Stock Up
WR Courtland Sutton
In his first action last since September’s torn ACL, Sutton caught a 19-yard pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to convert a third-and-7 and ended the starters’ final drive with an eight-yard touchdown. Sutton looked good running his routes and appears ready for Week 1.
TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Playing his first game since last November’s torn ACL, Okwuegbunam got the start for Noah Fant (leg injury) and caught three passes for 23 yards. A healthy Albert O gives the Broncos a match-up problem who can win against linebackers on the perimeter.
WR Trinity Benson
Two touchdown catches in the Minnesota game and receptions of 21 and 13 yards on quarterback Drew Lock’s final drive might have clinched him a roster spot as the sixth receiver ahead of Tyrie Cleveland and Kendall Hinton.
Stock Down
Coverage units
The Broncos allowed a 40-yard kick return and 17-yard punt return to the Rams. It will be interesting if general manager George Paton, after scouring the waiver wire late Tuesday/early Wednesday, finds any special teams players to his liking, preferably with experience. The current group is super inexperienced … and itap showing.
OT Cam Fleming
Signed to provide competition at right tackle, Fleming never entered the mix with Bobby Massie and Calvin Anderson and he was still out there playing in Saturday’s fourth quarter. That isn’t a good sign for his hopes of making the 53-man roster. The Broncos figure to go with Anderson as their backup swing tackle.
Undrafted inside linebackers
Is there room on the initial 53-man roster for undrafted rookies Curtis Robinson and Barrington Wade? Neither player saw action with the second-team defense (that was Justin Strnad and Baron Browning against the Rams). The Broncos could go with eight linebackers (Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed and Jonathon Cooper outside and Josey Jewell, Alexander Johnson, Strnad and Browning inside) because of Browning’s ability to play both inside and outside.
