The Broncos opened their week of work on Wednesday with a healthy-looking practice field in Englewood, and Jaylen Waddle was right there with everyone else.
Waddle, who drew attention from fans after leaving Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday night with a walking boot on his right foot, was on the field with teammates as Denver started preparing for Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. He played through the game, and he remains the Broncos’ most productive offseason addition so far, leading the team in targets with 20, receptions with 11 and receiving yards with 150.
Most of that production came in one burst: 138 of his yards came in the Broncos’ Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 1, he had two yards, and in Week 3 he finished with 10 yards on two catches.
Marvin Mims Jr. was also out there and took part fully. That’s a notable step after he was limited in practice last week and sat out for a second straight game on Sunday, which pushed practice-squad receiver Kolbe Katsis into punt-return duty. Katsis handled the job and averaged 13.0 yards on three punt returns and 26.8 yards on four kickoff returns.
The only player officially listed as not practicing was edge rusher Dondrea Tillman because of a hamstring issue, though he was still on the field when practice got underway.
Defensive lineman Zach Allen was limited for a veteran’s rest day.
Running back J.K. Dobbins also went through a full workload on Wednesday even though he remains on the injury report with a hip issue. Fellow running back RJ Harvey was not listed at all after dealing with a hamstring injury that had kept him on the report the previous two weeks.
In Other News...
Broncos Could Get A Dangerous Weapon Back Just In Time
Marvin Mims Jr. was back on the practice field in full Wednesday, a welcome sign for a Broncos offense that has been waiting to get one of its more explosive pieces back in the mix. The second-year wide receiver missed the last two games because of a foot injury, and his return to full participation suggests Denver may be getting close to restoring a dangerous vertical threat just in time for a matchup with the 49ers.
The Broncos will still have to wait for the rest of the week before anything is official, but Mims availability is suddenly a storyline worth watching. If he can keep trending in the right direction, Denver could have a timely boost in a game where every bit of speed and spacing matters. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Defense Is Flipping A Costly Trend From Last Season
Through three games in the Sean Payton era, the Broncos have found something that was hard to come by at times last season: takeaways. Denvers defense has already forced four interceptions, the most in the league so far, and has produced at least one turnover in every game, giving the unit a steadier edge than it showed a year ago.
The payoff has shown up in the numbers, too, with opposing quarterbacks managing only a 74.3 passer rating against Denver. For a team that spent much of last season chasing consistency on defense, the early return is encouraging, even if the real test will be whether this turnover streak can hold once the schedule starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Week 4 Stock Report Reveals Who Denver Can Trust Right Now
With the Broncos sitting at 2-1 and coming off wins over a pair of teams that each won 12 games last season, the early-season picture in Denver is starting to sharpen. A Week 4 stock report before the matchup with the San Francisco 49ers gives a useful snapshot of where the trust level stands right now, spotlighting the players who have helped steady the offense and those whose snaps have been harder to forecast from week to week.
Tim Bryant, Jalen Moss and Courtland Sutton are among the names drawing the most attention, because each has shown enough positive play to matter in the bigger conversation about who Denver can lean on. The bigger issue for the Broncos is not just who has flashed, but who has done it consistently enough to earn a larger role, and that remains the question hanging over this group as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]