Finding Broncos: Two Wide Receivers to Boost the Position

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with two wide receivers who can boost the position.

The rumors about the Denver Broncos trading one of their wide receivers have been swirling. On top of that, they were involved with multiple free-agent wide receivers that they could not land. That sends a clear message that Sean Payton and the coaching staff are not happy with the current room. 

While this isn't a great class for receivers, it is because of issues at the top and not having a clear number-one guy. However, there is good depth, with options that can fill whatever type of receiver you need. Even with five picks, the Broncos could find a solid option that falls into their laps. 

Michael Wilson | WR | Stanford

Pros

• He has good size and a good build on his frame. 
• He is a good athlete with excellent explosion and burst. 
• He is praised for his leadership and football IQ. 
• He enters the NFL with a ready-made frame. 
• He brings the attitude and desire to be a gunner on special teams. 
• He has quick and light feet, with excellent technique in and out of his cuts. 
• There is a physical and nasty demeanor when working as a blocker, with sound technique. 
• He has a well-developed route tree, with a great understanding of the nuances that go into it. 
• He is tough to bring down after the catch, with a good ability to break through tackles and make defenders miss. 
• There is a good use of his size to protect the catch point from defenders. 
• In contested catch situations, he came down with 31 of 50 targets. 

Cons

• He has missed 16 of the last 30 games. 
• Due to the time he missed with injury, he only has 1,556 snaps played, with 135 catches for a little over 1,600 yards. 
• His hands were not reliable, with 12 drops over his career. 
• He fumbled twice during his career. 
• There are issues getting off-press coverage promptly. 
• There needs to be more consistency with his route running, with a bad habit of pulling up at the top of his routes. 
• He has tells in his route running that can make life easier for defenders. 
• There is an issue getting separation on shorter routes. 
• There could be lingering issues with his foot, which was the leading cause of the missed time. 

Overview

Michael Wilson has good height, weight, and speed for the NFL. The biggest concern will be his injury history with his foot. He has room to develop his route running, with a good foundation for the NFL. There is good versatility to play on the boundary or in the slot while also working on special teams. Outside of the injury, improving consistency with his hands will be a significant focus of development. 

Fit with Broncos

Wilson is an exceptional fit for the Broncos' offense, even if they don't trade anyone. The concern over drops and injuries, of course, makes it all a little clunky. Nevertheless, his versatility would significantly boost the room and allow Sean Payton to be even more creative with his lineups. 

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Jayden Reed | WR | Michigan State

Pros

• He has good speed and burst. 
• He is thickly built for a slot receiver. 
• He has value as a returner, where he uses his speed and vision exceptionally well. 
• He has excellent vision with the ball in his hands, making him dangerous as a returner and receiver. 
• Despite the high number of contested catch situations, especially for his size, catching 36 of 72 targets. 
• He does well running his route with a good tempo and varies his speed through them. 
• There is a high football IQ when watching him, with how he finds the soft spots in coverage. 
• His ball tracking on deeper shots is excellent, and he does well in making adjustments to get the ball. 
• Even at his size, he is an aggressive blocker that does well holding his own. 

Cons

• He is a little undersized if he wants to play on the boundary in the NFL. 
• There were multiple games missed in his final season due to injuries. 
• He wastes a lot of steps in and out of breaks, which needs to be a technical tweak to his route running. 
• Without great length, his catch radius is limited. 
• There is an issue with ball security as a receiver and returner.
• He will need to do significantly better in getting consistent separation in the NFL. 
• He isn't the most fluid of route runners, which leads to clunky breaks and cuts. 
• He has a bad habit of cutting routes off early. 
• There needs to be work on his hands to be more reliable, with 19 drops in his career. 
• He struggles with press coverage and needs to improve his hands and footwork for a cleaner get-off. 

Overview

Reed will likely find himself limited to a slot role in the NFL, but he can play on the boundary in certain situations. His value as a returner significantly boosts his value, though he needs to be more reliable with ball security all-around. Nevertheless, he is an explosive playmaker who caught a large number of passes for 20+ yards in college while offering up an option underneath with his ability to create for himself. 

Fit with Broncos

This would be an exceptional option for the Broncos. He adds explosive play-making ability with his ball tracking on deep shots while also having the ability to make defenders miss and take short catches and make something big happen. There is an easy way to see him contribute as a rookie and develop for a more prominent role down the road. 

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