The biggest move of the Broncos offseason saw quarterback Russell Wilson arrive in a trade with the Seahawks and it brought a lot of smiles to the faces of offensive players in Denver.
One of the biggest likely belonged to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. The 2020 fourth-round pick played 47 percent of the snaps and caught 33 passes in 2021 with Noah Fant on hand as the top tight end, but Fant went to Seattle in the Wilson trade and that bumps Okwuegbunam to the first rung of the depth chart for the current season.
Okwuegbunam said last week that he’s focused on making the most of the chance.
“I saw with Noah being traded — I think that it’s good for him. He gets a good opportunity, a fresh start in Seattle,” Okwuegbunam said, via Joshua Kellem of USAToday.com. “I love Noah. Obviously, that opens up a big opportunity for me. I’ve just been focusing on that and approaching every day with that opportunity and having that competitiveness. Overall, just trying to be the best tight end that I can be and compete for that No. 1 role.”
With Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Jerry Jeudy at receiver, Okwuegbunam should find some advantageous matchups on the field this fall. Making the most of them would help Wilson’s first season in Denver be a successful one.