Denver Broncos Undrafted WR Eric Page Can Make an Impact
It seems like every year, the Denver Broncos have some undrafted free agent emerge from their rookie class and make the final roster. Perhaps that’s a result of the team not having great depth overall, but I like to think these guys really know how to bring it and show up when their time comes.
This year, that player could be former Toledo wide receiver Eric Page, a smaller wideout who comes to the Broncos as one of the most productive players in all of college football over the last three years. Page finished his collegiate career with three thousand yard seasons, and left after his junior year with virtually nothing left to do except risk injury.
With the number 19 on Denver’s roster being vacated by former 2008 second round pick Eddie Royal, Page takes that jersey hoping to fill a similar role. When the Broncos drafted Royal, it was expected that he would come in and be the team’s return specialist immediately after showing some serious skill in that area at Virginia Tech, and he wound up earning a starting receiver position out of training camp, looking like a seasoned veteran early on in his career.
The same could be true for Page. The Broncos desperately need a return specialist with Eddie Royal out of the mix, and Page has some pretty nice credentials coming in. As a sophomore in 2010, Page was a first-team All-American kick returner, averaging over 31 yards per return and scoring three touchdowns. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but has great vision with the ball in his hands.
Lucky for him, that’s not all he brings to the table. While Page was told he would be a mid-round pick (size, not an elite athlete like a Royal), he certainly doesn’t look like it when you watch his game footage. Page is constantly making plays, racking up yards after the catch, blazing down the field, making plays on deep balls–you name it, this guy can do it as a receiver. Since he’s a jack-of-all-trades, he was able to completely dominate the opposition in 2011, catching 125 passes in his final collegiate season.
If Page can have a good training camp and prove he can make an impact on special teams, there will be a place on the roster for this college star and he could be the next undrafted free agent to make an impact with the Denver Broncos.