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Finding Broncos: 3 Immediate-Impact WRs in the Draft
The Denver Broncos have short and long-term needs at wide receiver, but finding a day-one impact guy would be ideal.
The Denver Broncos are in dire need of a solution to their inconsistent passing offense. This issue has persisted for years, with various factors contributing to the problem.
It's crucial to note that the blame doesn’t solely lie with the quarterback. The Broncos have also grappled with talent issues, with players failing to step up consistently.
As a result, the Broncos have started rebuilding their receiver room. Jerry Jeudy is gone, Tim Patrick is back on a reworked one-year deal, and Courtland Sutton wants a new contract and could still be moved.
Denver brought in Josh Reynolds and Pro Bowler Marvin Mims Jr. is returning for Year 2, but this could be a completely new-look room by 2025. If the Broncos want that, they should take advantage of a strong receiver class in 2024. Let's examine three candidates for Denver.
Malachi Corley | Western Kentucky
Dec 21, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Malachi
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
- Height: 5-foot-11
- Weight: 215 pounds
- Arm Length: 32-1/8 inches
- Hands: 9-1/8 inches
- Relative Athletic Score: 7.76
Pros
Corley has a great build, and he can absorb contact and be hard to take down with single tackles. You can use him in various alignments and even line him up in the backfield.
Corley is the type of player you want to get the ball to quickly and allow him to go and make a play. His build enables him to take some punishing blows with many touches.
Corley has some solid route running and does well in selling fakes with his upper body and head shakes. There are solid hands, and he looks to pluck the ball out of the air. His upper body control and flexibility allow him to contort and make some difficult catches look easy.
Corley's vision with the ball in his hands could see him as an effective returner. He has a knack for chunk plays on offense due to his elite vision and difficulty tackling him. Not only can he break through tackles, but he has enough speed and burst to turn good angles into bad angles and outpace defenders in space.
Cons
Corley's physicality is there with the ball in his hands, but it isn’t always there to get the ball in his hands. You want to see him use his body to protect the catch point and do better in contested catch situations.
Over three seasons, Corley has 13 catches in 47 contested catch situations. Nine interceptions have been thrown with him as the target, many of them coming in those contested catch situations.
Corley's route running is solid but could do with more nuance and discipline. He will round out his breaks and doesn’t exit his breaks with burst or acceleration to get additional separation.
The worst is Corley will slow out of breaks and create recovery time for defensive backs. There are also issues with working back to the ball consistently.
Fit With Broncos
The Broncos need a receiver who can pick up yards after the catch. That has been a void in this offense for years, but it is a pivotal aspect of the Sean Payton offense. Corley could go a long way to improving that area for the Broncos and give them a type of receiver they don’t have on their roster.
Big Board Position: No. 31 overall.
Ricky Pearsall | Florida
Nov 11, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) catches
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 189 pounds
- Arm Length: 30-7/8 inches
- Hands: 9-1/4 inches
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.91
Pros
Pearsall has tremendous route-running ability, with a lot of nuance. He can sink his hips and cut off his breaks sharply and will burst out for instant separation. The speed variance through his routes can make it hard for defenders to stick with him in coverage.
Pearsall has soft hands and can go up and get the ball and extend his catch radius when needed. The hands are also reliable, with six drops over five years. Despite his size, he does better than expected in contested catch situations and works to use his body and frame to protect the catch point.
Pearsall has a high football IQ, and reads coverages better than many receivers entering the NFL this year. The IQ is there to find the soft spot in the zone, sit in it, and work back to the ball when needed. He also understands manipulating defenders and coverages with his route running.
Cons
Pearsall's lack of size will limit his ability to work in the slot. His lack of length also leads to a restricted catch radius, with moments of being able to extend it. There will also be issues getting off press coverage, which only cements him as a slot-only receiver.
While Pearsall does better than expected in contested catch situations, he is still below the 50% mark you look for. There is a reliance on accuracy from the quarterback and consistent placement, which can limit his value for multiple NFL teams due to quarterback concerns. Pearsall isn’t much of a threat with the ball in his hands.
Fit With Broncos
With the Broncos current concerns at the quarterback position, Pearsall isn’t a great fit. Even if they had a reliable quarterback, him being limited to the slot isn’t ideal. Mims’ best spot is in the slot, and while he and Pearsall do different things, it would be difficult to get them on the field simultaneously.
Big Board Position: No. 37 overall.
Adonai Mitchell | Texas
Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) catches a
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 205 pounds
- Arm Length: 32-3/8 inches
- Hands: 9 inches
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.99
Pros
Mitchell has great height, excellent speed, and quickness. He is quick off the line and has the proper technique and footwork to get off press coverage.
There is suddenness in Mitchell's route running, where he can sink those hips and snap off his routes. When he breaks in his routes, he has a quick acceleration out of the break for instant separation.
Mitchell is tough on the boundary and can maintain his line and go up to get the ball. His catch radius is outstanding, and he will go after the ball wherever it is placed.
When working the boundary, Mitchell was consistent about getting two feet down in college, even though one is needed. That will help his transition to the NFL.
Mitchell's ball-tracking ability is there with the speed to challenge defenses vertically. He can attack every level of the field, take bubble screens, and be a threat to make a big play whenever he has the ball in his hands. He is tough to bring down and can make defenders miss or break through their tackles.
Cons
There are serious concerns about Mitchell's effort in games and some attitude issues that appeared with his Combine workouts. The physicality isn’t always there but is especially missing when tasked with run blocking. His lack of effort and physicality as a blocker will drive off some teams.
Mitchell isn’t a natural hands catcher and looks to make a basket for the ball instead of attacking it. That leads to double catches, opening the door for defenders to break up the pass.
While Mitchell has seven drops in three years, there are a large number of passes broken up when he is targeted. His hand size is also concerning when it comes to securing the catch and having a solid grip on the ball, leading to additional passes being broken up.
Fit With Broncos
Mithcell is a fine fit with the Broncos and can develop to take over for Sutton or Patrick in the 2025 season. He gives a versatile skill set for the offense that can be used in various ways. The hiccup with the fit comes with the lack of physicality, which is something Sean Payton has typically looked for in his receivers.
Big Board Position: No. 86 overall.
Better Fit for Broncos
The best pure fit would be Corely, as he brings the yards after the catch ability the Broncos have been missing. If it weren’t for the lack of physicality with Mitchell, he would be the best fit, but the offense will likely be a run-first offense, and run blocking is a must.
As for Pearsall, the limitation to the slot and lack of a quarterback make it a rough fit for the Broncos.
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