After practice last Sunday, Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello was asked which player has surprised him at training camp so far. His answer: third-year offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson.
“He was an undrafted free agent coming out of college, I believe,” Scangarello said. “He was a lot heavier, he’s lost weight. He’s a very athletic and a great scheme fit. I just like the way he works out here.”
Wilkinson (6-6, 329 pounds) was a swing backup last year, filling in at both offensive tackle and offensive guard. His versatility proved valuable when guard Ron Leary went down with a season-ending injury in 2018.
Wilkinson was a fill-in starter for seven games last year. He allowed 3.5 sacks in those contests but was not penalized at all, according to STATS LLC. Wilkinson looks like he’s gotten even better this offseason.
“I think [offensive line coach] Mike Munchak has done a great job honing out his skillset and really helping him develop,” Scangarello said. “I think he is a good football player. I think he is a guy that we are very happy with up to this point.”
Denver’s defensive linemen have noticed Wilkinson’s improvement, including defensive end Adam Gotsis.
“Eli’s really good,” Gotsis said after practice on July 22. “He has heavy hands, good feet. If he gets those paws on you, he’s going to lock you down. It’s been awesome to watch him grow from when he came in as a rookie as well. He’s just gotten better, better and better.
“He ended up playing a bunch of games for us last year, did awesome. Came in, stepped up when ‘Big Ron’ went out and did awesome. It’s exciting to see Eli and what he’s going to do this year. He’s a hell of a football player.”
Wilkinson is probably a lock for the 53-man roster at this point and he appears to be the frontrunner for backup guard/tackle duties.
