The first time Gavin Locklear shook hands with Justin Joly, his entire hand disappeared.

Locklear is the tight ends coach at North Carolina State. In January 2024, he greeted Joly, a tight end who had transferred from Connecticut to play his final two seasons with the Wolfpack.

“I promise you, I won’t ever forget shaking his hand for the first time,” Locklear told The Denver Gazette with a laugh. “His hands are ginormous and he just engulfs your hand. And at the same time, he looks you dead in the eyes and he’s going to put this death grip on your hand. He almost tried to crush my hand.”

Joly is bringing his big mitts to Denver, starting with a May 8-10 rookie minicamp. The Broncos selected him in the fifth round of the NFL draft last Saturday.

Joly, 21, still needs work on his blocking but his receiving skills are intriguing.…