The Denver Broncos and executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway got 999 regular season snaps out of their 2014 NFL Draft class. Not exactly an exciting figure considering the league average last season for drafted players was 2,162 snaps - taking into account both regular and postseason - per Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com.
In short, the Broncos enjoyed a troublingly small impact from their rookie class last year and while you could point to the strong veteran group that comprises the core of a talented Denver team as a reason for the limited contribution, it doesn't paint a complete picture for the team's thus far uninvolved youngsters. Even more worrisome than the limited playing time overall: of those 999 regular season snaps, one player - cornerback Bradley Roby - accounted for 805 of them, which works out to about 80.6 percent.
Still, despite the slow start to several nascent NFL and Broncos careers, don't think that means Elway is going to give up on the likes of wide receiver Cody Latimer, tackle Michael Schofield or center Matt Paradis.
"We like that group,'' said Elway, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN. "We have high expectations for all of our young guys, we're going to need them, and this coaching staff is good with young players and embraces the idea of playing young players. ... But last year's draft picks, we picked them because we think they can contribute and be good Denver Broncos, and we still think that.''
New head coach Gary Kubiak echoed a similar sentiment, but said the players themselves would be the ones who decided their ultimate NFL fate.
"I tell the guys they write their own story,'' Kubiak said. "We're going to play the guys who earn it, but we know we're going to need all of those guys at some point, and we think they're ready for what we ask them to do.''
Latimer especially seemed to operate as something of a poster-child for the Bronc's underachieving 2014 class. A big-bodied wideout drafted in the second-round out of Indiana flashed potential almost from the get-go catching passes from Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning in training camp.
As the year progressed though, it became obvious that Latimer was struggling with the learning curve and the overall transition to the NFL game. He wound up catching just two passes on four targets in just eight games of action.
"I felt like I kept myself ready to contribute last year, but this year I feel like I'm much more prepared,'' Latimer said. "... I think the study part of it, you learn what it takes. I think I can contribute, and I just want to do what I can to be ready when they want me to play.''
Considering Elway and Co. are currently embroiled in contentious contract talks with franchise wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, Latimer's development this offseason would go a long way toward easing the pressure on the organization to get a deal done and/or give into Thomas' no doubt lofty demands.
As for Schofield - drafted in the third round - and Paradis - taken in the sixth - they actually managed to contribute even less than Latimer, appearing on the field for all of zero regular season snaps. Their ability to contribute to the Denver cause this season may very well be integral to the team's ability to contend - after Ryan Clady went down for the year with an ACL tear, Orlando Franklin departed for San Diego and Manny Ramirez was traded to the Lions, Manning's protection suddenly looked very suspect.
The team did re-sign Ryan Harris and add center Gino Gradkowski in trade and Elway did hit the offensive line hard in the 2015 NFL Draft, nabbing former CSU mauler Ty Sambrailo and the physical and versatile Max Garcia, but Schofield and Paradis need to show something, anything, if they're to stick around beyond next season, especially for a Broncos offensive line that seems to have jobs up for grabs. Schofield should, at the very least, give veteran Chris Clark a run for his money at right tackle in training camp.
Denver's other two draft picks - linebackers Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson - seem set for special teams duties in Year Two, though, per Legwold, the team seems to believe they can play in a pinch with the rest of the Broncos defensive starters if need-be.
