Although Courtland Sutton extension talks are underway, the Broncos’ No. 1 wide receiver is heading into a contract year and an age-30 season. The team, which traded Jerry Jeudy for two Day 3 picks last year, has not seen a consistent option emerge beyond its veteran leader — a holdover from John Elway‘s GM tenure. As the draft approaches, many are mocking skill-position players to Denver early.
The Broncos would also could be a player for one of the veterans still on the free agency board. Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett will likely wait until depth charts become clearer after the draft (and the compensatory deadline) passes, but with the Broncos having a few rookie-contract wideouts supplementing Sutton, they profile as a candidate for a rental complementary option. They were in the Cooper Kupp and Stefon Diggs markets, though it never sounded as though serious talks took place.
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Entering the draft, Sean Payton said the Broncos “add numbers to the position” — be it through the draft or free agency. Denver will assuredly include some receivers in its UDFA class, but it would surprise if a notable addition did not take place as well. Broncos fans will soon see how the team feels about the trajectories of Marvin Mims and 2024 draftees Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele.
Payton praised Vele and Franklin’s progress, via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson; a veteran addition or an early-round pick would stand to threaten the roles of those second-year players, as the team has Mims ticketed for a regular role after the two-time All-Pro returner showed considerable promise as a receiver late last season.
Nevertheless, the Broncos have met with Texas’ Matthew Golden and Missouri’s Luther Burden. They also are committed to adding to their running back group. The team’s confidence in its young WR cadre may well send a running back to Denver earlier. The team has met with Omarion Hampton — PFR’s Broncos selection at No. 20 — along with Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and both Ohio State RB products (Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson).
Payton’s past with the Saints also featured a bevy of RB investments compared to top-heavy WR depth charts. The Saints drafted Reggie Bush and Mark Ingram in the first round and later paid Ingram and extended Alvin Kamara. Notable WR payments did take place (Marques Colston, Michael Thomas) under Payton, and the team did use a first-round pick on Brandin Cooks, but beyond the one-season Thomas-Cooks overlap, Payton’s teams did not overinvest at receiver.
Will the Broncos pass on an early-round Sutton sidekick next week? One move that would be a Payton first: trading down. Payton has never traded down in Round 1 (h/t the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel). Despite the rumblings about a running back or receiver addition early, a rumor about the Broncos devoting more resources on defense — even after the Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga signings — emerged as well, as smokescreen season runs wild.
The Broncos also lessened their tight end need by outmaneuvering the Chargers for Evan Engram. The former first-rounder’s agent said (via Gabriel) the recent Jaguars cap casualty viewed Bo Nix as a key driver for his signing, even as he considered other teams — the Bolts among them — with solid QB situations. Nix’s rookie contract runs through 2027, and his extension window does not open until after Engram’s contract expires.
Engram’s two-year, $23MM deal includes $16.5MM guaranteed at signing, likely tying the Broncos to their new TE1 for his age-31 and age-32 seasons. While the team could add at tight end as well in this draft, Engram’s presence would allow for patience.
Payton just collects receivers.
Denver really doesn’t need any, but this IS his modus operandi. Vele played very well last year, Mims carved out his role on offense, and Franklin got in enough plays to be a regular contributor behind them. Franklin did have a few bad mistakes, and he hasn’t made anybody feel that he’s a for sure starter, but the snaps look pretty meted out between those three guys and Sutton as a number one.
I’ve also seen that the Broncos apparently want another running back. Sure, they could benefit from a workhorse, but they’re running a platoon style system with Estime, MacLaughlin, and Watson. They just let Williams walk. Payton probably wants another back to seize that role, but like receiver, Denver could go into next year with those guys and have a full rotation, too. I wouldn’t rank it as a top need, given the bodies that they have there.
I’d rather see them add a tight end. Signing Engram gives me the Broncos a receiving option at that spot, but having another player in the wings for the future seems like a more productive addition than a fifth receiver or a fourth running back. The other thing that they could use on offense is a younger tackle option. Bolles is getting up there and it’s never too early to start grooming or trying to discover a successor, in case of injury or drop off. Tackles can be hard to find, and makes sense to start looking on the cheap through the draft. On defense, well, end and off ball linebacker seem like good picks to me, but I won’t get too into that right now.
In any case, I fully expect Payton to keep adding receivers and backs, because that’s what he does. It’s worked well for him, so you can’t knock it too much. However, there are a couple of other positions that I think that Denver could benefit from adding around the team other than those.
I’d be shocked if Denver didn’t draft a RB in the first 4 rounds