A breakdown of the Denver Broncos draft class and its progress after three weeks of training camp:
Bradley Chubb, OLB, first round: Chubb is already a starter and has made plenty of plays, including his tackle of Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky for a safety this past weekend. He has impressed his older teammates, not only with his athleticism, but with his work ethic and approach as well, so it would be a surprise if he doesn’t have a significant impact on the Broncos’ defense.
Courtland Sutton, WR, second round: He has unveiled a highlight catch almost daily in training camp and has appeared plenty with the starting offense when the Broncos go to a three-wide receiver look. He will get plenty of red zone snaps as well with his size (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) and leaping ability, and quarterback Case Keenum has called him “a friendly target down there, so I like throwing him the ball." Coach Vance Joseph said he’s a “60-40 guy in jump-ball situations, when most guys are just 50-50."
Royce Freeman, RB, third round: In limited game work in the preseason, Freeman leads the team in carries and yards rushing, and has the only two rushing touchdowns in two preseason games. He’s trending to, at minimum, splitting carries in the starting offense, or even being an every-down back.
Isaac Yiadom, CB, third round: With the hamstring injury to cornerback Tramaine Brock early in training camp, the Broncos have gotten to see Yiadom plenty in a variety of pressure situations. He has made some mistakes but has also shown the all-important ability to bounce back and line up with some determination after those mistakes. He’s going to play in the Broncos’ specialty packages.
Josey Jewell, LB, fourth round: Jewell got off to a bit of a slow start in camp after he injured a hamstring just after rookies reported. But he’s worked his way back and quickly shown his instincts, and it will be difficult to keep him out of their defensive lineup for very long. He’s simply always around the ball when he plays.
DaeSean Hamilton, WR, fourth round: The Broncos believed Hamilton might have been the best route-runner on their draft board, and he’s done nothing to dissuade them so far. Keenum already trusts him to consistently be in the right spots.
Troy Fumagalli, TE, fifth round: The Broncos have a wide-open competition for playing time at the position, so there is some opportunity to be had, but Fumagalli was held out of the offseason workouts after sports hernia surgery and has been held out of some training camp practices as well. He has not played in either of the Broncos’ preseason games so far.
Sam Jones, C/G, sixth round: Jones caught the coaches’ eye in the team’s offseason program and has a chance to make the roster as one of the swing players on the interior of the offensive line. He’s shown quality work at both center and guard.
Keishawn Bierria, LB, sixth round: He played 17 and 20 snaps on defense, respectively, in the Broncos’ first two preseason games, and it’s going to be a tight squeeze for him to make the roster without impact on special teams. He’s gotten plenty of work on those units in the preseason, and that will have to be the difference for him since Jewell, Zaire Anderson and Joe Jones are in front of him in the rotations at inside linebacker.
David Williams, RB, seventh round: Williams has been squeezed out some as Freeman and undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay have gobbled up plenty of the carries, in addition to Devontae Booker. Williams has eight carries combined in the first two preseason games, and while he’s flashed at times, he might end up on the practice squad.