ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Through Week 12 of the 2024 season, Head Coach Sean Payton believes some important questions have already been answered about this year's rookie class.
"I'm glad we're not getting towards the end of the season and not knowing about some of these rookies," Payton said Monday.
Payton has seen several newcomers contribute in big ways this season, and wide receiver Devaughn Vele and running back Audric Estime once again flashed their potential to be an integral part of Denver's offensive success in Sunday's 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
While wide receiver Courtland Sutton took control in the second half — recording 80 of his 97 total receiving yards and two touchdowns after halftime — it was Vele who made an impact early, leading the team in receiving yards in the first half and connecting with Nix for several explosive plays. In the second quarter, Nix connected with Vele three separate times on a drive that ultimately led to a Wil Lutz field goal that cut the Raiders' lead to one. A 24-yard connection between Nix and Vele on that drive was just one of many moments that allowed the Broncos to keep the game within striking distance heading into halftime.
"Very quickly we've seen his growth," Payton said of Vele. "So, he's been really good. The strengths for him certainly are his hands. You guys saw it in camp. He has strong hands in traffic. He's a guy that plays well over the middle. He reminds me a lot of [former Saints wide receiver] Marques Colston, who I had in New Orleans for 10 or 11 years."
A former seventh-round pick, Colston posted six 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his first seven years in the NFL and caught at least eight touchdowns in five different seasons.
While Vele has not yet reached that production, he finished Sunday's game with six receptions for 80 yards —the second-most receiving yards on the team behind Sutton — and continued to show his ability to make necessary plays in key moments. The positive production, though, is just the beginning according to Payton, who emphasized the importance of continuing to get the young player involved moving forward.
"Sometimes as a coach, you feel like you're stopping the progress by not getting them touches," Payton said. "I don't want to say we're guilty as coaches, but oftentimes [we're] afraid to play the rookies."
Payton said his message in Monday's staff meeting was that the team must "continue to find touches" for Vele — and he said the same of Estime.
Estime led the team in rushing yards in Week 10 against Kansas City, and he then provided steady contributions on the ground in Weeks 11 and 12. The production, though, is still a work in progress for Payton, who says he has "got to continue to find [Estime's] role" in Denver's offense.
"Yesterday was going to be a tough day for any of the runners with the looks we were getting defensively," Payton said. "He's healthy, we're excited about his future and I have to continue to find ways to get him more touches. Yesterday was going to be a tough day for any of the [running] backs. It was just a heavy blitz, heavy run-front plan by the Raiders. So quickly we had to adjust, but he's doing well."
Payton noted that he believes Estime has the potential to be the same type of player as Vele in his respective position, and he emphasized that it will be up to the coaching staff to provide him with those key opportunities as he continues to develop this season.
DENVER'S DEFENSE FUELED BY 'STEADY PRESENCE' OF SAFETIES
When the Broncos needed a spark, Brandon Jones delivered.
The safety intercepted a pass from quarterback Gardner Minshew in the third quarter of Sunday's game and returned the ball for 37 yards, setting up Denver's first touchdown of the afternoon. The game-changing play allowed the Broncos to take their first lead of the day, which ultimately allowed the team to earn its first victory at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The takeaway represented one key moment of an overall impressive performance by Denver's safeties on Sunday.
"We're better overall on the back end at that position than we were a year ago," Payton said. "We've played a few different guys back there, but I like how we're playing. We're communicating. Our guys on defense, [Defensive Coordinator] Vance [Joseph] and [Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach] Jim Leonhard and all those guys are doing a fantastic job. We're definitely, I would say, further along. And it was a good performance by those guys yesterday."
The strong play of Jones and P.J. Locke has continued throughout the season despite both players facing adversity this year. Jones missed Denver's Week 11 game vs. the Falcons, while Locke has battled back from a thumb injury that kept him sidelined for the Broncos' Week 8 and 9 contests. And while Payton noted that there are very few players across the league that are playing at 100 percent this late in a long season, the reliable contributions of the players — despite the challenges they have faced — have been instrumental to Denver's success this season.
"Just the toughness man, that's something you can never question with those guys," defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said Monday. "I've been seeing them for a long time and [know] some of the things they've [played] with for a long time, and every day they [can] be out there, we know they're going to be out there. ... We know they're [some] of the toughest guys in the room. So, any time they could be out there helping us, you know they're going to be there."
Jones leads the Broncos with 54 solo and 79 total tackles this season, and his interception on Sunday was his second of the season. Locke has recorded 35 solo and 51 total tackles, and he also added a critical fourth-down sack late in Denver's Week 4 game to help the team earn a hard-fought victory over the Jets.
"They give a veteran presence back there, a stable presence," Roach said. "I know it's kind of a bad mindset to have, but we kind of know we could not do everything perfect up front because we know Brandon Jones and P.J. are going to erase it. That's what we like to say — they erase the big plays."
