The Denver Broncos plan to address the tight end position in the NFL draft this year. Sound familiar? That’s because the Broncos has been looking for capable tight ends ever since Julius Thomas and Owen Daniels left the team in back-to-back offseasons (2015 and 2016).
“We’ve been trying to address that every year,” general manager John Elway said at his NFL combine press conference on Wednesday. “That’s a tough position now, especially when you’re talking about an in-line guy that is a blocker but can also be a good pass receiver.
“We don’t have a lot of in-line guys coming out of college like we used to because of what they’re doing in college ball opening things up and there are more receivers coming out of college. It’s much more difficult finding the in-line tight ends than it’s ever been.”
Denver will bring back Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli this year but both of those tight ends have injury concerns. It’s unclear if the team plans to re-sign Jeff Heuerman, who will become an unrestricted free agent on March 13.
Options in the draft will include Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson, Alabama’s Irv Smith and UCLA’s Caleb Wilson. The Broncos will have eight selections in this year’s draft, including the 10th overall pick.
