The Broncos landed one of the biggest sleepers of the 2020 NFL Draft

The Broncos were pulling on my heartstrings on day two of the NFL draft. With the No. 95 overall pick, Denver selected my favorite sleeper in this draft, Arkansas defensive tackle McTelvin Agim.

I’ve scouted more than 500 players this offseason, writing reports for each player. Along the way, I find players that are just fun to watch on film. Agim was one of those guys for me, and I was elated when the Broncos selected him in the third round. Agim was pretty happy, as well (obviously), when he got the call from the Broncos.

“Just being able to hear John Elway, somebody I’ve been able to watch all of those times on NFL Network — just watching him go and win games, watching the Super Bowl wins he has and watching the picks he’s been picking. Just to be one of those picks, it means so much to me because I feel like he believes in me and that’s something I greatly appreciate,” Agim said.

So why was Agim a favorite of mine? Here’s the story.

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Shrine Bowl Domination

For the last 15 years, I have gone to the East-West Shrine Bowl (formerly Shrine Game) each year. After he was picked, Agim told the media what he thought of his experience at the Shrine Bowl.

“I feel like it all just played a role. I feel like just having the mindset to keep improving my style and keep showing teams what I have and what I could do and what I could bring to the table, I feel like it all at the end helped with John Elway and the Broncos picking me,” Agim said.

The Broncos added three players from the Shrine Bowl this year, Agim and North Dakota State defensive end were drafted while Western Michigan running back DeVante Bellamy was added as a priority free agent. In fact, Agim was one of the highest drafted players from that game this year, further showing how much of a talent the big man is.

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Moves on Top of Moves

It’s rare to see a big man with the agility that Agim possesses. He can get off the line of scrimmage quickly and take blockers by surprise. Once engaged, Agim has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

In fact, Agim has six (six!) different moves he uses to get after the passer. At any time, Agim can break off a cross-chop, rip, swim, spin, high-swipe or spin move to get by his man. If the first move is stunted by his blocker, Agim is adept enough to stack moves on top of moves. Add in his high motor, and you can see why Agim was a favorite of mine on film.

When asked about the best part of his game, Agim had quite the list.

“I feel like just getting off the ball and working my hands, being able to make moves and adjust in pass-rush, being able to hold the block, I feel like I did that pretty well. The thing I feel like I have to improve on the most is just being more consistent because I’ve been able to do everything, but I need to make sure I can do it all on a consistent basis,” Agim said.

A converted defensive end, Agim can clearly line up at either position. This type of versatility will help him get on the field for the Broncos as a rookie who sees the field part-time as a rusher.

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Future Fit

The Broncos have a solid defensive line even before the draft. They kept Shelby Harris after he hit the free agency market, signed Mike Purcell as a restricted free agent and made a huge move when they traded the Titans for Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey. Add in guys like second-year pro Dre’Mont Jones and former second-round pick DeMarcus Walker and you can see how the talent abounds up front.

Clearly, the Broncos have an incredibly strong defensive line and it may be tough for Agim to find a spot in the rotation behind these veteran starters. That unit got stronger with the pick of Agim, but exactly where and how will the rookie fit in? After the draft, Fangio talked about that.

“He’ll just start off by being one of the guys there and we’ll see how he develops and where exactly he could fit in. He’s a guy that needs developing. He’s not a complete player at this point obviously, but we do like some of the tools that he has and some of the potential that he has. Hopefully, we can develop him into being a guy that can compete to make our team, and if he does, that he can contribute,” Fangio said.

The pick of Agim was fantastic, but this season we’ll just see him as a depth player. They’ll rotate him in on passing downs at some point, but Agim is a player with future upside. His fit will likely be as a starter on the defensive line perhaps beginning as soon as 2021.

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