The Broncos wide receiver room, battered by a series of preseason injuries, is somewhat suddenly a land of opportunity.
Several players took their turns trying to stake claim to roster spots, playing time and targets in a 41-0 runaway win for the Broncos in their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night at Empower Field.
On a night when neither team played its starters, dozens of players competing for roster spots got their turn.
“Obviously there were a lot of things to be pleased about,” head coach Sean Payton said. “A lot of young players stepped up, defensively, offensively and in the kicking game, it was one of those nights. Coaches, we’re teachers and we want to see these guys do well and it’s fulfilling when guys go out and play hard and have the type of game you want to see.”
Denver No. 2 quarterback Jarrett Stidham found Lil’Jordan Humphrey three times on a 6-for-6 opening drive alone. He hit Marvin Mims Jr. for a 51-yard gain on a contested deep post and then beat double coverage again for 49 more to Brandon Johnson later in the half.
“I feel great,” said Johnson, who missed the first two preseason games with an ankle injury. “I really wanted to be back for this preseason game to get my feet wet before the season starts. It felt great to be out there with my guys.”
Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, considered to be on the roster bubble himself, caught four passes for 46 and a touchdown in the first half. He finished with seven receptions for 109 yards.
“A.O. went crazy,” Johnson said. “We see him do stuff like that all the time in practice, so it was good to see him get out here and do it in a game.”
If the Broncos carry Jerry Jeudy on their roster until he returns from a hamstring injury, they still might need an extra receiver to cover the opening weeks of the season. Humphrey, Kendall Hinton and Marquez Callaway are all in the mix for the 53-man roster after a likely top group of Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Mims and Johnson.
Mims had his most impactful outing of the preseason, adding a 19-yard punt return to his ledger, too.
He wasn’t the only Denver 2023 draft pick to make an impact, either. Rookie inside linebacker Drew Sanders showed his range to the sideline in halting Los Angeles running back Royce Freeman short of a first down, then intercepted Stetson Bennett and returned the ball 32 yards early in the second quarter.
Two of the Broncos’ preseason standouts also continued strong runs this summer: Rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who went from undrafted free agent to likely roster lock, capped Denver’s first drive with his fourth touchdown of the preseason. He got 14 first-half touches for 61 total yards. On defense, versatile defensive back Essang Bassey logged an interception for the third straight outing.
Stidham played his best ball of the preseason in his final outing, completing 17 of 28 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 20 yards. He took a couple of big shots, including one to the ribs on his throwing side, but was able to continue playing.
Now, the Broncos hope they don’t have to see much of him at all going forward into the regular season.
Up next: Denver and other NFL teams must have their rosters trimmed from 90 to 53 by 2 p.m. Tuesday. Then it’s on to preparing for Sept. 10’s season opener at home against Las Vegas.
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