Denver Broncos: 9 wide receivers vying for two roster spots

Tyrie Cleveland

The Broncos’ first of two seventh-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft was Florida wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland, an intriguing selection to be certain.

After already picking Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, Cleveland’s inclusion in the 2020 draft class seemed a bit over the top, but when you watch him play, you can see what the Broncos are potentially hoping for from him.

First and foremost, Cleveland had a knack for coming up with big plays at Florida, including a Hail Mary pass to win the game against Tennessee a couple of years ago. He also was not afraid of doing dirty work, whether it was in the running game as a blocker or on special teams.

With smooth routes and a physical attitude on the field, Cleveland has what could be considered the ideal raw traits to build off of for a receiver in the NFL.

He was buried on the depth chart at Florida in an offense that didn’t exactly ‘feature’ the passing game, but had he played the last four years at Alabama, the book on him might have gone a bit differently.

He has legit sub-4.4 speed and outstanding leaping ability, offering his quarterback a massive catch radius to throw at.

Look at what happens in that rep as the defensive back tries to get their hands on Cleveland. He absolutely blows by them and creates five yards of separation in the blink of an eye.

What the Broncos know they are going to get out of Cleveland? Special teams ability. And plenty of it.

Despite being a seventh-round pick in the NFL Draft and not having elite production while he was at Florida, Cleveland is precisely the type of player you want on the back end of your roster. He plays all varieties of special teams, including returning kicks, and he has speed to burn and playmaking ability on offense.

The Broncos knew what they were doing here, and it wasn’t just throwing a dart in the dark.