Eyioma Uwazurike is getting a real test this summer, and the Broncos are betting he can handle it.
With John Franklin-Myers gone to the Tennessee Titans in free agency, Denver needs someone on the defensive line to help replace that production. Uwazurike is one of the players being pushed into that space, and the Broncos are asking the 6-foot-6, 325-pound defensive end to take a clear step forward.
That means more than just lining up and going through the motions. It means learning how to win with details, and Uwazurike says that part of the job has become a major focus for him.
“It’s not just knowing how to do moves against people,” Uwazurike said in a piece written by Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. “It’s knowing, ‘OK, this guy likes to set this way.
This guy likes to shoot his hands this way. This center leaves this little bit of air here when he does this.
Then this is where we need to attack at.’
“Every week we’re switching up moves and going based off what certain teams did. It’s different than doing one-on-ones in practice. Learning from them and watching them do that last year, that was everything.”
The two veterans helping him most are Franklin-Myers and defensive tackle Zach Allen, and Uwazurike says Allen in particular has raised the bar on how deep a pass rusher has to dig into scouting and preparation.
“Zach, the notes that Zach takes, he knows the opponent’s middle name,” Uwazurike said. “He knows everything about them. He dissects everything down on how to pass-rush vs. a certain person, a certain team, how the o-line slides.
“They definitely school you when it comes to studying. It’s been good to learn.”
So far, the lessons are showing up on the field. Gabriel reported that Uwazurike has been disruptive in training camp against both the run and the pass, and the reaction from teammates has been strong.
“The leap he’s taking right now is pretty scary,” defensive tackle D.J. Jones said recently, calling Uwazurike, “unblockable.”
The Broncos have a few other extension cases on the roster, including Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian and safety Brandon Jones on defense, with Marvin Mims Jr. leading the way on offense. Uwazurike, 28, isn’t near the top of that list right now, and he doesn’t sound overly concerned about it.
For him, the priority is simple: keep absorbing everything around him and let the results take care of themselves.
“All I can do is learn and - I feel like what I’m doing now in camp, learning from the guys in front of me and all that, that’s what’s going to help me get to that point,” Uwazurike said. “Money is made here.
Money is made in practice and in the film room. That’s my main focus.
If I do all of that right and play as hard as I can, then whatever comes for me is whatever comes for me.
“That’s all I can do. That has to be the mindset.”
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