Can McTelvim Agim develop enough as a run defender to find more of a role in 2022?
The Denver Broncos used the 95th pick in the 2020 draft on Arkansas defensive lineman McTelvin Agim. Agim finished his college career with 14.5 sacks and 31.0 TFL’s along with 17 QB hurries, four passes broken up and six forced fumbles.
During his two NFL seasons, Agim has played 231 defensive snaps, made twelve tackles, generated six pressures and had 1.5 sacks (according to PFR) and one tackle for loss. According to SISdatahub.com, Agim has nine pressures and two passes batted down.
Player Profile
McTelvin Agim | Defensive Line | Broncos
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 309 pounds
Experience: 3rd NFL season
Age: 24 years old
Agim was drafted for his pass rush ability, but he has been an absolute disaster in run defense. His pressure rate in 2021 (11.3 percent – 6 pressures on 58 pass rush snaps – SIS) was quite good for a down lineman, but it was the 32 run snaps (in 2021) and the 77 run snaps in 2020 that have kept him off the field. His poor run defense has caused PFF to grade him at 47.1 and 43.4 over the last two seasons.
In 2020 with Agim in the game, the Broncos allowed 148 rushing yards on 34 carries (4.35 yards per carry). That is about what the team allowed on average on runs in 2021 (4.29), so why am I dogging him over his run stop performance? If he were better against the run, he would be used on more potential run downs (first and second) down, instead of how he was used in 2020 and 2021 (mostly on 3rd down). In 2020, his average depth of tackle was 2.6 yards. Meaning that on the few tackles that made in 2020 (eight) he was not stopping the ballcarrier near the line of scrimmage. For comparison, D.J. Jones, who was one of the best run stuffers in the NFL in 2021, had an average depth of tackle of 1.2 yards. Of course, Shelby Harris, the man who Agim could not unseat as the starter, had an average depth of tackle of of 3.2 in 2021.
Over the past two seasons, the Broncos have allowed 104 runs that gained ten or more yards. Despite only playing 109 run snaps, Agim has been on the field for twelve of those 104 long runs. Data here is culled from NFLGSIS.com. That’s fairly damning even if not all twelve of those runs were his fault. On the Devin Singletary 51-yard TD run shown in the video below, Agim actually has a chance to make a TFL, but whiffs on the tackle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNWTe2sEgpo&ab_channel=HighlightTemple
I couldn’t find any video clips of Agim getting demolished in the run game, but I remember making note of it during two games where he played on a significant number of run snaps (the blowout losses to the Raiders and Bills in 2020).
How does Agim fit with the 2022 Broncos?
The Broncos are thin on the defensive line. The current depth chart at ourlads.com shows Dre’Mont Jones, DJ Jones and DeShawn Williams as the starters with Jonathan Harris, Mike Purcell and McTelvin Agim as the second string. Williams played 386 defensive snaps in 2021 but had a worse average depth of tackle (3.4) and pressure rate (7.1 percent) than Agim. PFF liked Williams’ play better than Agim’s, grading DeShawn at 56.2 after he got a 76.6 grade in 2020. Agim would not have to upgrade his run defense much to unseat Williams as the starter at defensive end, but we have to remember the two defensive line players that the Broncos drafted in 2022.
Agim could end up losing his spot to either Eyioma Uwazurike, who the Broncos selected with the 116th pick this year, or Matt Henningsen, who the Broncos took with the 206th pick this year. Uwazurike has very similar college stats to Agim. Uwazurike was touted as a really strong run defender, so he apparently excels where Agim lacks.
We should also remember that Agim was drafted by the Fangio staff and never lived up to his draft expectations. The new defensive staff could either find a way to make him bloom, or kick him to the curb in favor of the two defensive linemen that they had a hand in drafting.