Three most-underrated Denver Broncos in the 2021 season
Feb 25, 2021, 6:17 AM
The Denver Broncos are a “sleeping giant,” according to new general manager George Paton. If that’s the case, then it’s because they have star power on the roster. However, it also means that they have players who are on the verge of breaking out in the NFL.
On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus tweeted out a graphic with an interesting question. It was about underrated players weighing talent and recognition, and that got me thinking about who on the Broncos roster fits that description. It didn’t take me long to come up with the answer.
Dre'Mont Jones #Broncos https://t.co/G6xldvrnev
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) February 23, 2021
Jones is one of my favorite young players on the Broncos roster, and he’s a favorite of the coaching staff too. He’s not the only player on the roster I would consider as an underrated player, so here we are with a list of prospects who need more of the spotlight on their game.
Here are the three most underrated players on the Broncos roster for the 2021 season.
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Dre’Mont Jones | Defensive Lineman
I’ll have to start with Jones of course, because I think he is a star in the making. I had Jones graded as a top-50 player in the 2019 NFL Draft, and I was thrilled when the Broncos were able to pick him up in the third round. I thought that spot represented great value not only for the player he was at Ohio State, but also for the player he could develop into.
Jones impressed me during his career with the Buckeyes because he’s powerful and quick off the line of scrimmage. In college, Jones exploded off the snap and had multiple moves to get after the passer. Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is a defensive guru, and he identified Jones as a player he could mold into a fine starter. Add in legendary defensive line coach Bill Kollar, and things looked to be off to a great start for Jones.
He’s spent two seasons developing his game. Jones had multiple moves, but he needed to learn how to stack them on top of each other. Edge pressure is good, but interior pressure from defensive linemen like Jones can make any quarterback look mortal. Jones has continued to learn the tricks of the trade and we have seen him grow as a player over two seasons.
As a rookie, Jones was a part-time player and was on the field for 295 snaps in 16 games. He had a larger role in 2020, but he did miss some time due to a knee injury. Jones finished 2020 with 560 snaps in 13 games. He had 6.5 sacks last year, but 4.5 of those came over the final four games of the year. That’s a sign of things to come, and in year three Jones could be the biggest breakout player for the Broncos defense.
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Dalton Risner | Offensive Guard
Up front, the Broncos offensive line is looking like a strength for this season and beyond. Sure, there’s questions at the right tackle position, but on the left side they have one of the best up-and-coming left guards in the game today in Dalton Risner.
The Broncos were happy to get Risner in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Colorado-born prospect was happy to come home to the Mile High City to begin his pro career. Risner is from Wiggins, Colo., and was known as smart and country strong when he came out of Kansas State. Those traits have come through for him at the pro level.
The guard position isn’t “sexy” in the NFL, but many fans of the game would recognize the name Quenton Nelson from the Colts. Risner is not at Nelson’s level – yet – but the potential for him to be a Pro Bowl and All-Pro caliber player is there. His intelligence shows up on the field, and his teammates on either side of Risner would say that it helps them as well.
Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles proved everybody wrong last year with his play. Having Risner next to him for two seasons has greatly helped his play. Rookie center Lloyd Cushenberry had some ups-and-downs in 2020, but Risner helped him improve in recognition as the season went on. It’s a great sign when a player like Risner makes everyone around him better. He should soon be one of the best in the game at his position.
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Tim Patrick | Wide Receiver
I love it when players dream big. That’s the story with Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick – he dreamed of playing in the NFL, and he worked his tail off to get there.
Patrick was an undrafted free agent coming out of Utah in 2017. The Baltimore Ravens were the first team that picked him up, but he didn’t stick on their roster for that long. He went to training camp with the San Francisco 49ers that year after getting released by the Ravens, but Patrick was cut at the end of the preseason. The Broncos were his next stop as they picked him up after the 49ers let him go, and he’s been here ever since.
He’s worked hard to move up the depth chart, and in 2020, it was Patrick’s time to shine. When starting wide receiver Courtland Sutton went down early in the season, Patrick stepped in and shined at the position. Patrick was one of two receivers with 70-plus targets and zero drops in the 2020 season, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the 2020 season with a career high in receptions (51), yards (742) and touchdowns (6).
A restricted free agent for 2021, Patrick should return to the team, but his role won’t be as big as it was last year. Sutton will return as the No. 1 receiver, making Patrick a valuable No. 4 receiver on the depth chart. His production will likely go down, but his value to this team remains high. Patrick may have to wait for a new team (2022?) to truly breakout in the way he could.
