Courtland Sutton expecting big increase in targets in year two

Denver Broncos second-year wide receiver Courtland Sutton will be a starter in 2019 and hopes to have a bunch of opportunities to be productive.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He recorded 42 catches for 704 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (nine starts) for the Broncos.

He saw more playing time after the departure of wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (traded to the Houston Texans) as well as after the Achilles injury suffered by Emmanuel Sanders.

During the team’s first media session of the 2019 league year, Sutton explained some of the things that he learned from his rookie year heading into year two.

"“Just assuming that No. 1 role. You can’t go into a game and have one or two catches. You have to go into a game and be ‘that guy’ every day. That is something that I know, and I accept that role. I’m looking forward to being able to being a guy that gets the seven or eight-plus targets going into the game and knowing that I’m getting those—being able to make seven or eight-plus catches at minimum, hopefully going into the game and being that guy. That is just one of the smallest things that I recognized and I noticed in those last four games. I’m going to take that into this next season.”Courtland Sutton (quotes via Broncos PR)"

Sutton caught 42 of his 84 targets (50%) in his rookie year. He will get better with experience, and will also benefit from having a better quarterback and coaching staff than the Denver Broncos provided him during the 2018 season.

Now, Sutton is ‘that guy’ the Broncos are going to rely on. Across from Emmanuel Sanders, Sutton is now a permanent starter. He could see a huge increase in targets in his second year.

With Sanders recovering from a torn Achilles, Sutton is going to be able to show what he can do in training camp. All eyes should be on him when the ball is in the air.

Of course, there is still work to be done. With Sutton getting a new quarterback, he and Flacco are going to have to spend a lot of time together on the field. Each player has their own tendencies and it is very important for each other to be on the same page.

It is also important to note that the Broncos have a new coaching staff and Sutton is going to have to learn the new playbook. That being said, I expect the second-year pro to receive many more opportunities in the upcoming season.

Broncos Country should see a lot more of Courtland Sutton in the future.