Broncos Rookie Report Card: Week 7

The Broncos' rookie class stood out in a big way in Cleveland and sent a bold message to Vic Fangio.

While the Denver Broncos struggled against the Cleveland Browns, their rookie class played good football for the most part. Three of Denver's rookies saw a good amount of action and were some of the team's best players out there. 

Let's get to this week's Broncos rookie report card. 

Patrick Surtain II | CB

The Browns tried to pick on Surtain, targeting him six times as the primary man in coverage but the rookie relinquished just one completion to Case Keenum for a single, solitary yard. However, Surtain did have some issues pop up again with his play against the run, which shouldn't be an issue with how physical he is as a player. 

Jonathon Cooper | OLB 

Cooper was outstanding out there against the run and in rushing the passer. He turned in a far better performance than the starter Malik Reed, by far, and had a much tougher matchup for most of the game. In addition, Cooper showed the ability to win pass rush matches quickly instead of relying on coverage to get a sack or pressure as is Reed's M.O.  

Javonte Williams | RB

Williams should be the top running back from now on. While he has his fair share of faults, his physical running style to break tackles is a difference-maker, and the starter Melvin Gordon isn't displaying that attribute. When Williams makes a bad read, he can power through, but when Gordon does, he doesn't have the burst or power anymore to make up for it and gets stood up and tackled quickly. 

Curtis Robinson | ILB

However, one rookie ended up seeing a lot of action, thanks to an injury above him, and it was clear he wasn't ready. When newly-minted starting linebacker Micah Kiser went down, the team had to turn to Robinson, an undrafted rookie.

It was evident right away that he was not ready to be out there on the field, and he was utterly lost. Robinson sadly paired well with Justin Strnad since both of them played a terrible game in Cleveland. 

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Quinn Meinerz | IOL

Meinerz's playing time all came on special teams. There wasn't much to write home about for him in Week 7 as a result. 

Caden Sterns | S

Sterns played sparingly on defense and played well. His playing time on defense has been good for the most part, yet he finds himself stuck as a rarely used third safety with the two guys above him on the depth chart — Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson — struggling consistently. 

The Takeaway

Vic Fangio doesn't trust young players even when they play well, which is frustrating to watch. He is supposedly coaching for his job, but his trust in struggling veterans and refusal to play rookies unless necessary is hurting this team. 

During this mini-bye week, Fangio needs to look in the mirror, swallow his pride, and make the necessary changes, even if it causes some pain among the veteran collective. 

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