Finding Broncos: 5 Offensive Weapons to Improve Depth

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of wide receivers and tight ends who can improve the depth at their positions.

Erick Trickel | Apr 13, 2023

It has been abundantly clear through free agency that the Denver Broncos want to improve their weapons on offense. The Broncos were in on multiple receivers and have been popular in trade rumors. As for the tight end position, Denver added a capable blocking tight end as a free agent.

Even with the addition of Chris Manhertz, the Broncos can still use some help in the form of a well-rounded skill set they lack. This is a strong tight-end class where they could find that help.

However, when it comes to wide receivers, the class isn't as strong, and the Broncos are said to be looking for a specific type of receiver. There are plenty of options in the draft to fill that need.

Jason Brownlee | WR | Southern Mississippi

Pros

He is tall with great length to expand his catch radius.
He has reliable hands, dropping nine passes over three years, or 6.3%.
There is a versatility to line up on the boundary or in the slot.
He has exceptional ball-tracking skills, making him dangerous when attacking vertically.
Few defenders can consistently contend with him at the high point.

Cons

He has a slim frame, which can lead to him getting bullied by physical corners.
There isn't much there on special teams.
He doesn't have the speed for the NFL to keep himself out of trouble.
He struggles to get consistent separation and doesn't do well enough in contested catch situations to make up for it.
His route running is a mess, and he isn't crisp or sudden.

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos are believed to be looking for an explosive receiver, which isn't precisely Brownlee's game. While he is a good depth threat with a huge catch radius, he doesn't have the speed to be relied on as a deep threat in the NFL. So while it isn't a great receiver class, other options are a better fit for what the Broncos are looking for.

Kyle Patterson | TE | Air Force

Pros

He has great size and build for the NFL.
While Air Force isn't a passing team limiting the chances of Patterson, he had good efficiency catching the ball, where almost every catch was a first down or a touchdown.
There is a good technique as a blocker, with room to grow.
He is disciplined and praised for his intangibles on and off the field.
He has good balance and uses leverage as a blocker.

Cons

He missed 15 games over the last two seasons with a knee injury, including an ACL and MCL in 2021.
The efficiency as a receiver is hurt with four drops on 33 career targets.
He has to be wholly built up as a receiver.
There are lingering concerns about his knee.

Fit with Broncos

With Chris Manhertz, the Broncos don't need a pure blocking tight end. However, Patterson has concerns about his knee that could see him essentially redshirt his rookie year. Nevertheless, Patterson could add a good threat to the room if he can develop his receiving ability to be more of an all-around threat. With the knee concerns, he could likely go undrafted, improving the value for Denver.

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Michael Jefferson | WR | Louisiana

Pros

He is a good athlete with solid burst and explosion.
He has great size and length to extend his catch point.
He got plenty of exposure as a receiver catching 118 passes with 81 first-downs and 18 touchdowns.
Drops weren't a significant issue, with a 7.1% drop rate.
He has excellent body control to adjust in the air and make the catch.
There are good fakes in his routes.

Cons

Unfortunately, he was in a car accident on April 11th that required multiple surgeries.
He is slim on his frame.
He isn't overly crisp with his routes.
He struggles to get off press coverage and needs to clean up his footwork.
Long strider runner, which can limit his route tree in the NFL.

Fit with Broncos

It is unfortunate he was in a car accident, as he was projected as an earlier day-three pick. He can fit with the Broncos to improve their depth, but they may look for someone who can bring more explosive play potential and more immediately than Jefferson can.

Noah Gindorff | TE | North Dakota State

Pros

He has great size and frame, with a good build.
He checks all the boxes with his football IQ and leadership qualities.
He loves to finish reps as a blocker with the defender on the ground.
He is quick off the snap to get into position quickly as a blocker.
He is the prototypical inline tight end.
His catch radius is outstanding.
With his issues getting separation, he did well with contested catches.

Cons

The medicals are going to be vital after back-to-back season-ending ankle injuries.
He isn't overly quick to sudden, which can lead to issues getting away from coverage.
There is a bad habit of lunging into blocks to get engaged quicker than bringing his body into it.
There are issues with his change of direction, which show with his limited route running.

Fit with Broncos

The fit with the Broncos all comes down to how he checks out medically. With their injury history over the recent seasons, even with different coaching and medical staff, they may want to look away from someone who had season-ending ankle injuries in back-to-back seasons.

Jacob Copeland | WR | Maryland

Pros

He has decent enough size and build.
There is good speed.
He does well with his footwork on the sideline.
He is thick in the lower half and can be hard to take down.
He matches physicality with physicality.

Cons

He has only been a rotational guy, never being targeted more than 65 times or having more than 50 catches in a season.
Drops were a bit on the higher side, with over a 10% drop rate in his career.
His route running is limited, and he needs to develop the nuances of it.
He struggles when tracking the ball vertically.
Can he consistently adjust to the ball when working all levels of the field?

Fit with Broncos

Copeland isn't exactly an explosive playmaker, but he can offer some depth to the position to attack vertically. However, he isn't projected to get drafted and could be considered an undrafted free agent. In that case, his fit is good enough to take the shot with the lower investment value.

With the few draft picks they have, the Broncos are likely going to be looking at a decent-sized group of undrafted free agents. Denver currently has 73 players under contract, leaving room for 17 additions and a few extra to churn the bottom of the depth chart. So there is plenty of room to work with when it comes to adding to the roster.

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Published Apr 13, 2023

ERICK TRICKEL

Erick Trickel is the Senior Draft Analyst for Mile High Huddle, has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft for the site since 2014.