The Lead
Recently, NFL.com's Nick Shook delved into each AFC team's season to identify one “unsung hero” from each roster. For Denver, that was Tim Patrick, which probably comes as little surprise to Broncos fans.
"Denver knows how important Patrick is to its offense and rewarded him in November, giving the former undrafted free-agent signee a three-year contract extension worth up to $34.5 million," Shook wrote. "There's a good reason for keeping Patrick in the Mile High City: He finished second in receiving yards for Denver this season with 734, and he caught more touchdown passes (five) than any other Bronco."
Patrick has carried that label for more than just this season. In fact, he has the most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a Bronco over the past two years.
"Patrick has proven to be a productive target along the sideline, averaging 16.9 yards per reception on passes outside the numbers in 2021, the fourth-highest mark, per Next Gen Stats (minimum 40 such targets)," Shook wrote. "The Broncos have plenty of pass-catching talent with bigger brand names, but don't overlook Patrick."
Below the Fold
As we start taking some of the early steps toward draft season, college players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities took part in the first-ever HBCU Combine in Mobile, Alabama. NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reported that representatives from all 32 teams were in attendance, as the young players from often overlooked schools worked to earn more attention to make their way to the NFL.
Wolfe and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie — one of the HBCU alumni on hand and a former Denver Bronco — highlighted Virginia State defensive back Will Adams as a player to watch.
"That man has some juice. He's explosive," Rodgers-Cromartie told Wolfe. "That was smooth. Exactly how you want to see a DB get out of breaks."
