Denver Broncos fans have been up in arms over veteran wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey as of late. Mostly due to dropped passes and fumbles, many in Broncos Country have questioned why Humphrey has been able to maintain a key offensive role.

Some have wondered if it’s a nepotism thing, given how Humphrey’s connection to Sean Payton goes all the way back to New Orleans. However, it’s clear the Broncos think very differently than fans do about Humphrey.

Payton’s explanation of one skill Humphrey brings to the table — his run blocking — made it clear why he’s still seeing the field a lot, even as his turnovers pile up.

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

The blocking on the perimeter must hold for the Broncos’ ground game to come alive and achieve its goal. Standing 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 necessary size on the outside.

“I think the first mistake receivers sometimes make when blocking on the perimeter is if they try to kick out or kick in instead of two-gap,” Payton said. “If you can’t block the power … And it can’t just be ‘LJ’ it has to be Sutton. If you can’t block the power, it’s going to be hard to run in this league or you get into the RPO game and then pretty soon it’s the PO game. There’s no ‘R’ for it.”

Payton pointed Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre’Von Moehrig as a player the Broncos must account for in the run game and when Bo Nix drops back to pass. Expect Humphrey and Sutton to be in Moehrig’s face when the Broncos leave the ball.

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

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Look back at Javonte Williams’ touchdown last week against Atlanta, when a pile of Broncos literally lifted him off his feed and drove him into the end zone. Keep an eye on Humphrey during that game. Not only is he hungry and committed to blocking and pushing Williams into the end zone, but when the Broncos won and he broke the plane, no one was more excited about it than Humphrey.

Coaches love that. It’s a football player. Humphrey may not be the most refined and explosive receiver, but he’s an excellent glue guy, very smart and brings enough to the table as a pass-catcher to be helpful for the Broncos.

The Broncos have had a fully participating Josh Reynolds back at practice for the past two weeks, and they’re still dragging their feet on officially activating him from injured reserve. Reynolds was ruled out of Sunday’s tilt at the Raiders. I have a sneaking suspicion that Humphrey’s role and value to the coaches has little to do with it.

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

So while Humphrey has left a lot to be desired at times as a receiver, try to remember that there’s a lot more to what the Broncos are asking of him than just catching passes. That’s not to excuse drops or any kind of ball security, but he’s far more valuable to this operation than meets the eye.

Humphrey was heavily involved in Denver’s scoring offense last week. Here’s to hoping that continues in the new Black Hole.

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