In a media appearance back in February, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton pushed back against the trope that his team is lacking in wide receiver firepower. After all, Bo Nix passed for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns as a rookie, with Courtland Sutton exceeding the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career.
Devaughn Vele — a 2024 seventh-round pick — became a reliable starter with a knack for moving the chains and making tough catches in critical situations. Marvin Mims Jr. came on strong down the stretch as a more reliable weapon in Nix's arsenal, while Troy Franklin — a 2024 fourth-round pick — had his moments, too.
Beyond Sutton, the Broncos have little by way of proven production at wide receiver. But the team is rich in potential.
"We drafted two receivers last year. The good news is, after their first year, we really like their progress," Payton said on Thursday. "Just take Marvin for a second from Year 1 to Year 2. We saw the return ability, and we saw glimpses of it in his rookie year. [He had] more production obviously in his second year. Troy, the same way. [He] came in, picked things up. Courtland is such a positive role model and leader for these guys. Vele, I could even hit on all these guys, just relative to our overall depth."
With the NFL draft approaching in four days, Payton wouldn't rule out a wide receiver in Round 1, his satisfaction with the Broncos' current room notwithstanding.
“We’re going to add numbers to the position when you look at what we take to training camp, whether that’s through the draft or free agency. I would say we’re happy with the two we selected a year ago, the one we selected two years ago and the guys that are already here," Payton said. "Now, if one of those players arrives in a round where we’re looking at it, that’s the trick to this."
At this stage, Payton is cognizant of the inherant risk of fixating too much on one prospect or position in the draft, which can lead to the dreaded 'reach.' Another way of saying it is 'over-drafting' a player at a specific position due to the virulent NFL virus known as myopia.
For the Broncos head coach, it all comes down to value, though Payton has been know to fall in love with prospects in the draft, and move mountains to ensure he lands them.
"You can target guys sometimes. We’re all guilty of really liking a player and then trying to… But let’s not bypass the crystal for a blender if we need a blender," Payton said. "So I think you’re still looking at value. It’s the value-need discussion, and I think that exists in every draft room today."
Payton likes his current wide receiver room, but that has never meant that the Broncos won't ever add to it in one form or another before training camp. What Nix needs most is talent around him.
Thanks to Payton's vision for team-building, Nix inherited a top one or two offensive line in the NFL. As a rookie, Nix did much to make life easier on his starting five, and that's one of his attributes the Broncos coveted in last year's draft. Payton called Nix a "tough sack."
Beyond the 10 wins and a playoff berth that Nix delivered in Year 1, the next-best harbinger pointing to him being Denver's long-term solution at quarterback is how he raised the ceiling for the wide receivers around him.
A rising tide raises all ships.
That's what Nix did last year, with the expert help of Sutton's leadership. That year together could be a force-multiplier for Nix and company in 2025, but what could really accelerate this offense's ascension is more talent added to the arsenal.
Wide receiver shouldn't be off Denver's board, even though running back and tight end seem to be more dire, in terms of need. In fact, it would be a shock if the Broncos don't emerge from this draft haul with at least one wideout, even if it's not in Round 1.
There are a number of good young receivers in this draft, and we’ll see how that unfolds," Payton said. "I do feel good about that group we have, and I think that they’ve shown, obviously, last season, the jump we took offensively from where we were at to scoring on offense and all of those things. Obviously, the addition of Bo, those all contribute to that.”
Who would have guessed one year ago that the Broncos would have finished with a top-15 offense and a top-10 defense? Some may have predicted the defense, but entering the top-15 offensively with a rookie quarterback was an amazing feat by Payton and Nix.
And they're just getting started.
Let's not forget that five of the 24 visits the Broncos had leading up to the draft were with wide receivers, two of whom are viewed as first-rounders. The NFL draft kicks off on Thursday, April 24, from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
