The Lead
Behind strong draft classes in 2018 and 2019, the Broncos made a big splash in The Athletic’s new All Under-25 team. With three selections, Denver was the franchise with the most players on the squad.
Courtland Sutton appeared first, selected as the team's No. 3 wide receiver, while Noah Fant was picked as squad's only tight end and Bradley Chubb made the five-man defensive line group.
"NFL tight ends of any age combined for 27 100-yard games last season," Lindsay Jones and Mike Sando wrote. "Fant produced two of them."
Offensive lineman Dalton Risner was also listed as an honorable mention.
Though Risner, Sutton and Chubb will age out of competition for the next edition of this all-star team, the Broncos could maintain their position on this list. Jerry Jeudy, Lloyd Cushenberry III and Michael Ojemudia are all expected to garner significant playing time as rookies, and Drew Lock could contend for the quarterback spot if he exceeds expectations in his second NFL season.
Below the Fold
In a ranking of the top 10 players who were traded this offseason, Pro Football Hall of Fame personnel executive Gil Brandt thinks Jurrell Casey "could end up being an absolute steal for Denver." The former Tennessee Titan ranked eighth on Brandt's list in large part because of his combination of versatility and production: "Casey can play multiple positions across the defensive front and has registered at least five sacks in each of the past seven seasons. And when you're in the same division as Patrick Mahomes, it's wise to take all the defensive help you can get.
When news broke that the NFL and NFLPA reached an agreement that paves the way for the 2020 season, we learned some of the basic terms (e.g. a larger practice squad). Recently we got another major detail when NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that players who contract COVID-19 can be placed on temporary injured reserve. Teams could promote a practice-squad player to replace the ill player, and once that player is medically cleared again, the other may return to the practice squad without going through the waiver process.
