Finding Broncos: 5 Top Wide Receivers

The Denver Broncos have been looking at changing up their receiver room, which could come with help from the draft. However, these top prospects at the position will likely be gone before the Broncos make their first pick. It is still worth doing due diligence in case they fall or in case they end up with an opponent.

Quentin Johnston | WR | TCU

Pros

He has good size and a decent build with great length.
He is a good athlete with elite explosion.
There is quick footwork, and does well to get off press coverage.
The foot quickness is there for clean and crisp breaks.
He does well to create instant moments of separation.
He is praised for his attitude and work ethic.
He is a long strider who can eat up yards quickly.
There is an elite leaping ability to extend his already large catch radius.
His instincts with the ball in his hands are excellent, and he has good quickness to make defenders miss.

Cons

The agility, speed, and burst are not ideal for the NFL.
His drop rate wasn't terrible, but higher than ideal.
The drops tend to happen when worrying about incoming contact and getting ready for after the catch before the catch is made.
Sometimes he doesn't attack the ball and waits for it to get to his body, opening the window for corners to attack the ball.
There were a few games missed because of injury.
There is an excellent technique with route-running, but he is extremely inconsistent.
He has good size and mass but doesn't play to it.
There isn't blocking on the outside.

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos are unlikely in a position to land Johnston, but he has been linked with a divisional foe. Johnston can be hard to defend when he gives it his full effort from start to finish. The best way to defend him is by being physical and trying to wear him down as the game goes on.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State

Pros

He has solid size and had elite testing with his agility tests.
He is one of the best route technicians in the class.
While he doesn't have great speed, he has suddenness and burst and tempos his routes exceptionally well.
He has a good feel for his routes and does well in finding the open spot in coverage.
He can be impossible to bring down when he has the ball in his hands.
Ohio State coaches praise him for the type of person and player he is.
There is ability on special teams.

Cons

His long speed and burst aren't ideal for the NFL.
There are concerns about his ball security, with two fumbles over the last two seasons.
He does well in space, but the lack of speed can see him get chased down.
Hardly saw the field in 2022 because of a hamstring injury.
Physical defenders can disrupt him through his route.
There isn't much there as a blocker on the outside.
Due to the injury, he has one season of production.
His college experience came from working in the slot.

Fit with Broncos

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is viewed as the top wide receiver, which will keep him out of the Broncos' reach. However, his play in space can be dangerous to defend if he ends up with a divisional foe. The best way to defend him is to be physical from the snap and not let up.

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Jordan Addison | WR | USC

Pros

There is good twitchiness.
He is extremely quick, with excellent stop-start ability.
His footwork is clean, crisp, and consistent.
He has improved on the number of drops each season.
There is good experience on special teams.
He knows how to stack defenders and keep them there with speed and burst.
His movement is loose and fluid, adding to how slippery he is.
He does well to sink in his hips regarding his change of direction.

Cons

He is extremely light with a small frame and a lack of length.
He is a solid athlete; to make up for his size, you want elite athleticism.
The ball tracking can start to falter the deeper he attacks.
There isn't much power or strength, which shows how he can be bullied.
There isn't much there to work with as a blocker.
There is a good chance he finds himself limited inside as a slot-only receiver.

Fit with Broncos

Addison is a shifty receiver who can make life difficult for defenders. However, with his lack of size and physicality, that is how you work to defend him.

Cedric Tillman | WR | Tennessee

Pros

He has good size and elite explosiveness.
He uses his size and mass to block out defenders from the catch point.
There is a large catch radius, and he does well attacking the ball.
His hands are strong and reliable, with only five career drops.
He handles physical defenders extremely well and fights off press coverage.
Physicality through the route doesn't rattle him.
His ball-tracking ability is excellent.
He is fierce and physical, with good technique as a blocker.

Cons

His speed and burst aren't ideal.
There was missed time in 2022, leading to only one season of a major production.
His route running isn't the cleanest, and there are issues sinking his hips into change of direction.
His route tree isn't overly advanced and will be limited early in his career.
There isn't much after the catch, and he isn't overly sudden or quick.
There are injury concerns in his history.

Fit with Broncos

Tilman isn't an explosive receiver, but he is physical and reliable. If the Broncos want to move Courtland Sutton, Tilman would be a solid option to replace him. In addition, his blocking would significantly boost the run-oriented offense the Broncos are set up for.

Zay Flowers | WR | Boston College

Pros

He has great speed and quickness.
He is a good athlete overall.
His route running is among the best in the class.
He has a quick release and can climb over defenders in an instant.
He is praised for his work ethic and demeanor on and off the field.
He checks all of the intangibles boxes.
After the catch,l he does well coming to balance, with a seamless transition to a runner.
His tape is filled with catches bailing out the quarterback.
He is smooth and fluid, with an excellent stop-start ability to change direction quickly.

Cons

His size will see him limited as a slot-only receiver.
His size is a liability at the catch point, where he lost too many battles.
While his drop rate isn't terrible, it is worse than ideal.
Ball security was an issue in 2022, with two fumbles, with a third in 2020.
There isn't much experience on special teams, which makes for added projection.
Despite his elusive ability, there are not the missed tackles forced you'd expect.
There are too many body and double catches on tape.
He gives effort as a blocker, but defenders too easily swallow him up.

Fit with Broncos

Zay Flowers has been linked with a divisional foe of the Broncos, and he can be tough to defend. However, he will likely be limited as a slot receiver, and the Broncos have a good nickel to match up with him. In addition, K'Waun Williams is physical and sticky, precisely what you want to attack Flowers.

While these receivers may not be there when the Broncos pick, there is no doubt they want to improve the position. This isn't a great receiver class, but there is decent depth that the Broncos can take advantage of.

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