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Broncos Camp Preview: Who is poised to take a jump in the Broncos' receiving corps?

Broncos Training Camp powered by Ford is less than a week away, and we're taking a position-by-position look at the Broncos' roster.

The categories are refreshed and a little different this season, but we're still going to take a close look at each position group that's set to take the field in late July.

We continue with the wide receiving room, which could see several players take a jump in 2025.

TOP STORYLINE

Which Broncos receiver is poised to take a jump in 2025?

Courtland Sutton's been a reliable top target for the Broncos, and he turned in an 81-catch, 1,081-yard receiving campaign for Denver in 2024. Behind Sutton, though, it seems there are several players who could take a jump and enhance Denver's receiving attack.

Marvin Mims Jr. broke out in the final weeks of 2024, posting a pair of 100-yard games in the final five weeks and catching multiple passes in each of the last seven weeks of the season. His deep-play ability — on display against Cleveland and Cincinnati — was crucial late in the year, and it's possible he can continue that momentum entering 2025.

Troy Franklin, meanwhile, connected with Bo Nix for a deep score in Buffalo after a series of near misses earlier in the year. He caught 28 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, and Head Coach Sean Payton said this offseason he believes Franklin could be poised for a jump akin to the one Mims took.

Rookie Devaughn Vele checked in as the team's third leading receiving with 475 yards, and he had 14 catches during a three-week span in the middle of the season.

Add in several veteran players, and there's a bevy of options that could step in and produce. During camp, we'll get our first look at how the competition shakes out.

PLAYER TO WATCH

WR Pat Bryant

A lot of work must be done to turn traits and potential into production, but Bryant has been intriguing since Denver selected him in the third round of April's draft.

"We always talk about, 'Who does he remind [you of]?'" Payton said during the draft. "We try to find comps. There were so many things about his game that reminded me of Mike Thomas."

Payton emphasized he wasn't making a prediction or putting pressure on the young player, but he acknowledged several of Bryant's traits — including his toughness and explosiveness off the line — were reminiscent of a former All-Pro in Thomas.

During the offseason program, Bryant showed off that ability with a handful of contested catches — and Payton said he was pleased with the rookie's performance.

"You like what you see?" Payton said in June. "I like what I see."

In a competitive receiving room, it may be a challenge to compete for early reps. With Bryant's evident potential, though, he's worth watching as camp gets underway.

STAT TO KNOW

2; 9

Another note on Mims and Franklin, specific to their big-play ability. Mims' pair of long touchdowns made him the first Broncos receiver since 2015 to record multiple touchdown receptions of at least 50 yards. Franklin's touchdown reception, meanwhile, was tied for the ninth-longest playoff scoring catch in franchise history.

In 2025, the Broncos' receiving corps should maintain — if not enhance — that deep-play threat.

… AND ONE MORE THING

Veteran receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. hasn't gotten the same media attention as fellow free-agent signings Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Evan Engram, but he could also make a significant impact in Denver.

Sherfield was a key special teams contributor in Minnesota, as he played nearly 50 percent of the team's special teams snaps in addition to 16 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps. In five of the last six seasons, Sherfield has played at least 40 percent of his team's special teams snaps, and he could be an important contributor for Denver's unit.

"We felt like it was important," said Payton in May of adding special teams contributors like Sherfield and Sam Franklin Jr. "... We were near the bottom of the league in 2022 in special teams. So very quickly [during] the last two years, it's been the opposite. That emphasis — it's easy to say, 'We want to get better in the kicking game,' but you have to commit to that."

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