Pat Bryant Is the Broncos' Most Overlooked Breakout Candidate

The Denver Broncos have a young roster, though the team has become significantly more battle-tested over the past two years. The Broncos have several young players on rookie contracts who might qualify as "breakout' candidates entering the 2026 season.

One such player, in the estimation of Sports Illustrated's Eva Geitheim, is second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant.

"The Broncos’ receiver room is more crowded after trading for Jaylen Waddle this offseason, but that doesn’t mean Pat Bryant can’t step up and prove to be Denver’s WR3. The 2025 third-round pick caught 31 passes for 378 yards and a touchdown in 15 games as a rookie. He has recentlyreceived heavy praise from coach Sean Payton during OTAs, adding to the momentum heading into his sophomore campaign," Geitheim wrote.

If we're picking breakout candidates on offense this year, Bryant would certainly qualify, though he often gets overlooked in the conversation. Not by us; he checked in at No. 25 on our top 25 Broncos of 2026 list.

Other more common breakout candidates would include wide receiver Troy Franklin and running back RJ Harvey, though one could argue that both kind of broke out last year. Are Franklin and Harvey household names around the NFL? Not yet, which means they both have room for breaking out. I would also throw in wideout Marvin Mims Jr., but I digress.

Bryant is an equally good choice. As a rookie last season, he quickly leapfrogged the veteran Mims in the Broncos' receiver pecking order, seeing a lot of snaps as the Broncos' third receiver behind Courtland Sutton and Franklin.

Health Concerns

For the most part, Bryant was equal to his opportunity, but you could see that he really started to put things together down the stretch, right before he suffered a scary concussion in Week 16 on a blindside hit that hospitalized him.

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

Bryant returned in Week 16. He was poised to have a high-impact playoff run, but the injury bug hit him again — harder this time.

Bryant suffered another concussion early in the Broncos' 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs, but he passed through the league's independent concussion protocol in time to dress for the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots.

On his first and only target vs. the Patriots, Bryant suffered a hamstring injury that ended his day. He ended up being a bit snake-bitten at season's end, which is really the only thing I could see holding him back from a Year-2 ascension, aside from quarterback calamity.

Concussions, in particular, are a major concern with Bryant moving forward. He also suffered one in October of 2024 in his final year at Illinois. Combined with his two as a Bronco, that means he had three concussions over a 15-month span. Not good.

The Broncos would be wise to deploy a Guardian Cap on Bryant's helmet as an extra layer of protection this season. They look a little dorky, but they do work, and several receivers have had success wearing them, including Romeo Doubs last season in Green Bay.

Breakout Traits

Pat Bryant and Hassan Haskins — Pat Bryant 13 of the Denver Broncos, runs the ball and gives the stiff arm to Hassan Haskins 28 of the Los Angeles Chargers. | Kevin Langley / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Bryant stands at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, and while his 4.61-second speed isn't keeping defenses at night, his route-running, strong, reliable hands, and my-ball mentality make for a dangerous combination. Bryant projects as a successor to Sutton at the X-receiver spot, but the two-time Pro Bowler isn't going anywhere any time soon.

Bryant is also very good with the ball in his hands, making would-be tacklers miss and fighting for extra yardage. He's also a willing and able blocker on the perimeter, which endears him to the coaching staff.

WR Depth Chart

Jaylen Waddle's arrival via trade this offseason pushed every receiver not named Sutton down the depth chart one spot and also created intense competition for the No. 3 receiver job. Bryant will compete with Franklin and Mims for those snaps, though the Broncos are likely to use a combination of the three on a week-to-week basis.

With Nix poised for a Year-3 ascension of his own, that could be a tide that raises all the ships around him, including Bryant. It'll be fun to see what the 2026 season has in store for Bryant, but he definitely qualifies as a "breakout" candidate.

If Bryant does actually break out this season, it'll mean that Nix likely took some massive steps forward in Year 3, just as offensive coordinator Davis Webb is expecting.

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