Denver Broncos: 9 wide receivers vying for two roster spots

The Denver Broncos’ wide receiver group has gone from a huge question mark to a position that is absolutely loaded with talent. Who’s competing for jobs?

In a matter of 24 hours — give or take — during the 2020 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos managed to turn their wide receiver room from one of the biggest question marks on the roster to one of the most exciting and talented.

Already with a Pro Bowl receiver on the roster in Courtland Sutton, the Broncos drafted Jerry Jeudy out of Alabama in the first round and KJ Hamler out of Penn State in the second round, getting the best route runner in the class as well as one of the draft’s fastest playmakers.

Considering how well Drew Lock played as a rookie with only Sutton as a primary target, Broncos fans are rightly excited about the idea of these two young draft picks giving the Broncos a number of options to keep defensive coordinators up at night.

The drafting of Jeudy and Hamler has created a desirable problem in Denver — there’s some depth at receiver now.

Out of necessity, the Broncos have been able to see the development of a couple of players behind the scenes with flashes of brilliance on the field over the past couple of seasons. These players who were playing significant snaps in 2018 and/or 2019 will now have to compete for their roster lives in 2020.

The top three spots at this position are solidified with Sutton, Jeudy, and Hamler. That’s still incredibly exciting to say.

Teams typically keep six receivers, but with rosters expanded to 55 players (two players can come up each week off the practice squad) it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Broncos utilize seven receivers on the active roster some weeks.

For the time being, let’s say they go with six players. At this point in time, we are operating under the assumption that DaeSean Hamilton — third on the team in targets in 2019 — will be the team’s WR3 or WR4 to open the season, competing with KJ Hamler.

If the Broncos keep six receivers, that leaves two spots open for nine players.

Here are the candidates and what each brings to the table.

The 2020 undrafted rookies

Kendall Hinton, Wake Forest

Kendall Hinton made the transition to the wide receiver position in 2019 after playing quarterback for the Demon Deacons, and it proved to be a fruitful switch for him.

Playing mostly as a slot, Hinton racked up over 1,000 yards as a receiver and made some really tough catches, catches that have you wondering how this guy wasn’t a receiver all along.

Hinton showed all throughout last season that he can run routes and make difficult catches. The key is going to be competing against the speed of bigger, faster, more physical NFL defensive backs.

At this point, he should be considered a longshot for the roster but a fun developmental option and someone who could surprise with his strong hands.

Zimari Manning, Tarleton State

You’ve got to love small school sleeper prospects, right?

Zimari Manning might have been one of the players most affected by not having a Pro Day circuit this year.

The two-time Division II All-American and 2019 Harlon Hill (DII Heisman equivalent) finalist was one of the most dominant non-QBs among Division II prospects and despite being 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, he showed a level of physical dominance that was a sight to behold.

Manning didn’t get a chance to run and jump for scouts, but he put enough on tape to be signed immediately after the draft by the Broncos, who dipped their toes into the small school pool a couple of times in 2019 as well.

Although he was dominant at the DII level, Manning is going to have to prove he’s far ahead of the curve as far as whipping NFL defensive backs the way he did in college. It’s a whole different ball game. At this point, he should be expected to be a strong practice squad candidate in 2020.

The 2019 undrafted crop

Imagine me saying this next line while clapping simultaneously along with every word.

Do not count out players the Broncos keep around.

Kelvin McKnight

The Broncos signed Kelvin McKnight out of Samford last year, and with good reason.

This kid has some serious quickness in the slot and ability as a punt returner to go along with it. As crazy as it sounds, a number of players from Samford ended up in the NFL last year, including McKnight’s QB Devlin Hodges (Steelers) and defensive end Ahmad Gooden, who saw some regular-season action in Denver.

McKnight was initially not kept on the Broncos’ practice squad last year when he got cut from the 90-man roster, but the team brought him back onto the practice squad after he briefly caught on with the New England Patriots. He signed a reserve/futures contract this past offseason for two years, so he’ll get another shot in 2020.

Trinity Benson

Trinity Benson was another fun undrafted player for the Broncos in 2019 as the team searched high and low for someone who could crack the roster as a return specialist.

He has big-time speed and to stand out playing at East Central (Oklahoma)?

Don’t take Benson off the radar just yet. He’s got a year under his belt in the pros going up against NFL defensive backs every day in practice. With some of the natural playmaking ability he showed in college and in preseason play as well as his ability to return punts and kicks, he could be a candidate to crack the roster.

Fred Brown

The Broncos brought in Fred Brown on a reserve/futures contract late in December 2018. He competed for a roster spot in 2019 and ended up seeing some of the most extensive on-field action of any receiver at the back-end of the roster.

Brown played more special teams snaps (203) than any other receiver on the roster. As a matter of fact, he was the 6th-most utilized player on special teams for the Broncos last season.

He also caught two of his three targets in the passing game for 21 yards, one of which was a first-down grab.

The Broncos got to see some of Brown’s playmaking ability in the preseason as well.

Despite playing 100 offensive snaps in 2019, Brown didn’t see enough action in the passing game for my liking, but that could change dramatically in 2020.

Although Denver certainly has a plethora of other options to work with, Brown’s special teams abilities could once again give him a clear edge over other players on the roster this coming season.

He has legit 4.4 speed and showed off his playmaking ability when given opportunities. He has a tougher road ahead this offseason than he did last year, but there are spots for the taking.

Tim Patrick

When Tim Patrick is healthy and at his best, there’s no question that he is capable of being an impactful receiver in the NFL.

Unfortunately, he missed half of the 2019 season with injury and has injury concerns dating back to his college years. Despite those concerns and issues, Patrick has managed to win the respect of the Broncos’ front office, now entering his fourth season with the team.

https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1196136804572786690

Patrick ended up catching 16 passes in eight games, and despite the Broncos’ woes at the QB position, the inconsistency here is part of the reason the team went with back-to-back receivers atop the 2020 NFL Draft.

Another thing Patrick has going for him? He can play special teams. He was limited in this regard in 2019 because the Broncos weren’t going to risk him getting injured again, but he was a full-time special teams player in 2018.

Patrick’s roster spot is certainly not a sure thing at this point. With all of the competition in Denver this offseason, he’s going to have to prove himself.

Diontae Spencer

If you’re a specialist in the NFL, you had better be really good at what you do.

Not all teams keep specialists beyond kickers, punters, and long snappers who don’t really contribute to other areas of the team, but the Broncos have been so desperate for consistency in the return game, Diontae Spencer was truly a godsend for them when the Steelers let him hit waivers at final cuts in 2019.

Spencer wound up making the Pro Bowl alternate list after his 41 total returns (26 punt returns, 15 kickoff returns) for a total of 644 yards.

Despite his abilities in space as a returner, the Broncos were unable to really get Spencer any great opportunities as a receiver, though not for lack of effort. He played a total of 70 snaps on offense this past season, but that number is going to have to increase if he is going to keep getting shots like this to break a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown.

For the first time in a really long time, Diontae Spencer gave the Broncos peace of mind in the return game. He caught almost 200 punts in the CFL in his time there, so actually catching the ball is not an issue for him in the first place, but he’s also elusive enough and quick enough to make people miss in the open field. And his acceleration is outstanding.

Hopefully with a full offseason and camp to work with Denver’s coaching staff, Spencer can factor in as more than just a returner. He will have to prove himself yet again as the best returner on the team, but he’s the leader in the clubhouse there and some feel he’s a lock for the roster strictly because of that ability.

Juwann Winfree

The Broncos essentially redshirted Juwann Winfree in his rookie season after trading up in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft to get him.

Winfree has some excellent flashes every time you watch him play, but the consistent production wasn’t there in college due to injuries.

This guy has a highlight reel and can put on a show on the practice field, but can he consistently come up big in games?

After watching him progress through the offseason as a rookie, I was certain he was going to be a factor as a rookie, but it never happened.

I’m not betting against Winfree for year two. I would love to see this guy become the WR4 or WR5 for the Broncos. He has route running ability, strong hands, and he has speed in the open field.

If Winfree can put it all together, he’s going to be a stud.

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.