The odds are the Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton are going to hit on a superstar outside of the first round of the NFL draft at some point. Payton is just that good at evaluating talent. He has been for decades.
In fact, it may have happened already.
ESPN’s Ben Solak put Denver wide receiver Pat Bryant, a 2025 third round pick (No. 74 overall), on his list of “5 NFL Rookies To Watch” headed into training camp.
“After a strong debut season for Bo Nix and a well-earned playoff berth, the Broncos had one big objective this offseason: Get more dangerous on offense,” Solak wrote on July 16. ” … Bryant is a big, physical pass catcher who landed with a perfect playcaller — Sean Payton — for his skill set. Expect Bryant to split his time between the slot and out wide. If he wins balls in traffic as easily as he did in college, he’ll quickly vault (Marvin) Mims as the WR2 and add another layer to this offense in need of more viable options.”
If Payton has shown one thing in his first 3 drafts with the Broncos since he was hired in January 2023, it’s that he’s looking for wide receivers who can live up to his high expectations.
In those 3 drafts, Payton has selected 4 wide receivers — more than any other position. That includes 2-time NFL All-Pro return specialist and 2023 second round pick (No. 63 overall) Marvin Mims, who was the first pick of the Payton era.
Bryant Conjures Memories of NFL Offensive POY
Experts had Bryant projected as a late round pick but the Broncos and head coach Sean Payton saw enough there to take him in the third round.
Bryant drew early 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). Three years later, Thomas set the NFL single-season record with 149 receptions to go with 1,725 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
“My main focus is when the ball’s in the air, it’s mine, and I’m better than the man that’s in front of me,” Bryant told The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider on May 5.
Bryant’s One Big Flaw To Overcome
While Bryant has ideal size for an NFL wide receiver at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. By any metric, that’s slow for an NFL wide receiver.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Bryant as a sixth round pick. Mostly because of his speed.
“Bryant has good size but lacks suddenness and pure vertical gas,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. ” … 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.”
Bryant had some massive games in his final season at Illinois, including 4 games with at least 100 receiving yards. That included 7 receptions for 197 yards in a 38-31 win over Rutgers on November 23, including a 40-yard, game-winning touchdown with just 3 seconds left.
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