Broncos Player Profile: Brandon Johnson #89 | Wide Receiver
The Denver Broncos have a pretty strong room at wide receiver, especially among their top four players. However, the Broncos potentially have a couple of spots open, and over the offseason, the team added more competition.
The Broncos signed two undrafted rookie wideouts, and Brandon Johnson was one of them. How much chance does Johnson have to make the roster, or is he battling more for a practice squad spot?
Let's examine his resume to get closer to the answer.
Biography
Johnson just turned 24 years old on July 24.
College Career
Johnson originally attended Tennessee for the first five years of college. Over those five years, he had 79 total catches on 121 targets, with season highs of 37 catches on 55 targets. He had one touchdown in that time and never broke 500 yards, with his high being 482.
In his lone year at UCF, Johnson broke his career highs with 38 catches on 67 targets for 560 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also dropped three passes, which brought his career total to 10.
Johnson did well in contested-catch situations, despite limited exposure, catching 8-of-13 such targets in his final season. However, his career rate was below 50% catching only 15-of-34.
Draft
In a good but not great receiver class, Johnson found himself undrafted but was quickly sought after by the Broncos.
2022 Outlook
There is a lot that Johnson has to overcome. He has some tough competition for a roster spot at a position where special teams are going to be such a major factor.
Can Johnson hold up as a gunner on special teams? He'll need to show a propensity for that during training camp and the preseason.
With the number of receivers fighting for one or two spots, assuming one of them makes it as a returner, the odds are against Johnson. He had some good moments in OTAs and mini-camp, but can he carry it to training camp?
From there, Johnson has to prove that he can do it in game situations. He's more likely to be vying for the practice squad, but a roster spot isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility. It just would take a lot for him to make the 53-man roster.
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