There was some confidence indoors before the Denver Broncos exchanged Noah Fanta as part of a package to buy Russell Wilson. But after that tectonic trade, there are many concerns about the narrow end position, and many felt it was a top priority for improvement.
Albert Okvuegbunam has been in the NFL for two years, and the torch was transferred to him to be the starter; then, the Broncos drafted Greg Dulcic in the 3rd round. Now the battle for the starting job is being fought.
It’s the Battle of Okvugbunam should he wins, but if he fails, it will be worrying for his development. Let’s look at his past in hopes of predicting what’s in store for ‘Alberta O’ 2022.
Biography
Okvugbunam just turned 24 in April. In high school, he played Wide Receiver before moving on to a tight end in college. He went to high school in Springfield, Illinois, but went south to Missouri for college.
College Career
During his three-year university career, Okwuegbunam was quite productive with 23 touchdowns. He was a mismatched weapon because of his size and speed, but he struggled as a blocker and ran his own route.
Okvuegbunam’s first year in 2017 was his most productive season as he scored 11 of 23 career results. He also picked up 409 yards on 29 catches on 40 targets.
Okvuegbunam was relatively efficient as a receiver. It was also his best year as a blocker, where he had a total of 300 blocking shots and received a 81.7 overall blocking rating of Professional football focus.
During Okvuegbunam’s career, there were concerns about falls and forcing missed moves. He dropped 12 assists, four in each of the three seasons.
As for forced misses, Okvuegbunam forced only 12 during college, with four in each season. One of the concerns about his graduation from college was how easy it was to bring him down.
Okvuegbunam ended his college career with 98 catches on 140 targets at 1,182 yards and 23 touchdowns. His ability to be inconsistent was evident, but so were his problems as a blocker and with his route.
In addition, since it is as high as Okvuegbunam, the level of pads in both phases was a significant concern and problematic. After the 2019 season, he applied for the 2020 NFL draft as a red shirt.
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Draft
Without an invitation to the pre-draft bowling game, Okvugbunam had to appear at the Combine. With a run of 40 yards of 4.49 seconds, he stood out among the tight ends and attracted attention. That time was in the 97th percentile for tight ends, so it was easy to see why it attracted attention.
That speed could be seen on the tape, and with the size of Okwuegbunam, that was a big reason why it was such a weapon of disagreement. All that together was enough for him to be selected by the Broncos in the fourth round.
Professional career
As a beginner, Okvuegbunam played just 86 shots in attack over four games while dealing with injuries before suffering an ACL tear at the end of the season in a Denver game against Atlanta. He caught 11 of 15 goals in 121 yards and one touchdown in a limited season. His problems as a blocker were still evident in his small action, with 29 shots in that department.
Okvuegbunam played in 14 games in the 2nd year, missing some due to injury, and he played well. While still fighting as a blocker, he showed some improvements, but most of his improvements proved to be a route runner. He caught 33 of 40 targets at 330 yards and two touchdowns.
One thing that has remained constant is Okwuegbunam’s problems breaking through the fighting. He hasn’t forced a lot of missed moves between the two years, and you’d like to see a few more with his size and athleticism. However, he showed enough to please the coaching staff and the front office by exchanging Fant and not addressing the draft in that way in a big way.
The Broncos have signed Eric Tomlinson’s call, but he is not a candidate for the starting job and is in his own fight, which you can read more about on Tomlinson’s profile.
Outlook 2022
There are still areas that Okvuegbunam needs to drastically improve to be the starter for the 2022 season. His blockade is at the top of the list, and although he has shown steady progress, he has to make a pretty significant leap.
While tight ends usually take time to develop, Dulcic comes to work. Okvuegbunam cannot give up if he wants to stay a starter. If Okwuegbunam gets the job, he could have a great season with Russell Wilson, but first he has to triumph in the competition.
Dulcic will not make things easier for Okvuegbunam, but we hope that both of them will use the competition to improve, and Denver can have two solid to good tight ends at the top of the depth table.
As in all battles for position, let the best player win.
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