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New Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been a notable supporter of the Denver Nuggets since he went to the Mile High City in February.
With the Nuggets’ recent championship at the top of his mind, Payton turned an NBA Finals observation into a teaching moment during the team’s first mandatory minicamp practice on June 13. During a press conference, Payton said he took note of Nuggets guard Christian Braun’s NBA Finals Game 3 performance.
“I don’t know if that was his (Braun’s) normal performance, but he gained confidence that night and we’ll never forget that night,” Payton said during his June 13 presser. “That is how it’s born. That’s confidence and it’s born out of demonstrated ability. So as a coach, it’s exciting to see.”
In the June 7 game to which Payton is referring, Braun provided a significant spark off the bench. He scored 15 points (11 in the second half) en route to the Nuggets’ 109-94 win over the Miami Heat. Denver ultimately took the series in five games to win their first-ever NBA title.
Similar to what Braun showed during the Nuggets’ championship run, Payton said he wants to see tight end Albert Okwuegbunam continue his development.
“He’s at that stage where this is the time (to break out),” Payton said during his presser. “He did make a few plays [during Day 1 of minicamp]. I was encouraged with that and I think that as a teacher, our job is to hit the ceiling with these guys.”
Just as Braun’s “demonstrated ability” helped the Nuggets, Okwuegbunam’s accelerated development would be a welcome sight by the Broncos. Okwuegbunam is a xx-year pro, but hasn’t been able to be consistent in the NFL.
Payton said he’s hoping Okwuegbunam takes the next step during the fourth season of his NFL career.
“I’ve said this a million times: confidence is born out of demonstrated ability,” Payton said. “We can wish for confidence. And [as a player] you can say, ‘I’m confident,’ but we’ve all seen moments where players do something in a game all of a sudden. So it has to be born out of demonstrated ability.”
How Can Albert Okwuegbunam Grow in 2023?
‘Albert O’ seemed to be one of the Broncos’ rising stars in 2021 after putting up 33 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Just one season later, however, he didn’t even hit the 100 receiving yards mark.
The former Missouri Tiger was inactive for much of 2022 due to personnel-related decisions. Per The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel, Okwuegbunam fell out of favor with former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett due to blocking struggles and the emergence of Greg Dulcich.
But after Hackett was fired last season, then-interim head coach Jerry Rosburg said he took notice of Okwuegbunam’s athletic ability, according to a Jan. 3 tweet from DenverSports.com’s Andrew Mason.
“I think he’s (Okwuegbunam is) a highly-talented individual and I haven’t seen him much on the field this year,” Rosburg said on January 3. “I was just curious as to why that was, because he’s a good-looking athlete.”
Payton bringing up Okwuegbunam during a post-practice minicamp presser in June is a positive because of the 6-foot-5 tight end’s lack of playing time last season. He only appeared in eight games in 2022.
With more practice and game experience alongside quarterback Russell Wilson, two could better develop chemistry. The pair has already shown flashes of potential, as Wilson connected with Okwuegbunam on five completions for 33 yards during the Broncos’ Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last year. Okwuegbunam also caught a touchdown pass from Wilson as part of a three catch, 45-yard performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17.
Tight end room entering 2023
The Broncos’ entire tight end group is one to watch as minicamp comes to a close. In addition to Dulcich and Okwuegbunam, new acquisition Adam Trautman and Chris Manhertz are so far the Broncos’ top four tight ends on the team’s 2023 depth chart.
Payton said he discovered that one of Okwuegbunam’s best traits is his athleticism — just like Rosburg.
“He can run, he’s athletic,” Payton said of Okwuegbunam during his presser. “He’s made progress.”
The tight end with the most similar attributes to Okwuegbunam is Dulcich, who led Denver’s tight ends in receiving yards last year (33 catches for 411 yards). But with Okwuegbunam capturing Payton’s attention at minicamp, the competition for the starting spot could be heating up.
“The tight end position is interesting,” Payton said during his press conference. “Some of them are better run blockers. Some of them are better receivers. He (Okwuegbunam) is certainly athletic.”
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