Broncos OTA report: Early INT sets tone for defense — and Russell Wilson

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Nathaniel Hackett didn’t wait long to uncork prized weapon Russell Wilson on Tuesday. But Pat Surtain II was equally quick in announcing that the skies wouldn’t be friendly.

The first team-period play of Tuesday’s organized team activity saw Wilson look deep down the right side of the field for wide receiver Tim Patrick. But Surtain tracked the ball and intercepted it, returning it for a touchdown.

Surtain’s pick-6 established the tone for a day that saw the defense keep the offense in check, with few big plays.

Surtain made a great play on the ball, which thrilled Hackett, the head coach. But the offensive play-caller side of Hackett saw how it went awry for his unit.

“We’ve got to fix some things up on offense on that one. We messed that up. We’ve got to keep running on that,” he said. “But I thought it was a great reactionary play for [the defense], and that’s the first pick of the OTAs, so, we’re going to be hearing about that, but that was a [great] job across the board.

“The defense is coming along really well. Obviously, they play together, they’ve done a nice job.”

Nathaniel Hackett explains what happened when Pat Surtain picked off Russell Wilson in team period at the Broncos OTA today: pic.twitter.com/PyLXF3zAAN

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) May 31, 2022

But the offense didn’t crumble after that, although the sledding was tough at times. For that, Hackett credited Wilson’s ability to stay “focused” and move on after the pick.

“The first play didn’t go very well today, and then he just bounced right back, went right back into it. Wasn’t fazed at all. And I think as a quarterback — kind of like a corner — you have to live every play, and once that play’s over, move on to the next,” Hackett said. “I mean, it’s that simple. I think that’s something I’ve been able to see him do.”

But such plays are part and parcel of a proper practice.

Ten years ago, when Peyton Manning first showed up, we got a glimpse of this. Manning used the practices to test the limits of his receivers — and even his own limits, too. He had a mostly new crop of pass catchers. He was learning how to pass without feeling in his fingertips.

Eventually, Manning — and the offense as a whole — figured it out.

“That’s why we practice,” Hackett said. “We practice being able to find our limitations.”

But there appear to be no limitations on Surtain, who looks even better than he did in his superb rookie season.

“It’s been night-and-day difference from his rookie year, and he had one [heck] of a rookie year,” safety Kareem Jackson said. “Seeing him now, he’s so much more patient in everything that he does.”

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PLAY OF THE DAY:

Beyond Surtain’s interception, the secondary had a solid day, with one of the better plays coming from the defense. But there was standout work throughout the depth chart, including from Essang Bassey, who lunged to break up a downfield attempt from Brett Rypien to Eric Saubert.

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NOTES:

• Josh Johnson is as advertised, displaying the intelligence that has helped him stick around as a backup who can quickly grasp a scheme. His cadence drew the defense offside during one team-period snap, earning praise from the coaches.
• Given the free play, Johnson took advantage — with a little help from rookie wide receiver Montrell Washington. Johnson uncorked a long pass down the right sideline that Washington caught in space. Washington had a touchdown May 23 during that red-zone-intensive practice.
• It wasn’t against a defense, but WR Jerry Jeudy showed a flash of why he was a first-round pick and why his skill is so tantalizing. On an individual-period drill, he sprinted deep down the seam. Wilson appeared to have thrown it too far, but Jeudy found another gear, and made an off-balance, over-the-shoulder, in-stride reception.
• WR Travis Fulgham has been active during the two practices witnessed by media this spring. During the first team period, he got open deep to catch a pass deep down the right side from Johnson. Later in the practice, he plucked a Johnson pass out of mid-air on a crossing route. “Travis has done some good things in the league and just needs to be consistent and needs to keep on going and get better every day,” Hackett said.
• Do-it-all wide receiver Kendall Hinton caught a pair of short passes from Wilson during the team periods Tuesday.
• Edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed worked together throughout the session. Both had multiple hurries throughout the practice, and Reed provided the pressure that came immediately before Surtain intercepted Wilson to open the first team period of the day.
• Rookie Nik Bonitto is quick off the snap and logged multiple pressures during his work Tuesday.
• Kicker Brandon McManus hit all of his short place-kick attempts during the special-teams period midway through practice. Punters Sam Martin and Corliss Waitman split the holding responsibilities on the kicks.
• With Billy Turner still sidelined, Calvin Anderson worked at right tackle. Anderson returned to practice after missing time due to a broken nose. He wore a mask on his face to protect his nose as it heals. “He’s doing good,” Hackett said.
• WR Courtland Sutton is among the receivers who have a habit of doing push-ups after dropping a pass — even when it’t not entirely on the receivers themselves. Tuesday, he failed to haul in a pass from Wilson that was just behind him as he crossed from right to left. A moment later, Sutton did his push-ups while the second- and third-teamers took their reps.
• Officials are on hand for Broncos OTAs. In the two open-to-media sessions, flags were few and far between, but the officials whistled one against rookie cornerback Faion Hicks for contact on Tyrie Cleveland on a pass from Brett Rypien. Hicks protested the call, but it was to no avail.
• Rookie DE Enyi Uwazurike got pressure on Wilson during one snap. The veteran quarterback quickly sidestepped Uwazurike and took off for a sizable run up the middle.

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GREG DULCICH GETTING A LONG LOOK

The Broncos’ third-round pick wasn’t targeted by Russell Wilson during the team periods of practice Tuesday. But he was a frequent target of Wilson during the individual periods as the two work on their chemistry.

There could be a sizable role in the offing for Dulcich — if he can get up to speed with the playbook. It’s a common tale for young newcomers.

“Rookies are rookies,” Hackett said. “You’re so excited to have them on your team, and you have so many things that you want to have them do, and you get excited, but, in the end, there’s so much adjustment for these young men. They come in, [and there is] the speed of the game, just the playbook by itself.

“I mean, [Dulcich] came from a completely different system at UCLA, but I think for him, it’s just about learning. All these guys. All these rookies, it’s how fast can they learn it, how efficient they can be and how long they can go without hitting the wall. Rookies are just a roller coaster of emotions.”

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PARTICIPATION REPORT:

• RB Melvin Gordon and LT Garett Bolles were not on hand for the practice. “From my standpoint, this is voluntary,” Hackett said. “We want the guys to come out here and work every day, but if people have family things, if people don’t want to come, they don’t have to. That’s just part of it.”
• DL D.J. Jones did not practice Tuesday, which shook up the defensive-line rotation. A slew of linemen saw some looks working against the Wilson-led No. 1 offense, including Uwazurike and veterans Mike Purcell, DeShawn Williams and McTelvin Agim.
• CB Ronald Darby, OL Graham Glasgow and rookie DE Matt Henningsen were on hand, but did not take part in any team-period reps. Henningsen suffered a calf injury during a rookie minicamp practice May 10.
• Michael Ojemudia continued to get plenty of opportunities against the Broncos’ top wide receivers with Darby on the sideline. The third-year cornerback was steady and made a good acquittal of himself Tuesday.
• As Glasgow continues working his way back from a fractured ankle, the guard spots continue to be in flux. Quinn Meinerz and Dalton Risner continued protecting Wilson at right and left guard, respectively, with Netane Muti seeing work at both spots.
• With Bolles not on hand, versatile Tom Compton filled in for him on the offensive-line unit that protected Russell Wilson.

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WEATHER REPORT:

The practice began under partly cloudy conditions. But clouds continued to build, and by the end of the session, a light rain showered the field. The temperature fell from 58°F to 56°F during the practice, with occasional wind gusts of up to 18 miles per hour.

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WHAT’S NEXT:

The Broncos will hold two more OTAs this week, on Wednesday and Friday. These will not be open to the media. Selected players will answer questions from Denver-area reporters at Broncos headquarters after each of the practices. The Broncos have four OTAs next week before concluding with a three-day mandatory minicamp June 13-15.

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