Broncos receivers and tight ends in need of upgrades during 2024 NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos enter 2024 with their receivers and tight ends mostly being holdovers from the 2023 campaign, but there is one noticeable change: former Alabama standout Jerry Jeudy was moved to the Browns for draft pick compensation. Subsequently, the Broncos signed former Lion and Ram Josh Reynolds, seemingly swapping the high-risk Jeudy out for the more stable veteran.

Let's take a look at the receiving options the Broncos carry into the 2024 NFL Draft, both on the line of scrimmage and the outside.

Receivers: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, Lil'Jordan Humphrey

The Broncos enter the draft with a fairly similar makeup in their receiver room as they had last year: Courtland Sutton will lead the way as the team's premier wideout, Tim Patrick looks to rebound from a blown-out knee, Marvin Mims figures to be their best speed and deep ball threat, and Lil'Jordan Humphrey seems to be a systemic fit with Sean Payton.

The only key difference is with the removal of Jerry Jeudy, and the insertion of Josh Reynolds. Following a 1,000 scrimmage-yard season, Jeudy was moved to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a few draft picks. The Broncos then signed Josh Reynolds to fill in the hole he left on the roster. Jeudy's 2023 was underwhelming, with on-the-field struggles, and some off-the-field distractions as well. Jeudy had one year left on his deal, and considering the Broncos very likely were not bringing him back after his rookie deal expired, it made sense to ship him out for draft picks. The Reynolds addition gives the Broncos another large-bodied receiver on the outside, a strong run blocker, and a more dependable target than Jeudy had offered last year.

Arguably the last position the Broncos need to address in the first round of the draft this year is receiver. Between the five aforementioned receivers, Denver has a solid group that very likely does not need to add a new long-term face to it. Additionally, taking two receivers with your two most recent top picks while failing to address every other position of need would be a bad misstep for the Paton/Payton regime.

Grade: B-

Tight Ends: Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Nate Adkins, Lucas Krull

The Broncos have one of the quieter and more unattractive overall tight end groups in football. The group is led by Adam Trautman and Greg Dulcich, both of whom possess incredibly different skill sets, but could complement each other well. Dulcich was set to be the Broncos' top tight end in 2023, but injuries kept him on the sideline for most of the season, and Trautman took over. Trautman put together a strong year, being targeted 35 times, scoring three times, blocking well, and did enough to earn himself a two-year extension with the team. Dulcich, on the other hand, figures to have a shot to retake the top spot from Trautman, but first needs to stay on the field.

Beyond those two, the Broncos roster both Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull. The two young tight ends were not major factors in the offense by any means: Krull hauled in eight passes; Adkins four. However, both are young, athletic, and have the potential to do some damage in the NFL. One of the most notable aspects of the Sean Payton offense in Denver last year was that he carried four tight ends at basically all times.

The team has since seen Chris Manhertz move on to the Giants, and the Broncos have not brought in any new tight ends. The Broncos seemingly have their group set heading into the draft, but if they were to bring in a new tight end, signs would point to a position battle between Krull and Adkins.

Grade: C