Finding Broncos: Five Wide Receivers to Improve the Room

With rumors circling about a potential trade of Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy, the Denver Broncos could be looking for a lot of help. However, even if they don't trade one of them, they still need to improve their depth at the position, which got exposed during the 2022 season.

The Broncos could be looking for multiple types and styles of receivers, and these five cover a wide range for them to look at.

Jake Bobo | WR | UCLA

Pros

Praised for his football IQ.
He understands how to find the soft spot in zone and rest for the quarterback.
As a big slot receiver, he can be a mismatch against smaller nickel corners.
Has a good catch radius.
Reliable production on 50/50 balls.
Excellent catch focus through contact.

Cons

Not overly athletic.
Likely limited in his role in the NFL to a big slot receiver.
Doesn't offer up a lot of playmaking potential.
Not overly agile or shifty as a receiver.
He doesn't have natural hands to pluck the ball out of the air.
Routes aren't very crisp, which gives defenders extra time to catch up.

Fit with Broncos

Jake Bobo is a big slot receiver, and the Broncos have been looking at improving their receiver room. As a late-round pick or undrafted free agent, Bobo would give them an intelligent football player that coaches would love to add to the depth of the room.

Grant DuBose | WR | Charlotte

Pros

Good size and has a physical nature.
Will bring it every rep as a blocker.
He showed up big against some tough matchups against Maryland and South Carolina, where he caught 11 of 18 passes.
Has great explosion off the snap.
Transitions from receiver to ball carrier is quick and smooth.
Body control is great.

Cons

He needs to improve and develop the technique to get off press coverage.
He doesn't have great pacing with his routes and lacks speed variation.
Doesn't have great burst to create instant separation.
Faced a higher number of contested catch situations and saw success on under 50% of them.

Fit with Broncos

Grant DuBose is a physical receiver that does great work as a blocker. He is more of a possession receiver than a big play threat, but he will do whatever he is asked to do. There is a chip on his shoulder and grit in his play that was missing from the depth receivers on the Broncos roster last season.

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Jalen Wayne | WR | South Alabama

Pros

He has a great foundation of the nuances and techniques with his route running.
He is a versatile receiver that can attack every level of the defense from wherever he lines up.
He understands the game well and was praised for his football IQ.
Offers up plenty on special teams units.
Has enough burst to get instant separation.

Cons

Limited after the catch ability.
He struggled when facing tougher competition in college and at the Senior Bowl.
Doesn't have a refined route tree.
He doesn't maintain focus when dealing with contested catches or contact.
Not the best athlete and lacks twitch.
Doesn't have the best body control or adjustments.

Fit with Broncos

Jalen Wayne has good size for the NFL, and NFL coaches will love his football IQ and understanding of the game. He makes for a good depth piece because he has the versatility to work in the slot and on the boundary. With Denver looking at rebuilding their receiver room and trade rumors going about, Wayne

Charlie Jones | WR | Purdue

Pros

Outstanding production in 2022 with 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He picked up the offense at Purdue quickly and easily.
Shifty route runner with excellent nuances and crisp route running.
Offers up tremendous ability on special teams as a returner.
Soft and reliable hands that pluck the ball out of the air.
He has good technique with his hands for hand-fighting through his routes.

Cons

Limited production as a receiver until 2022, when he caught 110 of his 149 career catches.
He can get caught on press and doesn't have the technique to get off cleanly consistently.
Smaller receiver with a very limited catch radius.
Slot receiver only who works best in space.
He has tells with his route running that can tip off coverage to what's coming with his route.
He may not have a lot of upside to develop and be more than he is.

Fit with Broncos

Charlie Jones is a reliable slot-only receiver, which the Broncos can use, especially if they trade away Jerry Jeudy and/or Courtland Sutton. While Jones isn't an overly explosive receiver, his reliability as a safety outlet helps his value. The question is, is there enough of a difference between Jones and Kendall Hinton to make Jones worth the shot for Denver?

A.T. Perry | WR | Wake Forest

Pros

Naturally gifted receiver.
Everything seems to come easily and quickly to him.
Has excellent body control.
Significant threat working in the redzone.
Has excellent size and length.
Has fluid change of direction skills.
He fights through physical corners and works back to the catch point.
He does well to vary his speed through his routes and creates an opening.

Cons

Hands aren't reliable with 20 career drops, 17 of them in the last two seasons.
He struggles to box out corners, seeing eight interceptions allowed when he was targeted.
He can't operate through contact and struggles in contested catch situations.
Lacks burst to get instant separation.
He lacks nuance with his routes and needs to refine the technique.

Fit with Broncos

A.T. Perry is a tall and long receiver but doesn't always play to his size. He has the mold of an X-receiver but doesn't play up to it. There is also the issue that he doesn't have the play style of a Z-receiver. His best spot may be working as a bigger slot receiver. Perry can fit with what the Broncos could be looking for, but it may be hard to find a set place to use him.

Whatever happens to the Broncos' current receiving unit, they want to improve it. While the draft class is solid, it has good depth, which is where the Broncos should look to improve the room.

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