Denver Broncos | Draftnasty Magazine

Offensive miscues and special teams errors doomed the Los Angeles Chargers against a division rival. The Denver Broncos ended the Chargers six-game win streak in a hard-fought 23-22 affair. DraftNasty’s Troy Jefferson gives his impressions in this in game report:

Chargers offensive line

The Chargers offensive line stood out in pass protection against the Broncos, who rank in the top ten in sacks. While San Diego did give up three sacks, two of those were more of a reflection of quarterback Philip Rivers holding on to the ball too long rather than poor offensive line execution. The Chargers out-gained the Broncos by 154 yards, which is a testament to how the offensive line played. The unit’s best work may have came on a screen pass to running back Melvin Gordon, where offensive lineman Dan Feeney and Michael Schofield III got out in front to pave the way for a 32-yard gain. Holding a defense that features Von Miller and Bradley Chubb is no easy task, but the Los Angeles Chargers should be proud of the offensive line's performance on Sunday.

Chargers miscues

Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers will shoulder a fair load of the blame after he threw two interceptions against the Broncos. Despite throwing for 401 yards, the interceptions not only cost the Chargers potential points but allowed Denver to score in both instances. In addition to subpar quarterback play, the Chargers committed 10 penalties in the first half and settled for two field goals.

"Those are things we've stayed away from -- penalties and turnovers -- but they showed up today. For whatever reason, I don't know. We'll figure it out, though," head coach Anthony Lynn said in the post game press conference.

Receiver Keenan Allen was a little less diplomatic.

"I don't think they played well at all," Allen said after the game, via ESPN.com. "We dominated the game. Turnovers, we gave them some points and that's what happened. They suck."

To make matters worse, Mike Badgley missed an extra point in the third quarter. Denver no doubt earned their victory by driving the length of the field to get into field goal range as time expired but leading up to the final drive, Los Angeles certainly squandered plenty of its opportunities.

Denver rookie playmakers

Former Oregon running back Royce Freeman has rushed for 382 yards (4.2 YPC) and five touchdowns for the Broncos in 2018 (As of 11/27/18).

The Broncos have a talented trio of rookies to rely on offensively. Running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman complement each other well as Lindsay primarily serves as the third down motion back and Freeman the more traditional power back. On the outside at receiver, Courtland Sutton also showed his playmaking ability. Lindsay finished with 106 combined rushing and receiving yards while Freeman had 23 yards rushing and a touchdown. Sutton caught three passes for 78 yards. Lindsay, who was undrafted, has been the most productive out of the bunch, rushing for 670 yards and catching 24 passes for 187 yards on the season. If Denver can get more consistent production out of Sutton and Freeman, the Broncos could have a strong young nucleus on offense going forward.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos	Freeman went over the 100-yard mark 31 times during his four-year run in Eugene. Notable pick: Chubb will get a lot of one-on-one matchups working opposite Von Miller. It won’t be good for AFC West opponents. Freeman may be the grinder the Broncos need to control the clock and set up the play action pass game for Case Keenum. This could take pressure off of the team’s offensive tackles.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
1 (5)	Bradley Chubb DE-6’4 269	NC State	1 (1^st Round)	Chubb took his game to the next level in 2017 by adding a deft swipe move to complement his ability to post tackles. He will get even more tutelage from the NFL’s best in Von Miller.
2 (40)	Courtland Sutton WR-6’3 218	SMU	28 (2^nd Round)	Sutton has all of the skills to develop into a No. 1 WR in the NFL. It won’t happen if he doesn’t eliminate the drops that show up once per game.
3 (71)	Royce Freeman RB-5’11 229	Oregon	27 (2^nd Round)	He ran for over 5,600 yards and scored 60 TDs in school. At nearly 230 pounds, he runs with a light-footed nature.
3 (99)	Isaac Yiadom CB-6’1 190	Boston College	166 (4^th Round)	Yiadom is one of the better cornerbacks in the draft playing with his back to the ball. Despite just adequate recovery speed, his length (32 ¼” arms) increases his recovery ability.
4 (106)	Josey Jewell LB-6’1 234	Iowa	104 (3^rd Round)	Jewell’s instincts are top-notch and he is adept at making in-game adjustments to combat offensive personnel.
4 (113)	DaeSean Hamilton WR-6’1 202	Penn State	63 (2^nd Round)	Hamilton brings slot quickness and outside wide receiver size to a unit that will move him around to create mismatches.
5 (156)	Troy Fumagalli TE-6’5 247	Wisconsin	337 (5^th Round	Fumagalli is yet another pass receiving option for the Broncos in the middle of the field for Case Keenum. He’s not a burner, but he catches everything in his area code.
6 (217)	Keishawn Bierria LB-6’0 230	Washington	342 (5^th Round)	Back-to-back second-team All-Pac-12 selection was a factor on the kickoff team in school…too.
7 (226)	David Williams RB-5’11 229	Arkansas, South Carolina	301 (4^th Round)	The Broncos have struck gold in the past with late round running backs. The former Gamecock averaged 5.6 yards per carry for the Razorbacks in a pro-style scheme in 2017.

Kansas City Chiefs	Nnadi may not look the part, but he produced 9.5 QB sacks and 20.5 tackles for losses for the Seminoles over the last two seasons (2016-17). Notable pick: Watts was dinged for average workouts prior to the draft. When teams look back at this draft, he could become one of the value picks in this class.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
2 (46)	Breeland Speaks DL-6’3 283	Ole Miss	77 (3^rd Round)	Speaks has the look of current Jacksonville Jaguars DL Malik Jackson. Like Jackson, he may be underrated coming out of school. Speaks is athletic enough to play either the end or OLB spots.
3 (75)	Derrick Nnadi DT-6’1 317	FSU	109 (3^rd Round)	For a 6-foot-1 defensive tackle, he established lockout on a consistent basis. Very good instincts.
3 (100)	Dorian O’Daniel LB-6’0 5/8 223	Clemson	162 (3^rd Round)	O’Daniel covers the slot, RBs and is an outstanding special teams prospect.
4 (124)	Armani Watts S-5’10 202	Texas A&M	64 (3^rd Round)	Watts may have been the most active run-defending safety in the SEC. He contributed 4 INTs in 2017.
6 (196)	Tremon Smith CB-5’11 186	Central Arkansas	248 (4^th Round)	Smith was a terror in 2017 once he got his hands on the ball. He drops his weight to sink vs. intermediate routes and plays through the hands of bigger WRs in the Red Zone.
6 (198)	Kahlil McKenzie DT-6’4 314	Tennessee	338 (5^th Round)	Despite being a DT in school, the Chiefs plan on moving him to the guard position. He looked good at this spot in pre-draft workouts.

Oakland Raiders	Townsend will be counted on to replace former Oakland punter Marquette King. He produces hang times that average in the 4.6 range and placed 27 punts inside the 20-yard line for the Gators in 2017. Notable pick: Hall could end up becoming the team’s best find. His collegiate productivity was unmatched and his versatility will open up the team’s defensive fronts. Despite average length for a DT, he produced 29 pass break-ups in school.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
1 (15)	Kolton Miller OT-6’9 309	UCLA	65 (3^rd Round)	Miller has rare athleticism for a man of his size. His 23 career starts were a result of missing most of 2016 due to injury. Developing an anchor will be a key for Miller.
2 (57)	P.J. Hall DL-6’0 308	Sam Houston St.	23 (2^nd Round)	Hall posted 86.5 tackles for losses in school and blocked 14 kicks. In addition, he found time to post four interceptions.
3 (65)	Brandon Parker OT-6’7 305	NC A&T	126 (3^rd Round)	Parker –much like Miller- needs improvement in terms of core strength. Also –like Miller- he has positive finishing instincts as a blocker.
3 (87) Trade from Los Angeles Rams	Arden Key DE-6’5 238	LSU	84 (3^rd Round)	If he can return to his 2016-form, the Raiders may have gotten another sub-package pass rush threat.
4 (110)	Nick Nelson CB-5’10 200	Wisconsin, Hawaii	60 (2^nd Round)	Nelson’s meniscus injury prior to the draft caused a slight slide. He may have gone a round higher. Dating back to his days at Hawaii, his footwork has always been his best friend.
5 (140)	Maurice Hurst DL-6’1 291	Michigan	76 (3^rd Round)	Medical concerns made Hurst a Day 3 pick. The Raiders got a player who is instant off the ball and wins with a slippery nature. He will push Eddie Vanderdoes.
5 (173)	Johnny Townsend P-6’1 211	Florida	437 (5^th Round)	This may have been the team’s most important pick for its defense. The release of Marquette King necessitated it earlier than expected. Townsend struggled out-kicking his coverage units in school.
6 (216)	Azeem Victor LB-6’2 240	Washington	365 (5^th Round)	It seems like ages since Victor produced 95 tackles and 9.5 tackles for losses (2015). His final season was filled with suspension and off the field issues.
7 (228)	Marcell Ateman WR-6’4 216	Oklahoma State	213 (4^th Round)	While not sudden, Ateman is athletic enough use his 78-inch wingspan to dwarf CBs in the Red Zone. Averaged nearly 20 yards per catch in 2017.

Los Angeles Chargers	Nwosu (No. 42 pictured) not only posted 9.5 QB sacks for the Trojans in 2017, he also broke up 13 passes. Notable picks: James should be a Day 1 starter. Nwosu could very well do the same. Either way, the selection of Jones may be the most important pick of the first three selections. The Chargers ranked 31^st versus the run in 2017.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
1 (17)	Derwin James S-6’2 215	FSU	46 (2^nd Round)	The Chargers are going to look for James to be an intimidating eighth man in the box as well as the team’s enforcer in the middle of the field.
2 (48)	Uchenna Nwosu OLB-6’3 251	USC	61 (2^nd Round)	Nwosu will challenge Kyle Emanuel for playing time immediately at an outside linebacker spot. His ability to affect the three-step passing game was rare in school (20 PBUs).
3 (84)	Justin Jones DT-6’2 311	NC State	144 (3^rd Round)	Jones posted 8.5 tackles for loss in 2017. While not a pass rusher, he can hold the point of attack and will be a good rotational player in the Chargers defensive front.
4 (119)	Kyzir White S-6’2 216	West Virginia	197 (4^th Round)	White is a good blitz threat with plus upper body strength. His ability to control stalk blockers could land him a spot in sub-packages.
5 (155)	Scott Quessenberry OC-6’4 310	UCLA	110 (3^rd Round)	Quessenberry can hopefully improve the Chargers ability to move bodies in the run game.
7 (251)	Justin Jackson RB-5’11 199	Northwestern	265 (4^th Round)	Jackson’s vision is apparent. Despite a WR-like build, he was tough enough to withstand over 1,100 carries in his career.

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Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers, 11-18-18: In-game report

Chargers offensive line

Chargers miscues

Denver rookie playmakers

2018 NFL Draft Recap, pick-by-pick: AFC West

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