Last year, the Denver Broncos wide receiving group received an immense amount of criticism for the great amount of talent that the group possessed. While the offense itself certainly had a down year, the wide receivers were not without blame, underperforming as a group.
Demaryius Thomas, the team’s No. 1 player, at least according to salary, recorded a great statistical season — hauling in 105 passes for 1,304 yards with 6 touchdowns. However, Thomas seemed to play with lackluster effort, dropped too many passes and had terrible statistics in the playoffs, especially for a player of his caliber. There has been talk of trading him to dump his $14 million annual salary, but the chances of that happening are close to zero. Barring a blockbuster move, the Broncos will have this top-10 receiver lining up in orange and blue next year.
Not only do the Broncos have a great No. 1 receiver, they have one of the best, if not the best, No. 2 receivers in the league, Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders, a fan favorite, continues to be the heart and soul of this offense and will certainly play a major role in helping it find its new identity next year.
After the top two, the Broncos receiving group is wide open. Cody Latimer has a chance to develop, but has been a major disappointment his first two seasons in the league. The Broncos re-signed Jordan Norwood, with the potential of being a great special teams player, but he’ll get his shot at the No. 3 job, too.
Finally, Peyton Manning gave his praise to practice-squad player Jordan Taylor, but at the end of the day, Taylor has a long way to come if he’s going to have an impact on the Broncos next year.
The top two receivers are no doubt locks for the team, but outside of them, there is plenty of room for change and addition to the group.
It would be a big surprise if the Broncos used an early-round pick on a receiver, but during the draft, anything is possible — Tim Tebow, anyone? Here are five receivers that the Broncos could target come draft day:
5. Michael Thomas
Experience: Junior School: Ohio State
Height/Weight: 6-3/212 Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
Career Stats: 113 receptions; 1,602 yards; 18 touchdowns
This pick would be a little bit of a shock given the round they would have to pick Michael Thomas in, but it would make some sense. Thomas has the talent of a potential first0round pick, but will most likely fall to the second or even third round. This could be a great selection if the Broncos were able to draft him at the end of the third.
Thomas has many similar qualities to Demaryius Thomas, besides just the same last name. Michael has ideal height, weight and physical capabilities, as well as overall talent. At Ohio State, Michael was the best wide receiver two years in a row on a team with a very talented group of NFL-caliber wideouts.
Michael performed well at Ohio State, but was given limited opportunities to truly show off his talent. He uses his big body to his advantage, being able to get jump balls and control defenders when engaged. Scouts believe he has the potential to be a No. 1 receiver in the league; however, his floor is lower than most second- to third-round picks as well.
The biggest downfall with Michael would be letting his head get in the way of his play. Like Demaryius, Michael seems to overthink the game while playing, which can lead to mental mistakes. Michael wasn’t asked to do much in college, and because of that, he has a much steeper learning curve than other prospects similar to him.
If the Broncos were able to draft Michael Thomas at the right time, he could be an excellent value for years to come. He would have an opportunity to not only play, but also be a top receiver on this team. The Broncos could look at Michael as a replacement for Demaryius if he is able to live up to his potential.
4. Nelson Spruce
Experience: Senior School: Colorado
Height/Weight: 6-1/206 Projected Round: 7th—Undrafted
Career Stats: 294 receptions; 3,347 yards; 23 touchdowns
The Broncos have not shied away from bringing in local Colorado talent and giving them a chance in the NFL, so picking up Nelson Spruce would come as no surprise. Spruce, a standout receiver from CU, is the only player in CU history to have multiple 1,000 yard seasons, with 106 receptions for 1,998 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior season.
Excelling at CU was even more impressive given the lack of talent that surrounded him. Spruce is an experienced player that is very dependable, precise route-runner and polished. If there were an all-star team for fundamentals, Spruce would top the list.
Spruce uses his quickness, footwork and awareness to find soft spots in the defense, which leaves him open consistently. Because of his ability to work the middle of the field, he will be best fit as a possession receiver.
What makes Spruce fall to the end of the draft, or even undrafted, is his lack of athletic ability and physical traits. A concern is that Spruce has become so good purely off of his fundamentals that his athletic ability will be drastically lower than that of the NFL talent. Since physical stature cannot really be coached, Spruce will be looked at as someone with a low ceiling in the league.
The Broncos picked up former CSU Rams Kapri Bibbs and Shaquil Barrett as undrafted free agents the past few years and could very well do the same with Spruce. However, the Broncos could also use one of their three 7th round picks on him. He could become a good slot receiver option for the Broncos if given an opportunity.
3. De’Runnya Wilson
Experience: Junior School: Mississippi State
Height/Weight: 6-5/224 Projected Round: 6
Career Stats: 132 receptions; 1,936 yards; 22 touchdowns
De’Runnya Wilson enters the NFL as a fantastic athlete with massive size. Wilson matched his size with very good productivity at Mississippi State, playing against SEC talent. In his three years in college, he played and showed improvement each year.
In college, Wilson utilized his size and athleticism to his advantage and scouts believe this would carry over to the NFL. He would be a very good redzone threat, great with jump balls and has a very good catch radius. In his final year in college, 77 percent of his catches went for first downs.
Wilson has proven to be solid as a run blocker, using his size, strength and hands to control defensive backs. It is hard to play press coverage on Wilson, not only because of his size, but because he is fairly quick off of the line as well.
The downside with Wilson is he still has a lot to work on. He is not a polished player and can work on his fundamentals. Ironically, for a guy with “run” in his name, he is not a fast wide receiver, only posting a 4.78 40-yard dash. Wilson can look mechanical while running routes, which makes it very predictable where he will be going. Wilson also has some character issues after being arrested for suspicion of marijuana possession.
If the Broncos wanted to pick up a very talented, project-type player, De’Runnya could be their man. He will not likely be chosen until the end of the draft and has a high ceiling with proper development.
2. Max McCaffrey
Experience: Senior School: Duke
Height/Weight: 6-2/194 Projected Round: 6—Undrafted
Career Statistics: 117 receptions; 1,341 yards; 12 touchdowns
Max McCaffrey — a name familiar to all Bronco fans because of his father Ed and brother Christian — would make a lot of sense in orange and blue. Not only would Elway be helping a former teammate by drafting his son, but he would be helping his football team become better by adding Max.
To understand the type of player Max could be in the NFL, one doesn’t have to look far. Max plays a very similar style as his successful father did in Denver. In a league where receivers have become divas, Max is about as tough as they get. This toughness translates on the field as he is will do anything asked of him, even if that means consistently going over the middle of the field.
Not only would Max bring a great mindset to the Broncos, but he has quality traits as well. Max did not attend the combine, but ran an unofficial 4.37 40-yard dash at his pro-day, which would have ranked third for wide receivers at the combine. Once he adds some weight to his frame, Max would have decent size to succeed in the NFL as well.
At Duke, Max didn’t compile many stats and his production was nothing to be blown away with.
Like his father, Max is a very smart player that would be viewed as a possession receiver. Before his excellent pro-day, Max was projected to be an undrafted free agent, but now could be drafted as high as the sixth round.
Depending on what plays out earlier in the draft, the Broncos could very well be adding another McCaffrey to the Broncos family.
1.Tajae Sharpe
Experience: Senior School: Massachusetts
Height/Weight: 6-2/194 Projected Round: 4-5
Career Stats: 277 receptions; 3486 yards; 16 touchdowns
Tajae Sharpe is not a household name, but he was one of the most productive receivers in the nation last year and throughout his career. Sharpe improved each year at Massachusetts and capped his career with 111 catches in 2015 and left the school with nearly every receiving record. He also led the nation with 9.3 receptions per game.
There are many positives about Sharpe that could allow him to become a very solid receiver in the league. He has great fundamentals, including route running, reliable hands, awareness, footwork and consistency. Sharpe is quick off of the line and can get to top speed fast, which allows him to be a deep threat as well very good on medium and short passes.
One of the best qualities of Sharpe is his mind. Coaches continuously praise his high football IQ as they say he taught them a lot about the game. He is also humble, coachable and a great teammate.
What causes Sharpe to drop to the fourth or fifth round is his speed and size. At 6-2, 194 Sharpe needs to add more weight and muscle to play at the NFL level, but this is very attainable.
Sharpe’s speed is the biggest question for him in the NFL. He only has average speed, which doesn’t allow him to get open at times and makes his big-play ability minimal. He also doesn’t do much after the catch due to his size and his lack of speed.
If Sharpe bulks up, which is very reasonable, especially for a player with his work ethic, he has a chance to be a very productive receiver in the NFL. He could see playing time his rookie year, but could see a significant increase in year two.
With Sharpe not expected to be drafted until the fourth or fifth round, the Broncos could get a great value player drafting him on day three.