Sean Payton Dishes on Why Broncos Kept Two Rookie WRs Instead of Patrick, Johnson

Sean Payton explained why the Denver Broncos kept Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele over a trio of veterans.

Denver Broncos rookie wide receivers Devaughn Vele (81) and Troy Franklin (16) at training camp. / Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos have cut the roster down to 53 players, and in that process, they let go of a handful of wideouts. Tim Patrick, Jalen Virgil, and Brandon Johnson were the biggest names in the receiver room that have found new homes in the NFL, leaving Denver with five on its active roster and three on the practice squad.

Two rookies made the cut, including Bo Nix’s top Oregon target, Troy Franklin, and former Utah Ute Devaughn Vele. After Franklin's mostly M.I.A preseason, Broncos head coach Sean Payton was asked about his progress on Wednesday and gave an encouraging remark. 

“Here’s what I see—I see great speed," Payton said of Franklin. "Probably as good run-after-the-catch, even in his college days. This past week, we saw him again. He’s playing ‘Z’ [receiver]. I like where he’s at relative to his progress. I like the selection, especially where we were able to draft him."

Franklin hasn’t set the NFL world on fire yet, but he will get touches this year based on his blazing speed and YAC ability. He may have been Nix’s top target at Oregon, but Franklin will need a year to learn the offense and adjust to the NFL. Payton is happy with how the former duck has been thus far, and if he continues to build on training camp, he’ll be prepared when his number is called. 

"He has rare speed, and then he’s very comfortable catching an in-route and then all of the sudden taking it for a big gain," Payton continued on Franklin. "Is there a development to any of these rookies? Absolutely. [He is] working on his lower-body strength and getting stronger there. He’s smart. He picks things up. There are good questions he asks—we were discussing a few things today. I’m excited about him.”

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Payton also addressed whether Vele reminds him of Patrick, now a former Broncos receiver, and admitted they share similar traits.

"They have like body types. They’re big, they have strong hands in traffic," Payton said. "They’re smart. They’re tough. They catch it well. They block. Devaughn is a guy that I see in a similar way. The sub-slot position to ‘0’ [receiver] where Courtland [Sutton] plays and Tim in the same way. Tim’s a sub-slot, but inside out... So we all want to run the ball well, and that requires bigger, stronger, physical receivers. Tim’s an outstanding blocker and Devaughn’s an outstanding blocker. Obviously, he’s just younger and that’s where he’s at.”

Vele hailing from the University of Utah and wearing jersey No. 81 aren’t the only reasons he compares to Patrick. The rookie's sure hands and big body made him a standout at camp, and his maturity as a 27-year-old has only helped him take to coaching.

Vele will be used in Patrick’s old role as a big slot receiver and on the boundary. His emergence this summer made it easy to move on from Patrick, due to his relative age (turning 31) and injury history. If Vele can replicate what Patrick did while he was on the field, he could become a pivotal piece in Payton's offense.

The Broncos' two rookie wideouts are behind Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims Jr. on the depth chart in 2024, but due to their athletic ability, they will still see snaps. It may be a mostly sit-and-learn kind of year for the young receivers, but they're already building to be the future problems for opposing defenses.

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