One of the biggest disappointments from the Denver Broncos' season-opening loss against the Seattle Seahawks was the play of the wide receiver position.
The Broncos' receivers struggled to get open and create separation. They struggled to make plays after the catch. Heck, even just catching the ball in the first place was a struggle for this group as there were at least three key drops from the receivers on Sunday afternoon.
He's not going to come in and fix it all by himself, but the Broncos clearly recognized that their receiver room was in need of a jolt and they brought a bunch of guys in for a workout earlier this week, including Marvin Mims Jr.'s brother Denzel. Among the players in that workout was another familiar face, however: Former Broncos training camp and preseason standout Kaden Davis. He signed to the Broncos' practice squad following the workout.
Davis was with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent back in 2022 and made an impression at his rookie training camp. Notably, he was routinely the first guy out on the practice field every day at camp. He spent some time on the team's practice squad in 2022 before being let go in January of 2023.
Davis then resurfaced with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL and parlayed that into a gig with the Arizona Cardinals during last year's preseason. He spent the entire year on the Cardinals' practice squad before getting let go this past offseason. After the Cardinals let him go, Davis signed with the Detroit Lions where he got an opportunity once again in the preseason to make some plays.
He actually had a big touchdown catch and run against the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason:
Northwest’s own Kaden Davis with a 61-yard Touchdown #OABAAB pic.twitter.com/kpDU2W7WQ1
— Northwest Football (@NWBearcat_FB) August 17, 2024
Again, Davis shouldn't be expected to come in and be the savior of the wide receiver group, but he's got some game. And we've gotten to see his development on a couple of occasions over the last two years, including a matchup between the Broncos and Cardinals in the 2023 preseason.
Davis ran a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash coming out of Northwest and has elite quickness in short areas. He posted a 6.88 in the three-cone drill, showing off that short area explosiveness and change of direction.
The Broncos just need bodies at receiver right now. They need options. They need guys who can get open. We all hope to see more involvement going forward from the likes of Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin, two players with real speed at the position, but don't be surprised if Kaden Davis gets a call-up at some point after he's picked up the offense.