2017 Broncos roster: Rookie nose tackle Tyrique Jarrett

The 2017 NFL Draft came and went without Pittsburgh’s Tyrique Jarrett’s name being called. Like many other prospects who didn’t get their name called during the three days and seven rounds of the draft, Jarrett started receiving calls from multiple teams about signing a contract with them. One of the teams that came calling Jarrett was the Denver Broncos who spent the offseason adding size to their defensive line. They continued doing that by signed Jarrett to a college free agent contract.

The Broncos interest in Jarrett was evident weeks before the NFL Draft. They attended his Pro Day where he impressed scouts in attendance and apparently the Broncos. The Broncos came away so impressed that they lined up a visit after his impressive workout.

Jarrett played four seasons at Pittsburgh and put up some good numbers during his time there. During his four-year career, Jarrett totaled 60 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks. This past season he totaled 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and 1 sack.

Jarrett’s numbers don’t stand out but we need to keep in mind his job is to be a space eater who clogs up running lanes and allows his linebackers to roam free. So his stat sheet won’t be all that great.

The Broncos two starting inside linebackers Brandon Marshall and Todd Davis are excited about the possibility of playing behind “Pot Roast Jr.”.

“I’m really excited. Todd and I call Jarrett ‘Pot Roast Jr.’ Hopefully he can live up to that (laughing),” Marshall said. “When Terrance Knighton was in there, I remember one time he told me when we played the Bills, ‘Look man, when you see me in front of you, just go make the play.’ He took up a double team, and sat there for three seconds and I just made the play. I said, ‘That’s what I’m talking about. Hopefully Jarrett can do that,” Marshall added.

Davis added that he loves the “big boys they brought in” and that he just loves nose tackles in general.

“You see the smile on my face? I love it. I love the big boys that we brought in,” he said. “I definitely love the nose tackles. They’re key to us, as you know, as the o-lineman is to the running back. I’ve always dreamed of us going to the Super Bowl, winning the Super Bowl, and being able to buy my whole d-line something and our nose tackle something as well just because they’re so influential and so key to what we do in the running and passing game.”

Now Jarrett or “Pot Roast Jr.” has a chance to crack the Broncos 53-man roster and add that element of size the Broncos were searching for this offseason. He, however, does have some stiff competition to make the roster. The Broncos signed veteran Domata Peko and Zach Kerr to play nose tackle and/or defensive end this season. The Broncos also have Kyle Peko on the roster who was an undrafted free agent last season for them.

If Jarrett can show coaches that he can be an immovable force along the defensive line and clog up some running lanes, he has a good shot to make the team.

The good:

Jarrett is a massive man and fits the mold of a blocker-eating, run stuffing one technique nose tackle. That’s exactly what the Broncos are looking for this offseason.

Jarrett’s agent gave teams an idea of what Jarrett would give them if they drafted or signed him this offseason.

He’s also tough to move and can provide some bull rush to push the pocket backward and disrupt the quarterback. He can also take up space and allow his linebacker to roam free and get after the ball carrier.

Jarrett also has some decent athleticism for a man of that size. He’s not insanely athletic but moves better than you would assume for a 340+ pound nose tackle.

Finally, with Kyle Peko suffering an injury that may sideline him into Training Camp, Jarrett could get some valuable practice reps in the early stages of Camp.

The bad:

Well like the vast majority of nose tackles, Jarrett offers very little in the way of a pass rush. He can bull rush like I mentioned above but that is about it. He only totaled 3 sacks during his four-year career at Pittsburgh.

Jarrett at 6’3” can sometimes end up playing too high allowing blockers to get to him and have him lose leverage. If he can keep that pad level down he could be tough to move.

Finally, Jarrett is only a two-down player in the NFL, and the NFL defenses are moving away from base 3-4/4-3 packages and playing more sub-packages. This means someone like Jarrett could end up playing less than 50% of the defensive snaps in a game. This is the case for Jarrett who never topped 44% of the team's defensive snaps in a game during his time at Pitt.

Tyrique Jarrett highlights:

Roster Status:

Jarrett faces some obstacles in making the Broncos 53-man roster. Being a run-only defender he will need to be very good at that skill to push for that final defensive line roster spot.

What really hurts him is the three guys ahead of him on the roster. Domata Peko, Zach Kerr, and Kyle Peko can all play nose tackle as well and are currently ahead of him on the depth chart. He would at the very least have to pass Kyle Peko on the depth chart to have any chance at making the 53-man roster.

It seems like the Practice Squad is where Jarrett is destined to go.