Last season, South Carolina tight end Nate Adkins signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos at the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was overlooked by many and seemed like a longshot to make the roster but the undrafted rookie turned some heads. What stood out was his blocking skills, which is something head coach Sean Payton values, and Adkins made a serious case to make the Broncos 53-man roster. After a strong training camp and preseason, Adkins made the 53-man roster over the likes of Albert Okwuegbunam because of his ability to block and play special teams.