Earlier this offseason, Broncos quarterback Drew Lock described new tight end Nick Vannett as a “monster.” Vannett appreciated the compliment but he believes it would be best-directed toward his rookie teammate, Albert Okwuegbunam.
“I think he’s the real monster,” Vannett said after practice on Aug. 25. “He’s just so physically gifted. I think the thing with him is he’s kind raw right now, but I don’t say that in a bad way.
“I say that like if he keeps building on it and keeps figuring it out, he’s going to be one of the best tight ends in the league. Just how fast he is, how built he is — I really do believe if he can figure it out, he’s going to be a scary dude in this league for years to come. I really do believe that.”
Okwuegbunam, who was selected by the Broncos in the fourth round of this year’s draft, was a star receiving tight end in college. When he played with quarterback Drew Lock at Missouri from 2017-2018, Okwuegbunam caught 72 passes for 881 yards and 17 touchdowns.
If he’s going to become one of the NFL’s best, though, Okwuegbunam will also need to prove himself as a blocker.
“Albert’s done well,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said on Aug. 19. “Obviously, he’s got some good receiving abilities. We have to find out what kind of blocker he is. A big part of being a competent blocker is a mentality to want to block.
“As a tight end, a lot of times when you do block you’re having to block good players. A good bit of that is want to and toughness. We’re trying to figure that out with him to see if he has that part of his game.”
Okwuegbunam is expected to serve as Denver’s No. 3 tight end this season behind Noah Fant and Vannett.
