Three things to monitor during the Broncos 2021 mandatory minicamp

The Denver Broncos begin mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. This is where things ramp up for the Broncos compared to OTAs, where attendance is voluntary. We’ll see things get as close to the intensity of training camp as possible over the next three days. The media also gets to watch every practice all the way through, further giving us more information about where the Broncos are at with their roster.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio talked about the adjusted schedule for the offseason earlier this year.

“It’s the normal schedule that we’re allowed, but we’ve adjusted it. We’ve adjusted it as you saw today. It will be an adjusted OTA for you guys that have seen OTAs in the past and the mandatory minicamp. We will hold everything that we’re allowed to hold,” Fangio said.

Here are three things to monitor this week during mandatory minicamp.

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1. How Much Improved?

The Broncos inside linebacker position is arguably the weak spot on the Broncos defense. It doesn’t mean the ILBs are terrible, in fact both Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson have graded well over the past season.

However, there has to be a weak spot and that’s not the line, the pass-rushers or the secondary. Attacking the Broncos defense means you’ll be going after Jewell and Johnson in coverage.

Johnson is a heat-seeking missile against the run. He’s a tough player who can arrive at the ball with natural violence. He has build-up speed but he’s not a player with a ton of burst. Jewell is a smart player who can diagnose the play as things unfold in front of him. Like Johnson, Jewell does not excel in coverage and that’s the weak part of his game.

Jewell talked about the parts of his game he’s been working on.

“There’s been a couple different things – it’s the short-area quickness, to be able to cover people within that five-, 10-yard range which we usually get, then just trying to work on the long speed and just trying to get overall upper body strength increased to play the box better year-by-year. Those are a couple of them, but I don’t think I can keep them down to a couple. I think there’s multiple things I try to work on this offseason to better myself and this team in a better situation,” Jewell said.

At mandatory minicamp, we’ll get to see how that work is paying off. The Broncos feature an up-and-coming tight end in Noah Fant. It’s the tight end position for teams like the Chiefs (Travis Kelce) and Raiders (Darren Waller) – among others – which will be used to attack Jewell and Johnson in coverage.

Going up in practice against an athletic tight end like Fant will stand out for both ILBs. If they can show well against Fant, that means the work they’ve both done to improve in coverage is paying off.

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2. Melvin’s Mindset

We are going to see running back Melvin Gordon for the first time this offseason, as he’s skipped voluntary workouts during OTAs. Gordon was the primary back in 2020, but that was largely because Phillip Lindsay was banged up for most of the season. Now, Lindsay is gone but Gordon does not have the lead job all to himself.

The Broncos moved up in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft to select North Carolina running back Javonte Williams. He was my No. 1 running back in this class and runs with a blend of power and determination that few can match. Williams is good in pass-protection and he’s a quality receiver out of the backfield.

After he was drafted, Williams said he was excited about learning from Gordon.

“I have been watching Melvin Gordon since he was at Wisconsin. I have always been a fan of his, so coming in and picking stuff from his game will be a huge start for me,” Williams said.

I want to see what Gordon’s mindset is like when he’s facing stiff competition from a rookie the team is clearly high on. Williams is a full-time back, and he doesn’t need to come off the field. There are rumblings of speculation that Gordon could end up being a backup or a reserve runner behind Williams this year. I’m not ready to go there yet, but if Williams looks better than Gordon at mandatory minicamp then perhaps we’ll see the rookie push for the starting job more than anybody though he could in his first training camp.

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3. Teddy versus Drew

All eyes are going to be on the quarterback position during mandatory minicamp. It’s not like we’ll be taking statistics in practice, but the team will. Mandatory minicamp will show us if there’s any separation between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater.

Last week, there was some 11-on-11 work for the Broncos and Bridgewater looked like the better quarterback. It’s not a certainty that he’ll be the starter in Week 1, but it is a sign of the direction this thing is heading unless Lock can play better. It’s not about eliminating mistakes – although that’s part of it – it’s about responding properly after you’ve made a mistake.

Fangio is going to be watching how these quarterbacks respond to situations that arise in practice.

“Absolutely. That’s all part of it. You don’t want guys pressing. Two players you don’t want as coaches — one that doesn’t do anything the coaches tell him to do, and two, (someone who) only does what the coaches tell him to do. There’s a fine line of moving on and seeing more than maybe you’re schooled to see. You have to find that happy medium all the time,” Fangio said.

Lock has looked somewhat robotic during OTAs, and he needs to showcase his skill on a broken play where he can improvise at mandatory minicamp. Bridgewater is a good leader with average arm strength. However, he’s smart, poised and accurate when working short-to-intermediate routes. Lock has a chance in mandatory minicamp to prove that he’s got the higher upside once training camp gets here.

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