Third-Year DL Rewarding Broncos' Patience in Training Camp

While Eyioma Uwazurike was a draft pick under the experiment of the botched Nathaniel Hackett regime, Sean Payton stuck with the young defensive lineman after he was suspended for a year. With Uwazurike coming off that suspension last year, Payton and the Denver Broncos kept him on the roster. 

Even though this is Uwazurike's fourth year in the NFL, it only counts as his third, due to the yearlong suspension he served for violating the league's gambling policy. So, the Broncos still have a year of his rookie contract, while the others from his class are in the final year of their deals. 

The fact that the Broncos still have a year of cost control for Uwazurike is part of why they need him to prove that their decision to stand by him was worth it, when moving on would’ve been simple. Unlike last year, he has been around the team through the whole offseason, and he needs to take advantage of that. 

After being reinstated last July, Uwazurike showed enough in a short time to stick on the roster and even see the field in a limited fashion during the regular season. He only played 63 snaps, 24 as a pass rusher, and did well in a limited sample size. 

Uwazurike's run defense improved from his rookie season, where he was almost a liability, and he picked up three pressures, including a sack. It was a small sample, but how well he did after a year-long suspension speaks to his potential. 

Off to a Good Start

This year, Uwazurike has had a good start to training camp, and while the first five spots on the defensive line are taken, there is an opening for the sixth spot. Uwazurike’s main competition for the spot is Jordan Jackson, who was moved down the depth chart with Sai’vion Jones being drafted in the third round. However, Jackson was the fifth guy last year, meaning he has the edge. 

Last year, Jackson was among the worst defensive linemen in the NFL, playing 310 snaps, 163 as a pass rusher with nine pressures, with one sack to show for it. Among all defensive linemen with at least 300 snaps (105 total players), Jackson ranked in the bottom 20 in every stat and analytic for position, the lone player to be in the bottom 20 in all of them. 

Jackson's play is why Jones was needed, as Denver couldn’t rotate Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers without taking a substantial hit. Jackson's level of play has created an opening, giving Uwazurike a good chance to take the last spot over him. 

In a significantly smaller sample size, with 63 snaps for Uwazurike compared to 310 for Jackson, the former proved to be highly effective in those snaps. With Jones replacing those 310 snaps Jackson played last year, in theory, you’re only looking at 100 snaps, barring injury, for the final player. 

So, the small sample size of Uwazurike can be carried over into projections for this year, because you’re not expecting him to play a bunch of snaps. When looking at the sixth defensive lineman, you bet on efficiency, which is what Uwazurike brought over Jackson last year. 

The Takeaway

The competition is still ongoing, but Uwazurike has had a strong start to camp. He has a great shot to make this roster as the final defensive lineman, and the Broncos could benefit from that happening.

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The team stuck by Uwazurike through a year-long suspension, even though Sean Payton and his coaching staff didn’t draft him. Now, Uwazurike needs to prove the Broncos were right to stand by him.

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