The Denver Broncos have a good problem on their hands as the team prepares for the start of NFL Training Camp here in the next few weeks. With a number of position battles on deck, wide receiver could be one of the most important ones of the offseason. What does the depth look like, and how many receivers might Denver keep?
Denver Broncos wide receiver room features proven players and untapped potential
Courtland Sutton is the Denver Broncos top wide receiving option entering this upcoming season. Despite the offseason storyline of Sutton wanting more money, which he rightfully deserves, there’s no denying that he’ll help elevate whichever quarterback is on the field. He’ll headline this year’s group of receivers that aim to have a big impact in an effort to make the Broncos offense more competitive and less one-dimensional.
Sutton is one of three players with proven NFL production that will headline the position room. The other two players are Tim Patrick and Josh Reynolds. Patrick is making his return after two consecutive injuries in training camp, and because of those injuries, most pundits will overlook him going into this season. In OTAs and minicamp, Patrick looked like his old self, running crisp routes, catching passes across the middle of the field, and essentially showcasing that he’s QB-proof because he did all of that hauling in passes from Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson. If he can stay healthy and make it to the regular season, he’ll have an impactful role inside Payton’s offense.
Reynolds could end up being the Broncos’ most under-the-radar signing of the offseason. He was extremely consistent and reliable during early summer practices and caught nearly everything thrown his way. His track record of being a reliable pass catcher could continue. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of 90.2 when targeting him in 2021, 99.5 in 2022, and 113.3 in 2023, according to Pro Football Reference. If Sutton and Patrick emerge as the top two options at receiver and draw the attention of most defensive coordinators, Reynolds could be the perfect candidate to be the clean-up guy on third-down situations or in the red zone.
Marvin Mims headlines the fourth player at the position that has all of the potential in the world, but it’s still untapped. Broncos fans saw exactly what he could do early on in 2023, but his utilization dropped in the offense, which Payton acknowledged was on him and the staff. With Payton making a more concerted effort to get him the football, he could be the ultimate game-changer for them with his deep field speed and against soft spots in zone coverage as a yard after the catch threat. The early returns from OTAs showed promise in this area, and it feels like Denver’s top four receivers are set in stone. What does this mean for the depth behind them?
Denver Broncos depth at WR features potential
Behind Sutton, Patrick, Reynolds, and Mims, there is a lot of opportunity for a handful of receivers to make the team. With the NFL’s emphasis on keeping the return element in the game, it could impact whether or not Denver keeps five, six, or seven receivers on the active roster.
The depth behind Denver’s perceived top four is wide open.
Jalen Virgil is returning to camp after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason last year, where he was very much on track to make the team’s 53-man roster for the second consecutive year. Virgil put on some muscle mass in his upper body and still seems to have the same speed he did as a rookie. He looked solid during OTAs.
Veteran Phillip Dorsett has a body type that mimics Marvin Mims. He caught several passes from various QBs during the team’s offseason program and will be an under-the-radar name to watch for during training camp.
Michael Bandy spent most of last season on the team’s practice squad and turned in a quietly impressive OTA performance. He caught several passes from QBs during the team’s practices that were open to the media and they weren’t just short or intermediate passes. Bandy did some damage with catches in the ranges of 15-20 yards. He’ll fight for a roster spot.
Rookie draft picks Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele had some moments during OTAs, but with there being a significant amount of reps being split amongst the 12 total receivers on the roster, it’s hard to truly evaluate where they stand going into training camp. Franklin caught a touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham on the final day of mandatory minicamp, and Vele had several impressive catch and runs underneath. They’ll be names to watch during training camp.
Brandon Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey are names who are returning to training camp from last season. With the additions of Vele and Franklin and the return of Sutton and Patrick, these two players have fallen under the radar from a lot of people’s considerations, but they turned in some strong performances during OTAs. Johnson, who hauled in four touchdowns on offense last season, put together a steady performance early in the summer. He caught every pass thrown his way and moved the chains on several of them during the various team periods the Broncos ran. Humphrey had some solid days of practice as well but also had a noted day of practice where he struggled with drops. You can make an argument that Humphey’s one of the team’s best blocking receivers, but he’ll need to make plays in the passing game in training camp if he wants to make a strong case for the 53.
David Sills rounds out the final receiver on the roster going into camp. Outside of the top four receivers mentioned, Sills was probably the most consistent player on a daily basis at practice, running his routes and hitting his landmarks how passing game coordinator John Morton wants him to, and catching nearly every pass thrown his way. He had one of the more impressive catches of the offseason program against Riley Moss, coming back to the football and high-pointing it near the sideline and keeping both feet in bounds. He may not be the fastest or most explosive, but fundamentally, Sills stood out in a massive way.
Who makes the Broncos 53-man roster?
With Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims headlining the team’s top four depth options and appearing like roster locks, how many other spots will Denver keep at wide receiver going into the regular season.
My projection is that they’ll keep six players. Sutton, Patrick, Reynolds, and Mims make up four. Troy Franklin and Jalen Virgil are the two names I project will make up the roster if they keep six players. This opens things up for Denver to bring back players like Devaughn Vele, Phillip Dorsett, David Sills, and Michael Bandy to the practice squad.
Brandon Johnson is a name I’d consider having on the practice squad, but I believe he’ll end up on another roster after the preseason begins, and he’ll get more opportunities elsewhere. It’s hard to say how things will play out during training camp and the preseason, but the biggest hope is that the Denver Broncos receiver room can stay healthy leading up to the regular season.