Denver Broncos: Biggest improvements needed from offensive playmakers

Courtland Sutton, WR

Offseason homework: Route running details

Courtland Sutton made such massive strides in his first two seasons with the Broncos, and at this point in time, he’s the established alpha in the offense and the centerpiece of what this team is building on that side of the ball from a skill position perspective.

Sutton is the superstar in Denver, but with just two years under his belt, he can be even better.

As the clear number one in the Broncos’ passing game, Sutton is going to draw a lot of attention. That kind of attention is already coming, and it resulted in 13 pass interference penalties being called in 2019, including one massive penalty that really cost the Los Angeles Chargers the game in Denver in Drew Lock’s first career start.

Sutton’s ability to get open is a lot better than it was his rookie season, but there are ways he can get better, specifically running routes in the red zone and being more detailed in route running in general.

What do I mean by that?

I mean identifying a defensive back’s weaknesses on tape and attacking it in games. I mean being so good at so many different things, defensive backs truly have no idea what to expect from you.

Although Michael Thomas is targeted an insane amount, there’s a reason why the Saints’ star receiver is able to catch about 10 passes per game. Not only does he have strong hands and dominant physical traits, but he’s also discovered the power of nuance at the position and how to exploit any kind of coverage as a route runner.