Montrell Washington is one of the early bright spots in camp

The Denver Broncos had another day of padded practice at Centura Health Training Center. Before you know it, they’re going to play a preseason game. Then, before you know it, the Broncos are going to begin the 2023 regular season.

The work done now will determine how much success – especially early-season success – this team has in 2023.

Here are three observations from Wednesday’s practice.

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Montrell Making Plays

If you’ve followed me over the last year, it’s unlikely you’ve heard me say much positive about the on-field play of WR Montrell Washington. I thought the team should’ve selected RB Isiah Pacheco in the fifth round of the draft last year, but instead it was the Samford return man they chose. While Washington struggled mightily as a rookie return man, Pacheco ousted former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and led the Kansas City Chiefs in rushing on his way to a Super Bowl title.

Washington needed to put last year behind him. He’s never going to pan out more than Pacheco, but he can make plays for this team in the return game. The punt return job seems to be coming down to two players; Washington and rookie Marvin Mims Jr. I’d say with his experience, and with Mims banged up, Washington has the upper hand.

However, it’s Washington’s play as a receiver that has stood out over the last two days. In one-on-one drills on Wednesday, Washington snared a one-handed catch from QB Russell Wilson which drew rave reviews from the crowd in attendance. Later in practice, Washington provided a big play on a short pass he quickly turned into a long gain. I don’t think he ever does much as a receiver in the regular season but showcasing that side of his game can make the decision easier when it comes to making the 53-man roster.

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Cooper Emerging

I love football for many reasons, but one of my favorite things about this great game is getting to watch young players grow in their careers. Jonathon Cooper is making great strides in his young pro career, and I love seeing it. Cooper, a seventh-round pick out of Ohio State in the 2021 NFL Draft, is looking like he could push for 8-10 sacks this season – and that could mostly be as a rotational player.

If everyone is healthy, Cooper is going to be a reserve behind starting edge Randy Gregory. On the other side, veteran edge Frank Clark is going to harass the passer, but when those two need a breather, we could see Cooper get on the field. Who knows how many games Gregory will play, as he’s never played a full season in his pro career. Who knows how productive an aging Clark can be, although he has shown up in big games over the last few seasons.

I know what Cooper can do. He can set the edge against the run and funnel plays back inside him regularly. Cooper holds up at the point of attack, and he’s not a liability (as Bonitto currently is) against the run. In addition to what he can do against the run, Cooper is developing into a nasty rusher. He has multiple moves to get after the quarterback, and he does a good job of getting his length and strength to work to put opponents under duress.

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McGlinchey Getting Up to Speed

Some fans are not happy with what they’ve seen from starting RT Mike McGlinchey. He missed a few days of camp due to a death in the family, and the few days he’s been out there we’ve seen some struggles from the high-priced free agent. I’ve reported about the improved play from 2022 second-round pick Nik Bonitto, and he’s been able to make plays against McGlinchey that I didn’t think he could.

I’m not worried about what I’ve seen from McGlinchey. He’s getting up to speed with his new team, and by the time the regular season gets here I’m expecting solid right tackle play.

Notice how I didn’t expect him to be flawless. I’ve said it many times on air that I expect McGlinchey to get more holding calls than LT Garett Bolles this season. McGlinchey is a tall tackle, and when you watch his film, you see him try to get away with holding a lot. He’s not a great knee bender, and at his size he plays tall and that allows savvy pass-rushers to get around him. Nothing he’s shown so far in camp is any reason to panic. McGlinchey is going to be who he’s always been on the right side – a solid-yet-unspectacular player.

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