Instead of extending Courtland Sutton for too much money, the Denver Broncos should consider finding his replacement in the 2025 NFL Draft. Before getting into the players Denver could draft to replace Sutton, let's highlight his draft profile from Lance Zierlein back in the 2018 NFL Draft cycle:
"Sutton is a possession receiver who has the size and toughness to handle a heavier target load if necessary, but he will need to improve as a route runner because his play speed and separation is nothing special. Sutton's ability to win in contested catch situations could get him early playing time as a second or third receiver, but he may not have the explosiveness to ever become a top-flight WR1."Lance Zierlein
Now that we kind of have an idea what kind of NFL Draft prospect he was, that can help us identify a few players in the 2025 NFL Draft that Denver could take to replace him. With each passing day, I cannot imagine that Courtland Sutton's potential contract extension gets any cheaper.
He could surely fetch well over $20 million per year, and that simply might be too much based on his true worth. The Broncos could turn their attention to the NFL Draft and target these three prospect to try and replace him.
3 obvious replacements for Courtland Sutton for the Broncos in 2025 NFL Draft
Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Here is a short blurb again from Lance Zierlein about Tre Harris, the WR from Ole Miss:
"Harris might be capable of expanding his route tree a bit, but he looks locked in as an “X” receiver with big-game potential and a future home as a WR2."Lance Zierlein
A similar type of player, Tre Harris played his college football at Ole Miss and Louisiana Tech. He caught 220 passes for 3,532 yards and 29 touchdowns across his career. He has 51 games of experience and could come in and contribute immediately. We saw just how much Bo Nix's collegiate experience helped him at the NFL level. Why can't the same be said for Tre Harris? Denver could draft him with their second-round pick.
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Jayden Higgins is not a super polished prospect, but he's extremely physical and has great hands. He stands at 6'4" and ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, so he's fast as well. He's another WR prospect that needs some refinement with route-running, but it does seem like a lot of those big-bodied WRs coing into the NFL have this same issue.
They have a lot of mass to move around, and many WR routes require players to move on a dime, so it's no surprise that the 6'4" Higgins would need some route-running development, but he could actually hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Tet McMillan, Arizona
Arguably the best WR in the 2025 NFL Draft, Tet McMillan might not be there at pick 20, but you just never know. This is not the best WR draft we have seen, so the top players might be that much more valuable. Another big-bodied target, McMillan might be able to bring the same level of production in year one that Courtland Sutton provides right now.
And I just do not see much of a reason to pay Sutton upwards of $25 million per year if that is what it takes. Denver could probably fetch a fourth-round pick for Sutton's services at this point, and they would have options in the 2025 NFL Draft to replace him as the primary "X" player at the position.