Broncos breakout wide receiver has shocking NFL bloodlines

The Denver Broncos have somewhat of a thin wide receiver group heading into the 2023 season with just four players on the 53-man roster. Among the players on the 53-man roster is second-year player Brandon Johnson, a 2022 undrafted free agent who would have made the active roster as a rookie as well had it not been for a high ankle sprain that cost him a bunch of time early on last year. Johnson has become an intriguing story in Denver for a variety of reasons. Beyond the fact that he's an undrafted player who barely even received any guaranteed money from the Broncos after last year's draft, Johnson is the son of former MLB All-Star catcher Charles Johnson.

In fact, that might be selling Charles Johnson a little short. He's a 2-time All Star, 4-time Gold Glove recipient, and World Series champion. It's understandable that many have gotten caught up in Johnson's baseball bloodlines, especially because his dad played for the Colorado Rockies for a bit, but how did just about everyone miss out on perhaps the biggest name in Johnson's family?

Some research by Twitter user XanB21 helped enlighten everyone in Broncos Country to the fact that Brandon Johnson is the cousin of former NFL legend and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson. We know him better as "Ochocinco".

Chad Johnson has been somewhat of a supporter of the Denver Broncos from afar since the team brought in Jerry Jeudy back in 2020. It's understandable, too, because Johnson likely sees a lot of himself in Jeudy. We all know Jerry Jeudy for his tremendous route running ability, quickness, and ability to create separation with ease. Those are exactly the same things Johnson (Ochocinco) was once known for.

From 2002-2010, Johnson was one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL. He averaged 88 receptions for over 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns per 17 games during that timeframe. He was named to 6 Pro Bowls and 3 All-Pro teams.

The connection to Ochocinco is certainly noteworthy for Brandon Johnson, whose father was an All-Star and Gold Glove catcher in the big leagues. He was coached by former NFL players in high school -- former 49ers 1st-round pick Mike Rumph and former Dolphins All-Pro Pat Surtain Sr. -- at American Heritage in Florida.

Oh and, by the way, he was also high school teammates with Pat Surtain II at this time. Among his other high school teammates included future NFL players Marco Wilson, Sony Michel, and Isaiah McKenzie.

When he committed to Tennessee, he initially committed to play for position coach Zach Azzanni, who was the Denver Broncos' wide receivers coach up until the end of the 2022 season (now with the Jets).

It's a pretty small world in the NFL, isn't it? So what does any of this have to do with the potential success of Brandon Johnson? Well, don't people say that you're the "sum of the people you spend the most time with"?

All kidding aside, these connections and family bloodlines certainly don't hurt Johnson. He would have made the final roster as a relatively unheralded undrafted rookie in 2022 were it not for a high-ankle sprain. He appears in line to be the Denver Broncos' no. 3 receiver in 2023 and the team has not been aggressive in pursuing additional help at that position despite having to waive KJ Hamler and losing both Tim Patrick and Jalen Virgil to season-ending injuries. Jerry Jeudy also has a hamstring injury, so Johnson could be in line for a ton of work in his first NFL season.

The former four-star recruit had a long journey through the collegiate level, starting off at Tennessee and transferring to Central Florida where he had a major breakout season in 2021 with 11 touchdown catches. But that was his 6th year of collegiate eligibility. Then Johnson had to wait in his rookie year to play until he healed up from a high-ankle sprain.

He caught his first NFL touchdown last year against Carolina and perhaps we're just beginning to scratch the surface of the impact he's going to make in 2023.

His father an MLB All-Star. His cousin an NFL All-Pro. High school teammates with the biggest star on the Denver Broncos. Coached by NFL players from a young age.

What is the next chapter in Brandon Johnson's story going to look like? Perhaps all of Broncos Country will find that he's one of the team's biggest breakout candidates very soon.