“Those are some kind words from Drew,” the tight end said on Tuesday. “I’ve always felt I’m a two-way tight end.”
As a result, Vannett believes he’ll be a big part of Denver’s offense, no matter the situation.
“I want to be as involved as I can,” he added. “I’ve always had great hands. I’ve always been able to make contested catches and be able to make catches anywhere outside my frame. Each year, I’ve gotten better with my quickness, gotten better at running routes. I’ve added some speed.”
And this season is no different.
“This year this is by far the best I’ve felt,” Vannett explained. “I feel more like a receiver, more athletic where I can run these routes that these other guys can run. That’s my goal.”
With a new team, there’s an opportunity to break out of the role he’s always played. Instead of being pigeon-holed, Vannett has a chance to show a new coaching staff that he can do more than just be a blocker.
“It’s almost like another chance to reprove myself as a player, that I’m not just a blocker,” he explained. “I can go out and I can run crisp routes. I can get matched up and create some separation, make a play. I’m just trying to display that as much as I can.”
To prepare himself for the opportunity, Vannett recommitted himself since the end of last season.
“I worked my butt off in the offseason,” the tight end said. “I took my diet seriously. I took my training very seriously. I busted my (butt). This is by far the best I’ve felt.”
He was driven by the chance to prove people wrong, to blow up their preconceived notions of him as a player.
“I just want to go out and surprise them like, ‘Wow, we didn’t know Nick was this kind of tight end,’” he said. “That just kind of drives me every day.”
But if needed, Vannett is happy to play the role most people expect him to play. Whenever asked in the past, he’s been more than willing to be a blocking tight end.
“I’ve always been team player,” he said. “I did that in college. At Ohio State, when you have a guy like Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, chances are you’re probably going to hand off the ball a little bit more than passing the ball.”
He embraced that role.
“For me, I get the same feeling of making a dominant block as I would if I made a first down catch or a touchdown,” Vannett said. “I just love the feeling you get when you dominate somebody. That’s what drives me. It gets me excited.”
I try to spread the energy with the whole offense, try and get them excited. It just becomes infectious. That’s all I do. I’m just a team player. I just do whatever’s asked of me. Obviously, like you said, I want to be able to show as much as I can so they can see that and be like, ‘Okay, we can put Nick in this situation and trust him.’”
Based on the early returns from training camp, the Broncos coaches may be saying that more often than they thought in 2020. Nick Vannett might not be just a blocking tight end after all.
