Broncos Rookie TE Nate Adkins Gives Albert Okwuegbunam Props

When the dust had settled on the Denver Broncos' hotly contested tight end competition last week, undrafted rookie Nate Adkins was in. Fourth-year veteran Albert Okwuegbunam was out — traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles last Tuesday at the NFL roster cutdown deadline. 

While many scratched their heads over the decision to move on from Okwuegbunam after his seven-catch, 109-yard performance in the Broncos' preseason finale (including yours truly), the clear beneficiary is Adkins. One of a whopping four undrafted rookies to make the Broncos' initial roster, Adkins reflected on Okwuegbunam this past week when he was asked whether he was aware of 'Albert O''s relative popularity. 

"Oh yeah," Adkins told assembled reporters during the Broncos' media barbecue. "I mean, he's got a great personality, he's a great teammate, he's a great player. I mean, you saw what he could do. He does all the right things in the building. Like I said, he's a great teammate, and I wish the best for him. 

Well, maybe not all the "right things," or else the Broncos wouldn't have traded Okwuegbunam and a seventh-round pick to Philly in exchange for a sixth-rounder. It was effectively a pick swap where the Broncos were able to cut the cord on a young, albeit talented, player who'd failed to ingratiate himself with three consecutive coaching regimes in Denver. 

As for Adkins, the South Carolina product understands how important his special teams buy-in will be to staying on the Broncos' roster. But armed with a great support base from the veteran in the tight end room and the knowledge that head coach Sean Payton has a clear vision for him, the undrafted rookie is moving forward with a nice confidence boost. 

"I mean, Coach Payton was—whenever I came on my visit, he said he had a clear role for me and liked my film and everything from South Carolina," Adkins said. 

When asked about his impressions of Adkins on Tuesday after the Okwuegbunam trade, the sometimes verbose Payton was downright loquacious on the subject. 

“He’s pretty consistent each day. You know what you’re getting," Payton said of Adkins. "I think if he is assigned the SAM linebacker and the play is over with—it may not have been perfect all of the time, but he probably blocked the SAM. He was just one of those guys who day in and day out got his job done. He’s got some position versatility."

Payton went on to tease the very plan for the young tight end that Adkins mentioned. 

"You see him playing some fullback," Payton said of Adkins. "He’s kind of that ‘F’ tight end, if you will. He can play on the ball, but he’s probably a little bit better off the ball. He was someone we considered drafting, and he was someone that was very sought after, after the draft. We felt it would be hard to get him to a practice squad spot.”

If the Broncos are going to run as many multi-tight-end sets as the rumor mill purports and prioritize a consistent, productive rushing attack, Payton will need as many good blockers on the perimeter as he can get. Plus, in the event that anything were to befall veteran fullback Michael Burton, Adkins could be called upon to do a little lead-blocking out of the backfield, as we saw him do at times during the preseason. 

But don't sleep on Adkins' receiving upside. Yeah, he can block the strongside linebacker, but if the play-action game is going to be as potent as Payton wants it to be, the rookie tight end will need to make the most of his opportunities to run routes and catch passes. 

Adkins rounds out a tight end room in Denver that features Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, and Chris Manhertz, with former New Orleans Saint Lucas Krull newly arrived on the practice squad. Even with Okwuegbunam cashing his paychecks in Philly now, the Broncos have a versatile tight-end group to realize Payton's offensive vision.