Kiz: Jeudy! Jeudy! Jeudy! Broncomaniacs are wild over first-round draft choice Jerry Jeudy. And I don’t blame them. He was a great pick by John Elway. With eyes at training camp naturally drawn to offense, Jeudy is already drawing rave reviews for his route running and ball skills. But I wonder. How big of an impact is it reasonable to expect Jeudy to make as a rookie? Might a more crucial “newcomer” to the Broncos be cornerback Bryce Callahan, who sat out last season while recovering from a nagging foot injury?
O’Halloran: Callahan all the way, at least for 2020. The Broncos have the semi-luxury of not putting a ton of pressure on Jeudy in terms of not making him play against a team’s top cornerback. Two years ago, the Broncos could bring Courtland Sutton along slowly because they had Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Once Thomas was flipped to Houston and Sanders tore his Achilles, it was early December and Sutton was ready for a No. 1‑type role. Plus, if Jeudy is injured, the Broncos have decent depth. If Callahan gets injured, uh-oh.
Kiz: The relationship between the Broncos and Chris Harris Jr. had run its course. Once a player who plays with a huge chip on his shoulder feels disrespected by team management, there’s no turning back, only moving on. How much Denver misses Harris depends heavily on Callahan. Tell me: Does he look healthy? Can coach Vic Fangio count on Callahan playing all 16 regular-season games? And in a league where defense needs no fewer than three corners on the field much of the time, where should we expect Callahan to take most of his snaps?
O’Halloran: Fangio shouldn’t count on Callahan appearing in 16 games because he’s never done it — in the last four years (all with Fangio), he missed five, four, three and 16 games. In the base defense (about 25–30% of the snaps), he will play outside opposite newcomer A.J. Bouye and in most sub-package situations, Callahan will move inside to account for the slot receiver. The Broncos envision him as an every-down player.
Kiz: While I respect and admire the abilities of Sutton, my hopes and dreams are so big for Jeudy I think he will become the No. 1 target of Lock. Eventually. Sooner rather than later. But not this year, when Jeudy is learning the ropes and refining his routes at the NFL level. On the other hand, 2020 shapes up as the last stand of a defense built around linebacker Von Miller. Elway is counting on the “D” being dominant, which won’t be possible without a stingy secondary. Callahan is the “X” factor. He must deliver bigly for Denver to have any shot at making the playoffs.
O’Halloran: I was thinking about the last stand angle for this defense recently and you’re right, for Miller and Co., there will be big changes if the playoff drought stretches to five years. The roster is full of older defensive players with big 2021 cap numbers. As far as Jeudy, the best thing Broncos fans can hear about him is that he is being lauded for his work ethic. He’s not resting on his Alabama tape/first-round status. Having that kind of want-to should give him the ability to quickly adjust to the NFL game.