Broncos Draft Fits: 3 Wide Receivers to Avoid
The Denver Broncos have a good wide receivers corps which makes it unlikely the team looks hard at the position in the 2021 NFL draft. The Broncos spent first- and second-round picks last year on Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, respectively, and it wasn't too long ago Courtland Sutton was drafted early Day 2.
That is a lot of investment, so if the Broncos do look at taking a wideout, it'll be later in the draft. One thing to watch out for, however, are 'too-good-to-pass-up' scheme fits at receiver.
When it comes to wideout, scheme fit isn’t the biggest priority. It's more about personnel fit. Do you already have a jump-ball guy? Do you have dynamic route-runner who can work the middle of the field? What about a speed demon who can take the roof off a defense? If wideouts such as these are already on-roster, it's not often a team will double-, or even triple-dip at a position in the draft.
Whatever the Broncos opt to do in the draft, there are three wideouts GM George Paton should steer clear of. I break down each in the video above and explain why the Broncos should avoid them on draft day.
- Seth Williams, Auburn
- Sage Surratt, Wake Forest
- Warren Jackson, Colorado State
What really matters for wide receivers is finding guys that can complement what you already have at the position. With the group in Denver, it's easy to pick out the player who don’t have those complementary skill-sets.
For example, with Sutton and even Tim Patrick, the Broncos don’t need a bigger receiver who can be a jump-ball guy. Denver could better its route-running in the group, more so over DaeSean Hamilton than Jeudy, and could look for gadget types because having two such receivers can be beneficial for an offense.
There is another key area to look for when it comes to identifying players that don’t fit. What is their ability to get separation?
Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur wants quick separation and he maximizes spacing, so if a receiver struggles to get create space early, he likely eliminates himself from consideration in Denver.
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