Payton Explains Why Injured Broncos TE Will Make Final Roster

Talk about cushy job security.

Not only will Denver Broncos tight end/fullback Nate Adkins -- who recently underwent "tightrope" surgery to repair a high-ankle sprain -- avoid placement on short-term injured reserve, but the versatile offensive contributor has a spot waiting for him on the yet-to-be-decided 53-man roster.

“I can’t say he’s going to be medically ready to play Week 1, but close enough to where we’re probably going to hold him," head coach Sean Payton told reporters Thursday. "We discussed it the other day, he’s going to beat the short-term IR… Week 2, Week 3. He’s too good of a football player for us. We’re going to need him.”

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Undrafted in 2023 out of South Carolina, Adkins made the Broncos' final roster as a rookie and hung around to appear in all 17 games last season, totaling 14 receptions for 115 yards and three touchdowns. He was credited with playing 420 offensive snaps, deployed as both an inline and backfield blocker in Payton's system.

Oct 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Nate Adkins (45) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey (84) in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

With primary fullback Michael Burton also nursing injury, the Broncos signed former Saints FB Adam Prentice to "fill the void" at the position. Payton, too, left open the possibility of scouring the free-agent market for additional depth.

“I’m not as familiar with him as some of the other guys have been. Guys that were there even after," he said Tuesday of Prentice. "We’ll continue to pay real close attention to the tight end wire and also the fullback. We had a few of those guys in to work out. We’ve always kind of had an ‘F’. I think quietly Nate was one of those players that I don’t know got a lot of attention, and yet there was a lot of respect around the league and in the locker room for the way he did a number of things. So it’ll be good to get him back when we do. In the meantime, we have to fill that void somehow."

“We’re looking. We think that’s important, but I think we will have that in place by the opener. I’m hopeful he [TE Nate Adkins] is here, and yet we’re paying attention each week and then certainly the 53 [-man roster] cut.”

The back end of Denver's tight end corps remains largely tenuous, a presumed competition between Lucas Krull, Caleb Lohner, and Caden Prieskorn. The front of the room is much less murky, with Evan Engram and Adam Trautman cemented into first- and second-string roles, respectively.

“He’s very important, and we’ll incorporate some jumbo tight end packages too to help him," Payton said of Trautman on Tuesday. "You have to be able to block the ‘D’ gap. There are some tight ends that are a little bit better in-line. He’s one of them. We’re developing [TE] Lucas [Krull] and we’re developing some of these other guys, a couple younger players. That’s when we get back to [TE] Nate [Adkins] and we look at some of the things he could do, there’s a little bit of a loss there. So that will force us possibly to be in some more jumbo sets.”