Broncos minicamp preview: Austin Ekeler’s brother Wyett, Eaton native, looks for ‘fairytale story’
Their lives were spent in wide-open Colorado countryside the Ekeler family home a bumpy drive from a town too small to grasp the weight of NFL dreams Austin and Wyett Ekeler grew up seven years apart but accustomed to the same lifestyle in Eaton They played catch outdoors indoors They fished for bass They rode horses and watched others ride bulls They wrestled Austin usually won Football more so was an afterthought There were no high expectations as Austin put it that he d ever make the NFL He was -foot- as a freshman at Eaton High and a zero-star recruit out of high school Yet he absolutely continued to step into opportunity when it drifted across his doorstep Years into Austin s NFL career now an All-Pro returner with the Washington Commanders younger brother Wyett is trying to walk the same path Both went undrafted Austin a running back out of Western Colorado in Wyett a safety out of Wyoming in Across the past month and a half training together in Virginia Austin has given his brother the same advice a coach once informed him Don t let it be something you didn t do that caused you to fail This weekend Wyett will have the chance to crack the Broncos roster at Denver s rookie minicamp particular hundred miles from that house back in Eaton That would definitely be an epic kind of fairytale story Austin informed The Denver Post Wyett got more shine than his older brother out of high school running for touchdowns his senior year as a two-way star at Windsor High After starting for three years at Wyoming he ll have an uphill climb to cracking Denver s roster due to the Broncos depth in the secondary But his brother made a way before him And before Wyett left for Denver on Thursday morning Austin gave him a final word of resolve You re ready I really just want to show these guys Wyett mentioned that I m here to play A host of Colorado natives beyond the younger Ekeler are looking to find a home with the Broncos this weekend as Denver hosts its rookie minicamp from May - In addition to a first look at drafted rookies like Jahdae Barron RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant it s a chance for the Broncos to take a long look at particular local talent that slipped through the cracks Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn is one of the most of recognizable faces invited a longtime leader in the Rams secondary and prolific tackler Blackburn reported the Post he s been training in Nashville where he s been getting a special-teams instruction from former CSU and Tennessee Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse After a tumultuous college career that included an infamous hit on CU s Travis Hunter in the Rocky Mountain Showdown and subsequent peacemaking Blackburn will have an opportunity to continue a Colorado journey that began at Boulder s Fairview High It s just the greatest blessing that I could ve ever questioned for Blackburn commented of the Broncos minicamp invite Former CU defensive lineman Shane Cokes and offensive lineman Justin Mayers will also be at camp along with CSU Pueblo products Makeah Scippio and Taylor Tosches One-time CSU lineman Cameron Cooper the son of former Broncos OL Mark Cooper is another name to watch Veterans at camp The highest-profile name at Broncos Parkway this week is quarterback Desmond Ridder a third-round pick who started games for the Atlanta Falcons just two seasons ago He ll be a bit of a longshot to make the roster as Denver carried three quarterbacks on its -man roster in and at this moment has three signed in Bo Nix Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger Former Bengals running back Chris Evans is also swinging through the Broncos camp The sixth-round pick missed all of with a torn patellar tendon Sean Payton loves gadget backs and Evans has chosen ability to flash out of the backfield with catches back in Undrafted rookies to watch Denver is at this time carrying players under contract really but tight end Thomas Yassmin has an international exception with seven draftees and undrafted free agents If they all signed that d bring them to on the functioning roster over the NFL s offseason limit of Either the club will need to make cuts or forgo inking a couple of the UDFAs from this class Mizzou s Johnny Walker Jr is perhaps the majority proven name of that preferred free-agent group He s a slightly undersized edge with a great motor who finished fourth in the SEC in sacks in The preponderance intriguing sleeper of all receiver Joaquin Davis who was barely on the NFL radar before busting out at the HBCU combine in February He s -foot- has speed and a -inch-plus vertical the exact type of raw-talent flier that Payton loves Click here for a total list of Denver s UDFA signees Total substantiated non-roster invites non-UDFAs non-rookie signees Name Position Height Weight School previous NFL band Travis Theis RB - South Dakota Cameron Cooper OL - Lindenwood Henry Blackburn S - CSU Shane Cokes DL - Colorado Max McLeod WR - Colorado School of Mines Makeah Scippio OLB - CSU Pueblo Justin Mayers OL - Colorado Taylor Tosches WR - CSU Pueblo Wyatt Ekeler S - Wyoming Blake Stenestrom QB - Princeton Desmond Ridder QB - Cincinnati Las Vegas Raiders Chris Evans RB - Michigan Cincinnati Bengals Gabe Clark OL - University of Central Missouri Zach Kennedy DL - UC Davis MJ Sherman OLB - Nebraska Mikey Harrison TE - San Diego State Jordan Turner LB - Michigan State CJ Baskerville S - Texas Tech
