ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Practice didn't start the way second-round pick Dalton Risner would've hoped.

On the first play of team-period drills on Saturday, the rookie offensive lineman got bull-rushed by a defensive lineman into the backfield — and right into Joe Flacco.

"When you get bull-rushed like that," Risner said after practice, "it teaches you to not [expose] your chest and keep your hands tight and not to let that happen again."

Risner kept his hands tight and his chest guarded for the rest of practice, and he was able to make it the rest of Saturday's practice without a similar incident.

And that recovery is how the Kansas State product will choose to remember Saturday's practice.

"I'm learning — and I'm learning by failing," said Risner after the Broncos' first practice in full pads. "I'm not failing on every play, but I'm learning by failing, so it's going to be good. Just got to keep going."

Risner, who has worked at left guard with the first-team offensive line since he was drafted in April, knows some failure is inevitable against the Broncos' defense.

"I get a chance to go against Von or Chubb or Adam Gotsis or Derek Wolfe — those guys, I'm going to go out on game day and I'm going to feel pretty ready to go play anyone else, because I'm going against some of the best in the country," Risner said. "I don't get sick of going against them. Am I excited when I see Derek Wolfe come at me? No, I'm not excited. But going against guys like that get me a lot better. And me and Adam Gotsis go at it 95 percent of the time, and he gets me better every single time. So I'm grateful for him."

Risner also isn't above learning from the men he plays alongside on the offensive line.

"I just think it's really important to realize that I have no experience in the NFL," Risner said. "Ron Leary has about eight years [experience]. Ja'Wuan James is one of the highest-paid right tackles in the NFL. Connor McGovern has been in here for four years. Garett was a first-round pick two years ago. I'm surrounded by a lot of guys that have played in the NFL for a while, and I might as well soak as much of that up as I can.