Denver Broncos Fans have been up in arms about veteran wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey lately. Mainly due to dropped passes and fumbles, many within Broncos country are wondering why Humphrey has managed to maintain a key offensive role.

Some have questioned whether this is a case of nepotism, given that Humphrey’s ties to Sean Payton date back to New Orleans. However, it’s clear the Broncos think of Humphrey very differently than fans do.

Payton’s explanation of a skill Humphrey brings to the table — his run blocking — made it clear why he still sees the field a lot, despite his number of accumulating gaffes.

“One thing about ‘LJ’ is that he is extremely intelligent. He’s really smart and he understands angles and leverage points,” Payton said of Humphrey.

The blocking on the perimeter needs to hold up for the Broncos ground game to come alive and accomplish its goal. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Humphrey has the size and football IQ to thrive as a blocker on the perimeter. Combined with Courtland Sutton’s 6-foot-4, 216-pound frame, the Broncos have the size they need on the outside.

“I think the number one mistake receivers sometimes make when blocking on the perimeter is whether they try to get out or in instead of two gaps,” Payton said. “If you can’t force block…And it can’t just be ‘LJ,’ it has to be Sutton. If you can’t force block, it becomes difficult to run in this league or you get into the RPO game .and then very quickly, it’s the PO game. There’s no “R” in there.

Payton pointed out Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre’Von Moehrig as a player the Broncos will need to account for in the running game and when Bo Nix drops back to pass. Expect Humphrey and Sutton to be in Moehrig’s face when the Broncos hand him the ball.

“That No. 7 (Moehrig) is a really good strength, physical player for them,” Payton said. “When you’re in a running situation, he’s going to come up closer to the ball.”

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Rewind to Javonte Williams’ touchdown last week against Atlanta, when a bunch of Broncos literally lifted him off his feed and shoved him into the end zone. Keep an eye on Humphrey during this play. Not only is he hungry and determined to block and push Williams into the end zone, but when the Broncos took over and he broke the plane, no one was as excited as Humphrey.

Coaches love this stuff. He’s a football player. Humphrey may not be the most polished and explosive receiver, but he’s a great glue guy, very smart, and brings enough to the table as a pass catcher to be useful to the Broncos.

The Broncos have had Josh Reynolds fully participating in practice for the past two weeks, and they are still dragging their feet on officially activating him off injured reserve. Reynolds was excluded of Sunday’s game against the Raiders. I have a sneaking suspicion that Humphrey’s role and value to coaches has something to do with it.

On the season, Humphrey has 27 receptions for 263 yards and a touchdown, which he caught last week on an underhanded pass he took to the house.

So while Humphrey sometimes leaves a lot to be desired as a receiver, try to remember that what the Broncos are asking of him is much more than just catching passes. This is not to excuse falls or any form of ball insecurity, but it is much more valuable to this operation than it might first appear.

Humphrey was heavily involved in Denver’s scoring onslaught last week. Hopefully this continues in the new Black Hole.

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