Julius Thomas

Broncos TE Julius Thomas isn’t satisfied with last year’s coming out party.

"By no standards was I my best in any aspect of the game," Thomas said during OTAs. "I hold myself to a very high standard. I’m spending a lot of time going back and looking at last year’s tape these last couple weeks and just seeing so many areas that I can improve in."

Defenses will be shaking in their boots if No. 80 can improve on what was the Broncos’ best season by tight end since Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe retired. It was Thomas’ emergence in 2013 that paved the way for so many offensive records, an out-of-nowhere star piled on top of Denver’s embarrassment of riches on offense.

Now that he’s a known focal point of Peyton Manning’s aerial attack, the fourth-year veteran is working to round out his game.

Developing the feel for blocking after moving from basketball to football takes time, and Thomas points out it requires more work in the weight room. With his limited football experience, the majority of which has been hampered by injury, Thomas hasn't had the time most players do to develop, but he's getting it now. Thomas is one of our top-three TEs, a group that's far ahead of the rest of the pack at the moment. Owning one should give you a significant advantage at the position.