Broncos WR Pat Bryant: Opportunity Knocks for No. 25 Player

Our first chance to get a bead on how the 2026 Denver Broncos are shaping up is coming on Tuesday when the club holds its first voluntary OTA sessions. We'll get to see the rookies blended with the veterans as they run some team and individual drills over Denver's three-day practice session.

OTAs will also give us a glimpse at how far the Broncos' young core is coming along developmentally. This team has a nice balance of youth and veteran experience, but the tip of the spear in the Broncos' turnaround has been the younger players, many of whom have been thrown into the deep end and have proved they can indeed swim.

However, some of the Broncos' younger players are still in their developmental learning curve, including second-year wide recevier Pat Bryant. Today, we begin our series breaking down the Broncos' top 25 players of 2026, and Bryant checks in at No. 25.

Background

The Broncos drafted Bryant in the third round out of Illinois in 2025. He checked all the boxes for the Broncos, from his skill set, size, and play style, to his leadership, football IQ, and character.

Bryant brings tangible and intangible traits to the table in spades. At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, he's an X-receiver prototype in the NFL, even if he is on the smaller side height-wise. Still, his physical play style and athleticism make up for any slight size limitations.

Bryant has been described as a "football guy" and a "dog," which were big attributes that attracted the Broncos to him. His 4.61 speed played a big role in his falling to the third round of the draft, but many college and NFL people believe that if he'd played one more year in college, he could have been a first-round pick.

Bryant's hands are extremely reliable and he's a willing and accomplished blocker in the run game. He's famous for the catch-phrase, "No block, no rock."

As a rookie, the Broncos were unafraid of leaning on Bryant, though it took a little time to build up a head of steam. His reliability as a blocker was a big reason he featured in the offense so quickly.

Bryant appeared in 15 games with seven starts as a rookie, catching 31 of his 49 targets for 378 yards and a touchdown. By the time the Broncos hit the playoffs, he had established some trust with Bo Nix and the coaches, and Sean Payton planned to maximize Bryant's abilities in the postseason.

Injury Problems

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) is taken off the field after an injury during the second at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Alas, against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs, all three of Nix's first three passes went to Bryant on the opening drive. Bryant caught all three for 32 yards, but suffered a concussion on the last one, ending his day.

It wasn't Bryant's first concussion of the season, which is concerning. He suffered a concussion in Week 16 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars from a blind-side hit that actually hospitalized him. It was a scary moment as he was carted off the field at Mile High.

Man, #Broncos WR Pat Bryant just took a MAJOR hit: pic.twitter.com/rECewRHnqW
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 22, 2025

However, Bryant was able to pass through the NFL's concussion protocol rather quickly, bouncing back in time to suit up against the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. He caught his one-and-only target vs. New England, but the injury bug jumped up and bit him again, ending his day with a hamstring.

As encouraging as Bryant's rookie season was, it ended on a sour note, with his final five games marred by two concussions and a hamstring. Injuries will be an issue to monitor for the talented young wideout entering Year 2, especially concussions.

Bryant suffered a concussion at Illinois in October of 2024, so counting his two as a rookie in Denver, that totals three concussions over the span of 15 months. It's definitely a major concern the Broncos have to manage moving forward.

One of the unfortunate hallmarks of traumatic brain injuries is that each one makes a player more susceptible to suffering another. Bryant a top candidate to sport a Guardian Cap until the concussion concerns dissipate.

Outlook

Entering Year 2, the landscape has shifted slightly for Bryant. Like every other wideout not named Courtland Sutton, Bryant was pushed one spot down the depth chart with the arrival of Jaylen Waddle.

There will be a fierce battle this summer for the No. 3 receiver spot with the first-team offense, though it's likely a position that Payton and new Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb will rotate quite heavily. Last season, Troy Franklin was Denver's second-highest-targeted receiver, with 104, so he'll likely get the first bite at the apple behind Sutton and Waddle.

However, Bryant's upside is tremendous and he's an extremely driven player. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him show up this summer looking light years ahead of where he finished his rookie season.

Throw in Marvin Mims Jr., and that No. 3 receiver battle will be fierce this summer. The Broncos like to rotate receivers to maximize mismatches and keep defenses guessing, so the No. 3 slot is going to be more nominal than anything.

Franklin might be the leader in the clubhouse, but Bryant is a highly intriguing dark horse poised to leapfrog him and eat out of his bowl. The key for Bryant will be avoiding injury. That's true for all players, but especially for a guy who ended his rookie year snake-bitten.

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