Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham Makes Roster Pitch for Albert Okwuegbunam
The Denver Broncos brass have been in meetings, deciding which players will get a coveted spot on the 53-man roster and the 16-man practice squad. One player certain to land on the 53 is quarterback Jarrett Stidham, but the outlook of his No. 1 target from Saturday night's 41-0 beatdown of the Los Angeles Rams is less clear.
Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam went off in preseason Game 3, catching seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. If Stidham had any say in the Broncos' roster math, 'Albert O' would likely have a ticket to ride.
“Albert was awesome," Stidham said Saturday night post-game. "That guy is big, strong and fast. He was able to display his talent and what he can do. I was happy for him. He made a lot of plays tonight.”
The Stidham-to-Okwuegbunam touchdown was a beautifully executed play, but it was the tight end's one-handed grab that really had Broncos Country on its feet at Empower Field at Mile High. Okwuegbunam showcased how to use his immense 6-foot-5, 258-pound frame and that 4.49 speed.
Head coach Sean Payton's reaction to Okwuegbunam's showing in the finale?
"He had a big game. Holy cow," Payton said post-game.
Entering his fourth year, Albert O's outlook, even after that fine display vs. the Rams, remains clear as mud. On the surface, it seems the Broncos would be foolish to waive him, but up until that game, he'd purportedly failed to flash for the Payton coaching staff.
But Saturday night was more than a flash. Okwuegbunam sustained a high level of play throughout the game and showed modestly improved blocking.
“That is one thing I’ve been focusing on, and that translated from practice to the game," Okwuegbunam said of his blocking ability post-game. "Still not perfect, but it is definitely an area of my game that I’ve been improving on.”
A fourth-round pick in 2020, Okwuegbunam suffered a torn ACL as a rookie and since then, found himself in the doghouse of the two previous coaching regimes in Denver. However, when he's been available, and the coaches have utilized him in the game plan, he's usually flashed impressive receiving chops and a playmaker's knack with the ball in his hands.
Okwuegbunam received 46 snaps on offense in the preseason finale, which has led many to theorize that the Broncos were 'shopping' him to outside teams as a possible trade piece. It's hard to imagine him fetching more than a conditional fifth-round pick on the trade market.
And considering how the injury bug has decimated the Broncos' receiving corps, this team needs all the pass-catching help it can get. Okwuegbunam's value to the Broncos is worth more on the roster than a conditional late-round draft pick, so don't be surprised if he ends up making the final 53.
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