3 Mid-Round WRs to Give Broncos a Future at the Position

The Broncos lack a future at wide receiver and need to start building that up with this draft class.

Sep 23, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Xavier Legette / Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Even though the Denver Broncos brought in Josh Reynolds and kept Tim Patrick on a reworked contract, they still need more help. The biggest concern about the Broncos receiver room is the future of it. Reynolds is on a two-year deal, Patrick’s new deal is a one-year deal, and Courtland Sutton, a key player, is on the final two years of his deal and could be moved on from after this season.

The Broncos have three receivers under contract for 2025 and only one for 2026 in Marvin Mims. Mims is an exciting piece, but he needs much growth to make more of an impact as a receiver. It isn’t ideal for the Broncos' future to be in this position at receiver, but receivers enter the NFL in abundance every year, and this is the case this year. It is a strong draft class to get receiver help with talent throughout, and three of these prospects can help provide a future for the Broncos. 

Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (2) runs the ball / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Ja’Lynn Polk | Washington

• Height: 6-foot-1
• Weight: 203 pounds
• Arm Length: 31-3/4 inches
• Hands: 9-3/4 inches
• Relative Athletic Score: 8.85

Pros

There is good size with Polk, and he has good enough explosives to go up and get the ball. His body control is on point, and he adjusts to the ball in the air. When the ball is in the air, he tracks it well and adjusts well to the trajectory. The ‘my ball’ mentality is there from Polk, and he does well in contested catch situations. 

He has solid nuance throughout his routes and can vary his speed to help create throwing windows out of his breaks. There is good pacing with his routes to catch corners sleeping, and there is a decent extra burst to get instant separation. His ability to work in the short and intermediate areas of the field is great, and he is tough to work in the middle of the field. 

The hands from Polk are fantastic. He plucks the ball out of the air and rarely drops a pass. His toughness is unquestioned, and he shows it as a blocker in the running game. When working as a blocker, the attitude and effort are there, and he will do the work. 

Cons

Can he get off the line against press coverage at the NFL? During his time in college, he wasn’t challenged at the line frequently due to the formations Washington used, and the reps he had were not good enough. NFL teams might need to scheme him clean releases. 

The burst and suddenness in and out of breaks are inconsistent and can create more contested catches than necessary. There isn’t a great long speed to challenge vertically, and this will limit his route options. He also isn’t a salesman, and defenders can easily read his routes. 

Fit With Broncos

Polk can work inside and out in the NFL and be that tough receiver over the middle of the field. The Broncos aren’t in a position of being picky about their options because of how bleak the future is. Polk has a role as a rookie, and he has the upside of being a great second option in Sean Payton’s scheme. 

Big Board Position: No. 55 overall.

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Nov 25, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Xavier Legette / David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Xavier Legette | South Carolina

• Height: 6-foot-1
• Weight: 221 pounds
• Arm Length: 31-7/8 inches
• Hands: 9 inches
• Relative Athletic Score: 9.90

Pros

Legette uses his size extremely well to protect the catch point. He knows how to stack corners and keep defenders on his hip. When working in a contested catch situation, he has the proper ‘my ball’ mentality to go and attack the ball in the air. The body control and leaping ability to go up and get the ball are excellent. 

There is good speed to challenge vertically, and he tracks the ball well on those deep shots. He has good hand technique to fight with corners through the route. His hands are strong and like glue, with only two drops in the 2023 season. The physical nature is there as a blocker, with good effort and sound technique to contribute to the run game. He can also contribute as a returner with the rule changes to kick-offs. 

Cons

There was only one season in which Legette was targeted more than 30 times: in 2023. He is lacking as a route runner and doesn’t have the nuance that teams look for, which will severely limit his ability to contribute as a rookie. The route tree isn’t there, and he is a one-trick pony. 

Legette is tight in the lower half, which creates issues when changing directions as a route runner. There may not be the ability to run routes that have the receiver cut back and work towards the ball, like curl routes because he can’t sink into the break. It would open up the door for an interception. He has a lot to work with, but his tight hips create problems with being more than a deeper threat. 

Fit With Broncos

There is a lot to work with, but as said, the tight hips can be hard to overcome. Can the Broncos loosen those hips to make him a better scheme fit and offer more than a deeper threat? With where Legette is projected to go, the Broncos are not the best fit for him. 

Big Board Position: No. 69 overall.

Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Jamari Thrash (1) runs after a / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Jamari Thrash | Louisville

• Height: 6-foot
• Weight: 188 pounds
• Arm Length: 31 inches
• Hands: 8-5/8 inches
• Relative Athletic Score: 6.77

Pros

Thrash is an explosive threat that can work at every field level. You want to get him the ball in space and allow him to go and make a play. The second gear is there to be a consistent home-run threat whenever he has the ball in his hands. His route running is solid, and he can vary his speed and make sharp cuts to create sudden windows for the ball. 

He does well tracking the ball when working vertically and has the quickness to make sudden adjustments. There are the desired traits to expand his route tree and give him a more diverse role at the NFL level. When the play goes off-structure, he quickly adjusts and keeps himself in view of the quarterback to make himself a target. 

Cons

There isn’t a lot of strength with Thrash, so if a defender is on him, he will unlikely come down without the ball. He also can’t work as a blocker outside and would need to be taken off the field on obvious running downs. Physical press at the line and a physical demeanor from corners in coverage will disrupt Thrash consistently. 

His hands are not the most reliable and can be easily disrupted. He doesn’t have ideal size, which creates issues when protecting the catch point. NFL teams can’t consistently work him over the middle of the field because the lack of mass leads to durability concerns, and punishing hits over the middle would only compound it. 

Fit With Broncos

Thrash is a home-run threat, but his lack of physicality and build are concerning. The Broncos already have a similar player in Marvin Mims, but he has a better build and is more physical. While the Broncos can’t be too picky about building up the future in the receiver room, they will likely have better options than Thrash. 

Big Board Position: No. 75 overall.

Better Fit for Broncos

There is an obvious best fit for the Broncos out of these three: Polk, and he is the only good fit. Legette and Thrash are too limited for different reasons. The Broncos need a future at the position, but they need that future to have some versatility. Polk can work inside and out, and while he won’t be a deep threat, he can work the middle of the field reliably. 

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