When the Denver Broncos finally found offensive life in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, it was a cast of rookies who provided it.
Running back Audric Estimé had a big run to help the Broncos emerge from deep in their territory. Wide receivers Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele made splash plays. And quarterback Bo Nix moved the defense with his feet — and eyes — to create some long-awaited rhythm. Broncos coach Sean Payton expressed consistent optimism about the rookie class throughout training camp and during the preseason, and Sunday’s fourth-quarter drive showed glimpses of its promise.
Roughly one-third of the way into the Broncos’ season, though, the evaluation of the class as a whole is still ongoing. So let’s dive deeper into the progress of each member of the draft class:
Bo Nix, QB, first round
Payton has scoffed on more than one occasion this season at any questions hinting at a confidence issue with his rookie quarterback. He suggested a night out with Nix to get a feel for his personality, though invitations to such an event must have been lost in the mail. It’s easy enough to take Payton at his word on the subject because there have been no outward signs of doubt emanating from the 24-year-old quarterback.
The bigger issue with Nix has been accuracy. Through six starts, Nix ranks 28th among NFL quarterbacks in completion rate at 61.1 percent. That’s not great, but it’s also not abnormal for a rookie quarterback. Dig deeper, though, and there’s more concern to be found.
Nix has completed only 55 percent of all attempts thrown beyond the line of scrimmage, which also ranks 28th, according to TruMedia. But on throws 5 or more yards beyond that line, he’s connecting only 41.1 percent of the time, which ranks last among qualified passers by a wide margin. His overall completion percentage is 13.7 percent below expected, a figure that is also last among qualified quarterbacks, according to TruMedia.
Payton has talked continuously this season about needing to paint the “perfect picture” around Nix — and it has rarely materialized. Injuries to the offensive line and among skill players have been an issue. The Broncos haven’t gotten production out of the tight end position. Courtland Sutton made a breathtaking catch from Nix in the back of the end zone Sunday, but overall the Broncos haven’t had many examples of receivers making plays like that for their quarterback.
Still, for the Broncos to improve offensively, they need their rookie quarterback to improve his accuracy when the picture around him is good, if not perfect. His first pass Sunday was one example. The Broncos did well to pick up a four-man rush by the Chargers, leaving Nix a clean pocket. He waited for Marvin Mims Jr. to come open on a deep in route over the middle and had a chance to lead him across the field. But Nix shifted in the pocket just before throwing and launched the ball high. Mims could only get a hand on the ball, tipping it into the arms of safety Elijah Molden.
tip drill‼️
📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/EgKkzL12GW
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 13, 2024
Nix has found relative success outside the pocket, ranking 20th in completion percentage (51.4) and 16th in yards per attempt (5.4). He’s also scrambled for 129 yards on those plays, more than every quarterback except fellow rookie Jayden Daniels (210) and Kyler Murray (147). Nix made a number of big plays outside the pocket during the fourth-quarter comeback attempt Sunday. It is a strength the Broncos should exploit as they search for some way to establish an elusive early rhythm in games.
Nix also needs to complete more manageable throws from the pocket, even when the picture isn’t perfect.
Jonah Elliss, OLB, third round
When Pat Surtain II intercepted Gardner Minshew in Week 5, a game-turning takeaway he returned 100 yards for a touchdown, it was Elliss who was chasing the Raiders quarterback before he lofted the ball above his intended target and into Surtain’s arms. It was Elliss who then blocked Minshew to the ground, paving a clear path to the end zone for Surtain.
A 100 YARD PICK 6!! @PatSurtainll pic.twitter.com/Xh3CG05U9J
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
None of that was surprising because it’s what Elliss did during the preseason, applying pressure that forced quarterbacks into hurried, off-target throws that ended up in the hands of Broncos defensive backs. Elliss had three quarterback pressures against the Raiders. The first resulted in the Surtain interception. On the other two, his pressure helped create sacks for Jonathon Cooper and Zach Allen, the first of which probably could have been a split sack for Elliss. He has 1 1/2 sacks this season, which is tied for the NFL lead among drafted rookies.
Elliss, who won’t turn 22 until April, still has room to grow physically. Sometimes he gets swallowed up by tackles if he can’t get to his counter move before he’s engaged. Still, his motor is evident on every snap he plays, and he’s continued to find ways to consistently be around the ball. General manager George Paton said Elliss played “with his hair on fire” during the preseason, and that energy hasn’t waned against tougher competition. He’s part of a pass rush that has been one of the NFL’s best, and he’s been a contributor on Denver’s stout special teams units.
“Jonah has been a good addition,” Payton said, “He has been playing well for us and has been playing well in the kicking game.”
Troy Franklin, WR, fourth round
Nix predicted after the win over the Raiders a breakthrough was coming for Franklin, his college teammate at Oregon. Franklin had caught his first deep pass in the first half against Las Vegas and then nearly hauled in what would have been a 45-yard touchdown pass from Nix. Franklin should have come up with the deep pass, but Nix was more encouraged than anything with the progress he had seen Franklin make since being active for the first time this season in Week 2.
Franklin may not have had a full-blown breakthrough in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, but there were more signs he could be a player the Broncos incorporate more into game plans as they try to inject life into a stagnant offense. He had two catches for 31 yards and also had a 5-yard rush. His two catches were impactful plays during Denver’s first scoring drive of the game, which came in the fourth quarter. He caught a 29-yard pass after a Nix scramble to push the Broncos into Chargers territory. Then, on first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Franklin came open on a drag route in the back of the end zone after shaking free from Chargers safety Derwin James Jr.
TD, Troy Franklin.
First career TD for the rook.
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/CuAGYl3jS4
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 13, 2024
“He ran a great route. We actually had a conversion on that play,” Nix said. “He ran the right route, had great field vision, saw the opening, got behind there on the baseline. We’ve been practicing that play this week and he was there for me. He got open and he made the catch. I thought that was perfect, really excited about that. That was a great connection.”
The Nix and Franklin connection has taken time to come around in Denver’s offense. Nix had thrown incomplete on four other deep passes intended for Franklin before connecting on the 29-yard throw up the seam last week. The Broncos need Franklin’s performance against the Chargers to be a springboard because hi deep speed offers a different element.
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, fifth round
Abrams-Draine is the only draft pick on the active roster who has not yet made his NFL debut. That can largely be attributed to Denver’s depth at the position. Surtain and Riley Moss have been locked in as the outside cornerbacks, Ja’Quan McMillian is a sturdy presence at nickel and Levi Wallace has contributed in Denver’s dime looks. Special teams ace Tremon Smith also provides game-day depth at corner.
The Broncos, though, were pleased with Abrams-Draine’s progress as training camp progressed and have liked what they’ve seen behind the scenes. With Surtain likely to miss Thursday’s game due to the concussion he suffered against the Chargers, Abrams-Draine could be active for the first time. It’s not a guarantee, though, because Damarri Mathis is eligible to return from injured reserve and could be an option for the game-day roster if he does.
Audric Estimé, RB, fifth round
The Broncos surely hoped they would have more to evaluate with Estimé at this point than four carries. He was injured on the second of those, against the Seahawks in Week 1, and spent the following four weeks on injured reserve. But, Estimé has shown promise even in that limited action. His first carry was an eye-popping 13-yard run in which he leaped over a Seattle defender — and also fumbled. Against the Chargers on Sunday, Estimé helped spark Denver’s scoring drive with an 11-yard run that featured two broken tackles.
“I want to see this runner,” Payton said after the game. “I want to see Estimé.”
Whether it has been Estimé or Tyler Badie, the Broncos haven’t typically found steady work for the No. 3 running back behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin. But Payton clearly wants to evaluate Estimé’s role in the offense further. So it will be intriguing to see whether he gets enough work Thursday night to show what he can do as a rhythm runner.
Devaughn Vele, WR, seventh round
In Vele’s first NFL game, in Week 1, he led the Broncos with eight receptions. Vele was inactive for the next four games, dealing part of that time with an injury to his ribs, but when he returned to the lineup against the Chargers, he tied for the team lead in catches (four) and paced it with 78 receiving yards.
The 26-year-old rookie out of Utah knows how to produce. He was one of Denver’s most consistent receivers during camp, almost immediately erasing any doubt as to whether he’d make the active roster. Now, with Josh Reynolds on IR with a finger injury, Vele figures to find a prominent role in Denver’s game plans. He has simply earned those opportunities.
“We are going to see Vele and we are going to see Franklin,” Payton said. “We are not waiting to redshirt these guys. We will continue to see each week their involvement in the plan and how they fit. That is how you get confidence and get experience.”
Vele made one of the Broncos’ more impressive offensive plays of the season Sunday when he found open space in the middle of the field on fourth down as Nix scrambled. He caught the ball at the 27-yard line and got the 12-yard line before he was touched. He finished his run through contact to get all the way down to the 2-yard line. He later made a 20-yard catch on an out route, holding onto the ball as he was blasted by a safety.
“He made some explosive plays,” Nix said.
Nick Gargiulo, OL, South Carolina
Gargiulo missed most of training camp due to injury and was left off Denver’s initial 53-man roster. He’s been working on the team’s practice squad ever since, developing under the guidance of position coaches Zach Strief and Austin King. This is likely to be a developmental year for Gargiulo. Needing an extra interior lineman last week due to an injury to center Luke Wattenberg, the Broncos promoted veteran Calvin Throckmorton from the practice squad.
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(Photo: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
