ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Another day, another Jonathon Cooper standout play.
In early 11-on-11 action on Wednesday, Cooper barreled into the Broncos' backfield for a would-be sack.
And that was just the latest play in a series of productive days for Cooper, who has seemingly made a noticeable stop or two during each training camp practice. A day earlier, Cooper recorded multiple tackles for losses. Whether in the run game or rushing the passer, Cooper has showed the traits that helped him record a career-high 10.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits in 2024.
"Since I've been here, Coop's been the same," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said Wednesday. "No one's noticed, I guess, but I've said it 85 times about Cooper. He was our best guy when I first got here. He's consistent, [and] he's the same guy every single day. He's the fire-starter for our defense. He's physical. He's a better rusher than people think he is. He's a really good football player. … He is one of the guys that sets an example every single day."
Joseph acknowledged the sort of consistency Cooper has displayed isn't easy to produce, particularly while playing along the line of scrimmage.
"That's hard, especially up front, because it's physically taxing to play that hard and play that fast every single day," Joseph said. "But he does it. Whether he's feeling good or not, he's the same guy every single day. That's a dream for a coach."
As the Broncos continue training camp, Cooper continues to stand out as one of the most consistent players on the field.
NIX AND SUTTON CONNECT
After Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton just missed connecting on a couple of passes during Saturday's preseason opener, Sutton hauled in several passes from his quarterback on Wednesday.
He snagged a pair of passes during 11-on-11 action, including a contested intermediate catch along the sideline. Later, Nix fit a pass into Sutton in the end zone while the Broncos worked close to the goal line.
The Broncos' first-team unit only ran a handful of passing plays on Wednesday, but Sutton was a frequent target.
QUICK HITS
… As Joseph reviewed the film from Denver's win over the 49ers, he said the adversity the first-team unit faced was actually a welcome test.
"I liked that a little bit, because that's what training camp's for, to see if we can bounce back from adversity," Joseph said. "In this league, playing great defense, it's slippery. It's a missed tackle, it's one blown coverage, it's someone falling down. You have to experience those things in preseason to kind of get used to them in the fall. I was hoping for some adversity in that game on Saturday. Obviously, we had good practice against those guys on Thursday. That was good work. But you can't simulate games. … The game is a true indication of how you've got to be detailed in your assignments and tackling and everything around you to be a dominant defense. It's so slippery. One play can break it."
… The Broncos' second- and third-team units saw a bit more full-speed action late in practice, and Jarrett Stidham connected with rookie Pat Bryant for one of the longer completions of the day.
… Cornerback Pat Surtain II recorded an end-zone pass breakup, and he continues to serve as an example for other players on the field.
"Pat's a great person, a great teammate, great leader," Joseph said. "He does things right in the classroom, on the field, [in the] offseason. He's a great example of what they should be. They should follow him."
