It’s not a big secret that the Denver Broncos have done almost everything they can the last few years — with a lot of financial hurdles to clear — to get a legitimate second wide receiver option behind Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton.
That’s meant a lot of stops and starts in that time, although things might be clearing up at the best possible time.
The Locked on Broncos podcast made the astute observation the role of WR2 seems like it’s getting claimed by rookie Pat Bryant, who has seen his role increase down the stretch.
The Broncos are 11-2 and on a 10-game winning streak headed into the final 4 games of the regular season — home games against the Green Bay Packers (Week 14), Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 16) and Los Angeles Chargers (Week 18) along with a Christmas Night game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
From Locked on Broncos: “Pat Bryant has now seemingly, over the last three weeks become the second wide receiver … he is taking over an increased snap count over some other wide receivers that have been heavily in the rotation. We’re seeing the trust factor increase. It feels like the coaching staff trusts Bryant and that trust between he and Bo Nix is also growing and evolving week after week. But it’s not like he buys into his own hype. He just goes out there and works.”
Bryant Could Be Steal of 2025 Draft Class
Bryant, 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, has drawn comparisons to the best wide receiver Payton has drafted in 2 decades as an NFL head coach.
In 2016, Payton selected Ohio State’s Michael Thomas in the second round (No. 47 overall) — 3 years later Thomas was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year after setting the NFL single-season record with 149 receptions to go with 1,725 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns.
The fact Bryant was available in the third round boils down to about a tenth of a second — concerns he was a step slow with a 40-yard dash time of 4.61 seconds. That lack of speed actually had him projected to be taken much later in the draft.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Bryant as a sixth round pick.
“Bryant has good size but lacks suddenness and pure vertical gas,” Zierlein wrote. ” … Bryant has average play strength but musters it all when competing for the catch … the ball skills are superior, but he needs to prove he can find ways to uncover against NFL press coverage to become more than a downfield target with backup value.”
Broncos Turning More and More to Bryant
While Bryant’s numbers don’t jump off the page — he has 22 receptions for 305 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 target in 13 games — a closer look speaks to his increased role.
In the first 6 games of the season, Bryant had just 4 receptions for 40 yards on 6 targets. In the last 7 games he has 18 receptions for 265 yards ad 1 touchdown on 31 targets.
Most of that extra work has come at the expense of second year wide receiver Troy Franklin, who has 51 receptions for 541 yards and 5 touchdowns.
“Pat Bryant is a veteran receiver disguised as a rookie,” Bleav Network’s Patrick Chiotti wrote on his official X account on December 8.
Third Round Pick ‘Taking Over’ Crucial Role for Broncos