10 Candidates to Fill Broncos' Need For a Sean Payton Tight End

The Denver Broncos need help at tight end, but can they find an answer in a weak draft class?

It's safe to say the performance of the Denver Broncos tight end room was not up to par in 2023. Starter Adam Trautman was ineffective for the majority of his snaps, while Greg Dulcich practically missed the whole season with a lingering hamstring injury. 

The Broncos' other tight ends didn't do much with limited roles, although Lucas Krull did show some potential here and there. Tight end is a prominent position in a Sean Payton offense, and through the years, he has worked with and developed some of the best players at the position. 

Payton had Jeremy Shockey for his final year as offensive coordinator of the New York Giants and again as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Jason Witten was brought in while Payton was with the Dallas Cowboys, though he was only the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach then. With the Saints, Payton drafted Jimmy Graham and developed him into one of the best receiving tight ends in NFL history. 

Having a tight end who can work the middle of the field and help dictate matchups is vital for the Payton offense, but the Broncos don't have a reliable option there. While this isn't an excellent draft class for tight ends, there could be some options. 

However, the early views on this draft's tight-end class aren't good. And if this is such an unfavorable year to need a tight end, maybe the Broncos bet on Dulcich being healthy and filling that role in 2024.

While the early views on this draft's tight-end class aren't inspiring, that doesn't mean there isn't a diamond or two in the rough who'll go on to have NFL success. Today, we'll examine whether one of these prospects could be that tight end Payton wants and needs for his offense. 

Note: Georgia's Brock Bowers is the consensus top tight end in the 2024 draft class, but he's expected to be an early round-one pick. The Broncos currently hold the No. 12 overall selection and are expected to be in the quarterback hunt. We will examine Bowers, but not today, and the same goes for Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders. 

Cade Stover | Ohio State

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Stover has the prototypical size that teams want from their tight ends. He's a football player with some good technique, though he won't have jaw-dropping numbers with his athletic testing. 

Stover's frame is well-built, and he plays a physical game as a blocker and as a receiver. He will use his size and frame to box out the catch point while being an aggressive obstacle as a blocker. 

However, Stover will be a 24-year-old rookie, which is a concern with a position that can take a little longer to adapt to the NFL with all that is asked of them. Sometimes, he can be bullied through his routes, and his overall technique as a route runner is lacking. While he isn't a safety outlet-only type of receiver, he doesn't seem to offer much more than that. 

A.J. Barner | Michigan

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Of the tight ends in the class, Barner is the prototypical NFL tight end. He has the size and well-rounded skill set you look for at the pro level. He has a ton of experience, and having played at Michigan, he's familiar with a pro-style offense that can help ease his transition. 

Barner is a capable blocker and doesn't need much work to prepare for the NFL. His worthiness as an in-line tight end is obvious for the NFL, and he also has the versatility to work in the slot. 

Barner must be more consistent in all phases for the NFL, though, especially as a receiver. There are issues with his technique as a receiver, especially in catching with his hands. He may not have the highest upside in the class, but he has one of the higher floors. 

Theo Johnson | Penn State

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There's a good chance Johnson is a riser throughout the draft process. He can work as a receiver and blocker, though more work is needed to be a capable blocker at the NFL level. The biggest issue with his blocking will be developing his strength and power to handle the increased strength and power he will face in the NFL. 

However, Johnson can provide an immediate impact with his play as a receiver. He also has enough as a blocker and the versatility to line up in the slot and get more weapons on the field while keeping plays more disguised. 

While Johnson can stretch the field, he's a reliable receiver with a solid route tree and technique through his routes. He also can be effective after the catch, making him a threat underneath. 

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Dallin Holker | Colorado State

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What was great when watching Holker was how his best moments came against the toughest competition. He rose to the occasion consistently and did well when defenses worked to limit his ability to help the offense. 

Holker has the versatility to work out of the backfield as a fullback and a traditional in-line tight end. There is enough athleticism to operate with. One stat that stands out is he averaged 12 yards per catch in 2023 and had at least one 12-yard play in every game. 

The downside of Holker is his lack of mass. He's a light-tight end and can get bullied working as a blocker when in line. 

Ben Sinnott | Kansas State

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Sinnott is one of the better blocking options at the position in the class. He brings sound technique, power as a blocker, and the versatility to line up anywhere on offense. 

His athleticism won't wow anyone, but it's good enough with good acceleration and burst to get open in a flash. While Sinnott won't stretch the seam, he can work the middle of the field and the intermediate areas of the field, so as a receiver, he isn't a safety-outlet-only tight end. 

As a blocker, some areas need to be cleaned up with Sinnott's technique, and his angles are poor far too often. His movement is more lumbered than smooth. 

Jaheim Bell | FSU

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There is some great receiving ability with Bell, but that's all he brings. He isn't a prototypical tight end who can work as an in-line guy because he doesn't have the size for it. The blocking isn't there, and he doesn't play with strength or physicality. 

Bell is a big wide receiver, more than a tight end, who can work out of the backfield, in the slot, or on the boundary. He does well tracking the ball and can pick up yards after the catch. 

Tanner McLachlan | Arizona

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McLachlan overcame a serious injury and assembled a pair of solid seasons at Arizona. His athleticism is there, even after the injury, and he can create mismatches for the offense. 

There's an issue with his hands and dropping passes, which have come in some bad moments. McLachlan doesn't play with much physicality in any aspect, which is concerning as he has good size. 

He can work the middle of the field and can line up in a few different spots on offense. There is also value in what McLachlan can bring to special teams as well. His short-area quickness can lead to separation, making him an open target for quarterbacks. 

Trey Knox | South Carolina

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Knox doesn't play with the desired attitude or physicality as a blocker or after the catch. However, he's physical through his routes and works the catch point by boxing out defenders. 

Knox's route tree is limited, and he doesn't offer much as a blocker, capping his ability to make an early impact in the NFL. However, he could see the field in certain situations to bring a boost of athleticism to create mismatches for the offense while being able to threaten the defense vertically and open up space underneath.

There are good tools and traits to work with, but Knox will need a year or two of development before making much of an impact.  

Jared Wiley | TCU

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Wiley has good size, and he has an extremely high football IQ. He can work in-line, in the slot, out wide, or out of the backfield. The versatility is there, but it comes as a receiver. 

Wiley's blocking leaves a lot to be desired, and you almost can't have him on the field in blocking situations because of how poorly he does there consistently. He doesn't work as a blocker with the desired attitude or physicality, which also shows up when operating after the catch. 

Right now, Wiley is a developmental receiving weapon who needs to be more than a seam stretcher for the NFL. He's a good athlete, but the route running isn't up to par for the NFL to have much of an impact in year one. 

Brevyn Spann-Ford | Minnesota

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Spann-Ford has the prototypical build for an NFL tight end. He has solid athleticism for his size, but he does not play to his size as often as you want, especially as a blocker.

When you see a 6-foot-5 and 255-plus-pound tight end, you hope to see quality blocking, but that isn't the case here. Spann-Ford's technique is alright, but he doesn't have the strength or power to help sustain blocks.

Spann-Ford has good enough quickness and can stretch the field down the seam, but he won't run away from defenders. His lack of explosion makes it hard to get away from defenders, and he doesn't have a great catch radius to compensate for it. 

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