5 Broncos players whose stock is soaring before training camp
2. Lucas Krull, tight end
If there's one guy Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton hyped up during OTAs more than the rest, it's tight end Lucas Krull. What do the Broncos like so much about him?
"The same things we see in [TE Greg] Dulcich relative to we see a certain stature we like. So that means we have a bigger target. He has good vertical speed. He’s young, so we think there is room to grow. That was one of the reasons we signed him. So these camps benefit certain players—like I said the other day—a little bit more than others because you can get into your patterns and see some things. So he’s doing well."
- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
Krull had a standout practice back in May to the point that the media scrum was asking Payton about it after practice, and he delivered one of the best quotes of the 2024 offseason:
"I thought he’s had a good week. I said, ‘If you didn’t notice, everyone in the media was looking down at their rosters to see who [No.] 85 was.’ I said, ‘Someday soon, they’re going to know who 85 is.’ He’s looking sharp."
- Sean Payton
The emergence of Krull this season couldn't come at a better time with tight end being one of the biggest question marks on this roster as a whole.
3. Jaleel McLaughlin, running back
What if I told you Jaleel McLaughlin was maybe the safest running back on the Denver Broncos' roster right now? That might seem like a hot take given the presence of guys like Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine, the two veterans on the team, but it might be true.
And maybe that doesn't surprise you at all. McLaughlin got just over 100 touches last year as an undrafted rookie and he did very well with them. The Broncos want to get him more involved this year and while he won't likely be the number one back, I wouldn't be shocked if he ended up leading the running back stable in touches. He reportedly looked explosive all throughout OTAs, and he certainly has another gear that Williams, Perine, and rookie Audric Estimé don't really have.