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Name: Dillon Day
Position: C
Height: 6'4" Weight: 300
Age: 25 Experience: 3
College: Mississippi State
Dillon Day is entering his third season in the NFL, spending his first two years on the Denver Broncos 10-man practice squad. He received the highest signing bonus from the Broncos coming out of the 2015 NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent.
If Day is going to start pushing for a spot on the 53-man roster, this offseason is when he needs to do it.
The Good
Day is known to have quite a mean streak, which is the kind of attitude that the new Broncos offensive coaching staff wants to see from their offensive lineman in 2017.
His competition for the backup position behind Matt Paradis isn’t all that bad either with rookie Erik Austell and guard Connor McGovern garnering the snaps while Paradis heals from a hip injury.
Coming out of college, Day was very assignment-oriented and competitive. After two seasons of learning the ropes, his best shot is now.
Intelligent with strong competitive streak. Rarely busts on tape and is assignment-oriented. Good vision and anticipation of twists and games up front. Can come off of block quickly to pick up twist or blitzer. Thick through middle with good bubble. Plays with desired toughness at the point of attack and is a fighter in tight quarters. Not always pretty, but gets guys blocked.
The Bad
He spent his entire career learning to zone block for Gary Kubiak, which is exactly not the system he will be competing for in 2017. The slightly-good news is that the new system appears to be a better fit for him anyway, but he’ll need to catch on quick.
Day’s athleticism is also not that great. According to NFL.com, he played with a lot of stiffness in the knees, which hindered his overall athleticism.
As far as his progress in two years on the practice squad, there just isn’t much information to be had on that. He has obviously been good enough to secure a spot on the 10-man practice squad, but has not found his way onto the field yet.
Quotable
Day doesn’t meet with the media much, but he was interviewed after going undrafted in 2015 and winning a Super Bowl with his new team.
“I could’ve been drafted in the sixth or seventh round by some other team, been on a different path,” Day said. “I could’ve been over with football. I think everything is working out like it should.”
Status
The Broncos have a lot of time invested in Dillon Day’s development on the practice squad. They clearly though they could mold him into a 53-man contributor.
However, those thoughts were held by men who no longer work for the Denver Broncos, which means Day must prove to the new coaching staff that he has a role in their future plans. That leaves his status for 2017 in serious doubt and this offseason will be his most important offseason of his NFL career.