Report cards are in for the Broncos 2020 rookie class

While it wasn’t the season anyone expected, the Broncos rookie class was awarded a “B” letter grade by NFL.com’s Nick Shook in his 2020 NFL rookie grades.

At one point last season the Broncos had the second-most players on injured reserve, which in turn allowed nine out of the 10 drafted rookies to appear in at least four games for Denver.

In the rookie grades, Shook highlighted the 15th-overall pick Jerry Jeudy as a player who can improve with help from Courtland Sutton returning to the active roster after an ACL tear cut his season short.

“Jeudy had a dozen frustrating drops and often seemed out of sync with QB Drew Lock, catching less than half of his 113 targets, but he also recorded some highlight grabs and ultimately had a good rookie year,” Shook wrote. “Jeudy can work on catching the ball and get excited about Sutton coming back in 2021.”

According to Shook’s grades, cornerback Michael Ojemudia and center Lloyd Cushenberry both saw “promising” play. Cushenberry started all 16 games and made the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team.

Defensive tackle McTelvin Agim was Shook’s most disappointing rookie for the Broncos. Agim saw a lot of playing time after injuries and COVID-19 made starters Jurrell Casey and Shelby Harris sit out, but the third-round pick did not live up to expectations.

“Agim showed flashes of potential and saw more playing time after injuries and COVID-19 forced Denver’s starters … out of action,” Shook stated. “But he wasn’t quite as good as a rookie as they likely expected out of a third-round pick.”

The rookie who caught Shook’s eye and praise the most in his grades was cornerback Essang Bassey.

“Bassey went from undrafted afterthought to a promising piece in Denver’s secondary, appearing in 12 games over the course of the season and recording 23 tackles, two passes defensed and one interception before an injury ended his season prematurely,” Shook wrote.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs were awarded a “B+” while the Las Vegas Raiders came in last in the AFC West among rookie grades with a “C”.