Denver Broncos third-round wideout Pat Bryant made some waves two weeks back by catching a pass against first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron in one-on-one coverage. Media onlookers raised their eyebrows and took note of Bryant's victory over Barron during Broncos rookie minicamp.
Fast forward to this week, and 9NEWS' Mike Klis released an interview he had with Bryant at his locker, getting additional insight from the rookie wideout on making that catch against his team's first-round pick. Bryant didn't make too much about it, tipping his cap to Barron as a "great player," and sharing his appreciation for the young cornerback.
“A great rep. Iron sharpens iron. Going against a great guy like that, at the end of the day, we both got better," Bryant told Klis. "We took care of each other. He could have easily taken me to the ground and ripped the ball out. But like I said, iron sharpens iron. Going against a great guy like that, can’t do nothing but get better.”
Broncos Country remember that Biblical maxim fondly from Gary Kubiak's first year as head coach back in 2015. The 'Iron Sharpens Iron' phrase could be seen all over the building at Broncos HQ and on staff and player T-shirts.
The ethos served Kubiak's Broncos well, as they won the Super Bowl that year, vanquishing the heavily favored Carolina Panthers on the way to securing their third Lombardi Trophy in team history. 'Iron Sharpens Iron' has since seen common usage throughout sports culture, but especially football.
Kubiak isn't credited with beginning the proverb's usage in football, but he certainly helped popularize it. It's a perfect metaphor for the game of football and team sports, after all.
Bryant and Barron will continue to collide and clash with each other on the practice field, but it will only sharpen their skill sets and make them better as individual players when the season rolls around. The Broncos will continue the next stretch of their offseason training program with voluntary minicamp on May 27-29.
That's when the rookies will be exposed to the veterans in the meeting room and on the practice field. And the Broncos will begin to get a clearer picture of how the roster is shaping up after all the personnel losses and acquisitions during the offseason.
Bryant is learning that the NFL is a business, and as such, the players who approach it with a professional mindset and become detail-oriented are able to separate themselves from the pack.
“At this league, everybody’s good. So at the end of the day, getting down to those small details, that separates great players from good players," Bryant told Klis. "Sean Payton, after every play, he stops us and gives us small details, especially certain route-running.”
Payton is definitely a devil's-in-the-details kind of coach. It's shaped him into one of the most successful coaches of the modern era. Kudos to Bryant for recognizing the importance of the nuances and for embracing them.
Bryant will be joining Nix and the Broncos' quarterbacks and pass-catchers at a passing retreat this offseason. It's unclear exactly when that'll take place, but it'll give the rookie some extra reps and opportunities to form some chemistry with Nix before training camp starts in late July.
Bryant might not be the fastest receiver from the 2025 draft class, but everything else about him, including his 6-foot02 size, physicality, hands, character, and football IQ, is tailor-made for a Payton offense. Get ready to see Bryant featured early and often as a reliable target for Bo Nix in 2025.
And don't overlook Bryant's 'my ball' mentality, which was on display in that victorious rep vs. his fellow rookie teammate.
“When the ball is in the air, it’s mine," Bryant said on May 10. "Those are the catches that I have to make to be successful at this level.”
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