The Broncos’ stock report after their 32-23 loss to Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Stock Up
Dre’Mont Jones, DT
Jones is in the midst of a breakout season. He had two tackles for loss against the Raiders and now has three on the year to go along with a pair of sacks. Jones, the fourth-year player out of Ohio State, has played 83% or more of the Broncos’ defensive snaps each of the first four weeks. Thatap a heavy workload and the most snaps of anybody up front for Denver. He’s proving to be too valuable to take off the field.
Montrell Washington, WR/returner
The fifth-round draft pick out of FCS Sanford had his best game as a pro, returning three punts for 66 yards. Washington has the quicks to make would-be tacklers miss and, as he gets more comfortable and decisive in the return game, that skillset is beginning to show more and more. He only played three offensive snaps against Las Vegas but that number figures to rise.
Pat Surtain II, CB
Just put him on the list every week. Surtain lined up mostly — but not exclusively — against All-Pro Davante Adams and held his own. Adams caught four passes against Surtain, but did most of his damage during the smaller set of plays in which Denver played zone or had somebody else responsible for him. Surtain is putting top-level work together pretty much every time out.
Stock Down
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE
The tight end played just one offensive snap against the Raiders. Through the first four weeks, his offensive work has decreased steadily, from 67% in Week 1 to 53% in Week 2, 32% in Week 3 and just the one snap Sunday. The Broncos staff at this point doesn’t feel comfortable with him on the field on run downs, which limits both the situations in which he can play and also the ways in which he’s utilized.
First down production
The Broncos did OK in the first half, generating three chunk plays on first down — including a 15-yard slant to Courtland Sutton on the first offensive snap and a 20-yard touchdown to Jerry Jeudy before halftime — but got nothing going in the second half.
Denver’s first-down plays in the second half went for minus-1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, three straight offensive penalties (two accepted) and then a defensive penalty before Sutton got 18 on first-and-25, then a 3-yard Wilson touchdown run and a 5-yard scramble late. Long-yardage situations on second and third downs are low-percentage plays and the Broncos had far too many.
Melvin Gordon, RB
Pretty self-explanatory here. Gordon fumbled for the fourth time this season on his 41st touch of the season, a rate that would have even further reduced his role had Javonte Williams not been lost in the third quarter to a season-ending knee injury. That may force Denver to go back to No. 25 or even roll him out there as the No. 1 back. Further struggles or redemption ahead?
Jacob Bobenmoyer, LS
If the long snapper makes any list at any time, itap typically not good. A high snap forced holder Corliss Waitman out of his crouch on a second-quarter extra point and gave kicker Brandon McManus no chance for a clean swing at the ball. There’s not much room for error at the position and Denver, like many teams, somewhat regularly has snappers in for tryouts.
Eyioma Uwazurike, DL and Jalen Virgil, WR
This isn’t to drag the fourth-round DL and undrafted WR — nobody expected either to make an immediate impact — but itap worth pointing out that neither has been active for a game. That becomes a bit more pertinent over the next week or two because there are roster moves inbound. Kendall Hinton is likely to be elevated to the active roster, Greg Dulcich and Michael Ojemudia could start practicing this week and Justin Simmons may not be far behind.
