The Denver Broncos travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on Monday night, and they released their Week One depth chart today. While it was mostly cut and dry with very few surprises, one position did include a surprising starter.
Marvin Mims Jr. was listed as a starting receiver alongside Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. Meanwhile, second-year receiver Pat Bryant, who was lauded as one of the Broncos’ top performers throughout training camp, was listed as Sutton’s backup.
While it could be nothing more than a veteran getting the nod in a close competition, it didn’t seem like much of a close competition if you listened to the noise coming out of Broncos training camp. The noise was coming from the most reputable source in the building, too.
“His consistency; he has really strong hands,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Bryant last month. “I’ve said this before, if you watch tape and you’re looking at it, rarely does he have to leave his feet to make a clean catch. Even if you just skip to catch it, at that moment, everyone’s moving and you’re kind of frozen, and rarely does he do that.”
He also added, “So his yards-after-catch are noticeably different because his feet are on the ground as he runs through a ball. He’s smart, he’s sudden, he’s big. He’s having a heck of a camp. You guys have seen it, and it’s been consistent. He’s super intelligent. It’s really important to him, and I like his size.”
Chad Jensen of Sports Illustrated is also buying the hype. He named Bryant as the player he sees breaking out for Denver this season.
“I vacillated here on whether it would be Bryant or rookie running back Jonah Coleman, but I ultimately went with the second-year wideout. The reason is that Coleman’s path to enough playing time to truly break out will be contingent on the health of two players above him,” Jensen wrote. “Bryant, meanwhile, is already set to see the field often as the No. 3 receiver between Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Based on what we saw from Bryant this summer — emerging as the star of training camp — there’s every reason to believe a breakout is on the horizon.”
While it’s still safe to assume that Bryant’s role could expand as the season progresses, it’s still surprising to see Mims ahead of him early on.
Some Thought Marvin Mims Jr.’s Roster Spot Might Be In Jeopardy
As long as Mims was on the roster, he was always destined to play a key role in the return game. He has earned All-Pro nods in back-to-back seasons, and led the league with 15.7 yards per punt return last season. He’s downright dominant on special teams.
His skills in the third phase made him far too valuable to be a cut candidate, but some thought the team would consider shipping him out of town ahead of roster cut-down day. The fact of the matter is Denver has a loaded group of playmakers at receiver. Mims hasn’t exactly progressed in that area since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2023. In fact, he’s regressed there, finishing with nearly 200 fewer yards last season (322) than in 2024 (503).
Between Sutton, Waddle, Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Sean Payton’s never-ending infatuation with Lil’Jordan Humphrey, they have a lot of options at receiver. Trading Mims on the final year of his rookie contract wouldn’t have been a wise move (based on his return skills), but crazier things have certainly happened.
Pat Bryant Is Still Expected To Have A Massive Breakout Season
All things considered, Mims shouldn’t provide much resistance at slowing Bryant’s rise. It’s safe to assume that the veteran return man will have a bigger role than some expected (at least early on in the season), but they bring vastly different elements to the offense.
Mims can take the top off the defense, but they preferred utilizing him on underneath passes last season. Meanwhile, Bryant is a big-bodied possession receiver who can consistently win at the catch point. Both players are basically the poor man’s version (at least at this stage of their careers) of Waddle and Sutton.
For what it’s worth, Payton has historically preferred the big-bodied receivers who can win when the ball is in the air. There’s reason to believe Bryant could be his next Marques Colston, and that belief isn’t hindered by their opening week depth chart.
Denver Broncos Week One Depth Chart Includes A Huge Surprise At WR