Broncos roster 2016: Nose tackle Kyle Peko

It's that time of the year again. Mile High Report begins our annual 90 players in 90 days roster breakdown. Last year went fairly well, but starting today and through August 27th, we'll break down every player on the Denver Broncos roster.

Name: Kyle Peko
Position: Nose Tackle
Height: 6'1"   Weight: 305lbs
Age: 22   Experience: R
College: Oregon State

The 2016 NFL Draft came and went without Kyle Peko's name being called during the three-day event. This now meant that Peko was free to sign with whichever team he wanted

One team that came calling Peko was the defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos, and this was an opportunity that Peko would not pass up.

Peko was among the 23 undrafted free agents the Denver Broncos signed the day after the 2016 NFL Draft concluded.

Peko started his college career Cerritos Community College before transferring to Oregon State in 2015. He played one season at Oregon State and put up some decent numbers. Peko totaled 45 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks this past season.

Now Peko will fight for a roster spot on Denver Broncos this summer, and according to some, he has a good shot to make the team.

(Photo via OSUBeavers.com)

According to 9NEWS Denver's Mike Klis, he believes Peko has the best shot of any of the undrafted free agents to make the team.

Kyle Peko may be the undrafted rookie with the best chance of making the Broncos’ 53-man roster. A defensive tackle from Oregon State by way of Cerritos Community College, Peko received an $11,000 signing bonus that was the largest of the 22 undrafted rookies who are participating in the Broncos’ rookie mini-camp this weekend.

The Broncos nose tackle position isn't all that deep, but Peko does face an uphill battle to make the final 53 man roster.

Former first-round pick Sylvester Williams is your starter, but after that, it's an open competition.

Second-year player Darius Kilgo showed some promise last season but spent the majority of the season being a weekly inactive. The Broncos signed former Cleveland Browns first-round Pick Phil Taylor to a deal this winter. Health is a big question, but if his knees are good you think there's enough talent there to make the team.

That leaves undrafted rookies, Kyle Peko and David Moala fighting for a roster spot behind those guys.

It's hard to get many answers from this position until the pads come on when Training Camp begins in about three weeks. While the quarterback competition will get all the publicity, the nose tackle may be one of the better ones to watch this summer.

The good:

Peko's size is going to be listed as a strength and weakness. It's a strength because he fits the mold of a Wade Phillips one-gap nose tackle. He's undersized, athletic and explosive off the snap.

His lateral quickness is evident on tape. He's an athletic big man who shows surprisingly good chase and tackle skills. He also showed a good spin move on film.

He has a good motor and will leave it all on the field. I'm always a sucker for blue collar players like that.

He also has bloodlines on his side. Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko is Kyle Peko's cousin.

As I said above, the second and third string nose tackle jobs are wide open, so a good showing during camp and the preseason could boost him ahead and help earn him a roster spot.

The bad:

As I said, his size will be listed as a strength and weakness. While he fits the mold of a one-gap nose tackle, he still is undersized and lacks core strength. He will struggle against powerful offensive lineman and double teams as well.

He also doesn't have a good set of pass rushing moves and lacks a bull rush.

Probably a rotational/backup only player in the NFL. Doesn't have the strength to start or play consistently, and doesn't have the pass rush skills to play on third downs.

I think there's enough there for him to be a backup though.

Quotable:

An NFL Pac-12 scout on Peko.

"He's fun to watch because he flashes so much. I don't know what you do with him because of his size, but he was a challenge for everyone to block in the conference."

Roster Status:

This is a tough one for me. I only watched a little bit of his Oregon State film, but he does flash some potential, but he is a bit undersized for the position.

With that said, being undersized does make him a good scheme fit, so I'm conflicted here.

Right now I think he is a strong Practice Squad candidate. I am anxious to see how he does during camp and the preseason. He could pass Kilgo, and Taylor is a big man with knee problems, so an opportunity may open up for Peko.