Even though the Denver Broncos have plenty of potential in their wide receiver room, they need someone to step up as the second receiver opposite Courtland Sutton. With plenty of options, who is the best bet?
The player that everyone expects to take the job is 2024 seventh-round pick Devaughn Vele. It comes after a rookie season where Vele had the most production from a seventh-round pick since Sean Payton's former receiver in New Orleans, Marques Colston.
Vele played 470 snaps, with 297 of them coming from the slot, as Payton has tended to prefer bigger receivers as his slot receiver. Overall, Vele went for 475 yards and three touchdowns, while catching nine of 15 contested catches, but also dropped four passes on his 56 targets.
With what Vele showed working out of the slot, that could keep him from being the other boundary receiver, but he also showed enough versatility to move around the formation. The bigger factors that could prevent him from winning the job are the issues with drops he experienced last year, as well as injuries, given that he has already missed time this offseason due to a lower leg injury.
Denver also invested a third-round pick this year in Pat Bryant, who many questioned as a reach. However, Payton quickly came to his defense and talked about how he reminds him of Michael Thomas, who became one of the best receivers in the NFL under Payton in New Orleans.
It would be a surprise to see Bryant win the job as a rookie, especially given the complexity of the Payton offense. That said, Bryant is praised for his football IQ, among many other things, which can help him pick up the offense, as has reportedly been the case based on early reports from mini-camp and OTAs.
Bryant also has the versatility to line up in the slot and on the boundary, which could lead Payton to use both Vele and Bryant from both spots in an attempt to get favorable matchups. This all depends on whether Bryant can match the hype he has generated from the offseason workouts when training camp and preseason action begin.
Two other receivers have a shot at winning the job, but they seem less likely for different reasons: Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin. Denver also has Trent Sherfield, but he was brought in more for special teams. Being a veteran with 2,323 total snaps in seven seasons makes it clear he is a special-teams player.
In the case of Mims, he is an All-Pro returner for kick and punt returns, and his value in this area may limit his usage on offense. Additionally, Mims has developed into a versatile gadget player for offense, capable of moving around the formation and being utilized in various ways. As a result, it is challenging for that style of play to be relegated to the second receiver position in the room.
Franklin has received hype and praise from Payton over the offseason activities, but there was a lot he needed to work on. His route running, ball tracking, and pure catching ability were all issues last season. With that much to work on, it’ll be hard for him to take the second spot, and instead, he may find himself as the fourth or fifth receiver with a situational role.
The battle is mainly between Vele and Bryant, barring one of the other receivers making surges in their development to take the job. However, no matter who wins, Payton will rotate his receivers to use them in a variety of ways, keeping defenses on their toes and securing favorable matchups for his quarterback, Bo Nix, to take advantage of.
