The Denver Broncos came out on top in the Hall of Fame Game against Atlanta but which three players made a big statement in the exhibition contest?
In the first taste of NFL action where the result means nothing, the Denver Broncos emerged victorious over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Vic Fangio’s team pulled ahead for the 14-10 win thanks to a heroic highlight-reel touchdown grab from Juwann Winfree late in the fourth quarter.
Things were certainly interesting for the Broncos on Thursday night. Rookie quarterback Drew Lock saw action for the first time but looked quite unprepared as he couldn’t complete much of anything down the field and struggled with his accuarcy overall. He ended the night going 7-of-11 for just 34 yards while also adding a six-yard run.
Meanwhile, Fangio’s first action as head coach came with a bit of unwanted circumstance as he was battling through a bout with kidney stones to be on the sidelines. That certainly speaks to the grit and toughness of the head coach, and also to how much he values his new position.
While Lock certainly wasn’t a standout and while Winfree’s one catch wasn’t enough to make him a standout player, several members of the Denver Broncos indeed made their mark in the Hall of Fame Game. Let’s take a look at three such players.
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3. Malik Reed, EDGE
Undrafted rookie Malik Reed has been showing out in training camp and he carried that into the Hall of Fame Game. With the likes of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb not seeing the field, the Nevada product got plenty of opportunities and he made the most of them.
Reed was consistently disruptive whenever on the field, showing a lot of polish in both the pass rush and in the run game. On the night, the rookie finished the game with four tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and another quarterback hit. If he can continue to make the most of his time on the field, Reed has a good shot at making the 53-man roster as depth behind Miller and Chubb.
2. Khalfani Muhammad, RB
A seventh-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2017, Khalfani Muhammad has not yet seen the field in a regular season game. Furthermore, it’d be hard to imagine him finding a role in the Broncos offense consistently given the fact that he’s got Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman and newly signed Theo Riddick. Even still, Muhammad showed he has value for the Broncos on Thursday.
Muhammad was the leading rusher and receiver for Denver in the Hall of Fame Game, taking seven carries for 50 yards and a touchdown while also grabbing four of his five targets for 24 receiving yards. Additionally, he showed a little more burst on his one kick return, taking it for 24 more yards on the day.
While it’s hard to envision him getting many snaps at running back barring injuries, Muhammad could be a special teams player as a return man with the ability to slot in on offense if needed. He’s clearly making a name for himself early on, though.
1. Dre’Mont Jones, DL
Once considered a possible first-round pick, Dre’Mont Jones ended up being a third-rounder for the Broncos this year. While he’s not a perfect player and while he was playing against non-starter offensive linemen for parts of the night on Thursday, the Ohio State product was a beast throughout the game and by far the most disruptive part of the Denver defense.
While he finished with only three tackles, one tackle for loss and didn’t accrue a sack, Jones ended the game with three quarterback hits and a few other pressures created. He was in the Falcons backfield often throughout the night and, if he can continue to be that type of force up front, the Broncos could find themselves with a valuable piece that they landed in Round 3.