When the Denver Broncos decided to use a second-round draft selection on wide receiver Cody Latimer, they believed he was ready to see immediate NFL action.
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Yes, there were understandable worries regarding his route running and ability to harness the playbook fresh out of college, though his size and leaping ability had the Denver Broncos salivating. Given that, the team expected to put Latimer on the field during red zone opportunities in effort to give Peyton Manning yet another weapon.
However, an impressive training camp has vaulted Latimer up the depth chart and it’s expected that he’ll see ‘premium snaps‘ with the offense soon as Week 1.
"The Denver Broncos then used a second-round draft pick on wide receiver Cody Latimer because they considered him a tough, fast, physical receiver, who could play immediately in the team’s red zone packages, and steadily earn more playing time as he grew into the offense. Latimer then sped his development with extra sessions with quarterback Peyton Manning. Latimer was already poised for premium snaps before Tuesday’s Welker announcement."
While the suspension of Wes Welker is an obvious blow to the Broncos offense, it’s not nearly as destructive as it could have been if the team didn’t have Cody Latimer waiting in the wings.
The former Indiana talent isn’t going to be Manning’s top target though he should see a significant amount of one-on-one coverage and will likely find himself wide open in the Broncos beautiful passing attack.
If he can string together a solid game or two before Welker’s return, it should be interesting to see what type of role he’ll have carved out for himself.