Denver Broncos may have struck gold on UDFA Andre Mintze
The Denver Broncos may have struck gold on undrafted rookie free agent Andre Mintze. Can the Vanderbilt pass rusher make the team?
Football is in the air as training camps get underway across the league, and the Denver Broncos have some fascinating battles on both sides of the ball to be keeping close tabs on throughout the next six weeks. One of the areas of the roster that is lacking clarity is depth off the edge.
The Broncos obviously have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb atop the depth chart and former undrafted free agent gem Malik Reed has become a legitimate starting-caliber player off the edge for them in Vic Fangio’s defense as well.
With a solidified top three, the Denver Broncos have a number of prospects vying for fourth and possibly fifth spots off the edge heading into their 2021 training camp. Two of those prospects are recent seventh-round picks Derrek Tuszka (2020) and Jonathon Cooper (2021).
Another intriguing prospect and possible steal from the 2021 undrafted crop is Vanderbilt pass rusher Andre Mintze.
Andre Mintze could be a steal for the Denver Broncos
Mintze has posted some relatively modest numbers in his last three seasons for the Commodores. He has played 29 games since 2018 and has 70 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks with three forced fumbles.
That is the kind of production you would love to see from an edge player in maybe a 13-15 game season, but the tale in the tape with Mintze tells the story of a possible steal for Denver.
UDFA outside linebacker Andre Mintze from Vanderbilt. Vic Fangio said the #Broncos were impressed by him and were lucky to get him outside of the draft. pic.twitter.com/Y0mzyxhRkX
— Summer of George (@GeorgeStoia) May 14, 2021
Vic Fangio noted at Denver Broncos OTAs that Mintze was a player the team was “lucky” to get outside of the draft. The Broncos thought pretty highly of Mintze to give him $85,000 in guarantees to bring him to Denver, and Mintze really turned heads in the offseason circuit by running a blazing 4.57 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day.
When you turn on the tape of Indianapolis Colts second-round pick Dayo Odeyingbo, you can’t help but notice Mintze jumping off the tape as well.
His speed and explosiveness off the snap are evident but Mintze plays with good leverage and has quick, strong hands to disengage from offensive linemen.
The Denver Broncos’ rich tradition and history of developing stellar undrafted free agent players — perhaps most notable in this case being Shaquil Barrett — certainly helped them land Mintze, who was a coveted player on the undrafted market.
He has a shot in his rookie season to really carve out a role not only on special teams but barring any veteran additions, he could be the fourth guy off the edge for the Broncos, a position that saw plenty of playing time last season.
Even if Von Miller and Bradley Chubb are able to stay mostly healthy for the 2021 season, a player like Mintze would be able to probably play at least a couple hundred snaps and put his pass rush skills to the test.
The competition will be open for Mintze to come in and win a roster spot right away. The Denver Broncos obviously think pretty highly of him and unlike a year ago, Mintze is going to have a full slate of OTAs, training camp, and preseason to show the team what he is capable of.