The Denver Broncos might have 2 wide receiver headliners in Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle— but what no one is really talking about is that another star might be waiting in the wings.
Behind those 2, 2nd-year wide receiver Pat Bryant might be about ready to craft his own story, with ESPN’s Dan Graziano singling out Bryant as the top NFL player who will “Come Out of Nowhere” when the Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs in a primetime showdown in Week 1 on Monday Night Football.
“We have heard a lot of exciting things out of Broncos camp about second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant, Denver’s third-round pick in 2025,” Graziano wrote on September 10. “The headline move of the Broncos’ offseason was the trade for Jaylen Waddle, and Courtland Sutton is still there and will surely be a factor. But the universal and specific praise about how Bryant has advanced ahead of Year 2 makes me wonder if he might force his way into a bigger role than expected. Kansas City has put together a new secondary, and the Broncos could have success throwing the ball Monday night. Don’t be shocked if Bryant is a part of that success.”
Pat Bryant Could Eventually Succeed Sutton
While it might still be a few years down the road, Bryant seems like he’s the best candidate right now to take over for the 30-year-old Sutton in the lineup.
Bryant had 35 receptions for 412 yards and 1 touchdown as a rookie but saw injuries derail his season down the stretch — he bounced back with a massive training camp and preseason performance.
“Pat Bryant is taking over training camp,” David Talks Broncos said on his official YouTube channel on August 6. “He’s been taking over that WR1 role for Courtland Sutton as he’s been having his vet days
“The team is grooming (Bryant) to transition into the X role for Courtland Sutton,” ESPN’s Zain Dhanani wrote on his official X account on August 5. “Take: I’ve said this since May — there’s always a chance Sutton takes a step back, turns an ankle, etc to open the door for Pat Bryant. Non-zero chance he takes over the X at some point this season.”
“Pat Bryant makes plays every damn day,” Broncos reporter Ryan Edwards wrote on his official X account on August 6. “Clear WR3 to me.”
“It’ll be easy to create his role,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said on August 3.
Pat Bryant Packed on Muscle in Offseason
Injuries dogged Bryant, 6-foot-2, down the stretch of his rookie season. He talked with DNVR’s Zac Stevens about his offseason recovery program, which included packing on the muscle. Bryant played at around 204 pounds as a rookie.
“I’ve been in (Denver) basically the whole offseason,” Bryant said on May 8. “Nursing my hamstring and overall just getting right, getting my body back, and working with our training staff to be the best version of myself this season … I’ve put on a couple of pounds obviously, coming off that rookie season and not getting to build like I want to build (my body), so it’s putting on a couple of pounds so I can go out there and play without worrying about injuries.”
With a month left in the regular season, Bryant seemed on track to become Denver’s top WR2 option, but suffered a nasty concussion in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 trying to catch a terribly thrown pass from quarterback Bo Nix.
Young Broncos WR Predicted to ‘Come Out of Nowhere’ in Week 1