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Cushenberry joins Walton as Broncos' 3rd-round centers to start first game

Cushenberry: "It's not the end. It's just the beginning."
Credit: Gabriel Christus / Broncos
Lloyd Cushenberry III during training camp at UCHealth Training Center in Centennial, CO, August 17, 2020. Photo by Gabriel Christus

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As rookie starters go, the third round has historically been on the bubble.

J.D. Walton was a third-round rookie who started for the Broncos right away at center in 2010. Michael Schofield (2014) and Ryan Harris (2007) were offensive linemen who eventually became proven NFL starters but not in their first year.

Lloyd Cushenberry III is joining Walton – third-round picks who will start Game 1 at center for the Broncos.

"We just think that he’s ready for it and he’ll keep improving and learn by playing," said Broncos’ head coach Vic Fangio. "A little bit of this is crystal ball that we think he’ll keep improving and develop into a good center. That’s part of it."

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Safety Justin Simmons and tight end Jeff Heuerman were Broncos’ third-round picks who had to wait at least a year to start. Defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones is playing but not starting.

There are many other Broncos’ third-round picks from the 21st century – Carlos Henderson, Brandon Langley, Maurice Clarett, Jeremy LaSueur, Dorsett Davis, Chris Cole – who barely played at all

The Broncos drafted Cushenberry in the third round with the intention of starting him, but they didn't know if he would be ready right away, especially with no offseason team practices and no preseason games. But the Broncos' coaching staff still picked Cushenberry over Austin Schlottmann and Patrick Morris through training camp performances. Cushenberry joins running back Royce Freeman (2018) and Walton as the Broncos’ only third-round picks to start their NFL debuts in at least the past 30 years.

"Winning the starting job, it was obviously a goal of mine coming in," Cushenberry said in a Zoom call with members of the Denver Media Tuesday. "It’s not the end. It’s just the beginning. The work’s just starting. I have to work 10 times harder to keep the starting job and show that I belong here."

After a storybook finish to his college career at LSU – going undefeated, winning the national championship, and snapping to the Heisman Trophy winner (Joe Burrow) – Cushenberry became the Broncos’ No. 83 overall selected in the third round.

It’s worth noting that Matt Hennessy, who the Broncos were going to trade up a couple spots to take instead, is not starting for the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta had traded up in front of the Broncos at No. 78 to take Hennessy. The Broncos got their starter by letting Cushenberry come to them.

"My main focus is going out there and being physical, really just showing that I have the mental capacity to make all the calls and have the confidence that I can do this thing at a high level," Cushenberry said.

Walton, meanwhile, is coaching offensive linemen for his high school team in Frisco, Texas. He started not only the first game of his professional career, but 36 in a row until he suffered a dislocated ankle that limited him to just 16 more starts in his career.

He was pleased to hear Cushenberry had joined him as Day 1 rookie starting centers as third-round picks.

"Tell him to keep his left ankle out the way,'' Walton said. "He can play a long time if he keeps his ankle out of the way."

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