No one seems to be talking about this player on the Denver Broncos' roster

There is a lot to be excited about with the 2023 Denver Broncos, and you might end up way down that list until you find who could end up being the NFL best kept secret. OK, to be fair, I guess when you say the phrase "best kept secret" it's implied that most, perhaps no one really knows what that actually is. And to be fair to the player, he did make his presence known a few years ago.

However, when you think of the 2023 Denver Broncos, what do you think of?

Firstly, you likely think of Sean Payton now in town as the head coach.

Your next thought is probably Russell Wilson.

After that, you probably think of Patrick Surtain II.

Maybe after that, you think of the defense being strong, as it has been in Denver for a while now.

You then might think about the improved offensive line and Javonte Williams returning from injury. You may also think about Jerry Jeudy and how he just might be a perfect fit in Sean Payton's offenses.

Well, is there something else the team is "hiding?" Perhaps it's second-year tight end Greg Dulcich, who has gotten some national attention as a potential breakout player. Dulcich averaged over 40 yards a game last year playing in a Nathaniel Hackett-run offense, which was the worst in the NFL.

For those who just want me to say who I am talking about already: OK, here you go.

I am not talking about Marvin Mims Jr, an exciting rookie who profiles pretty closely to Brandin Cooks, whom Sean Payton drafted in 2014. I'm not talking about Brandon Johnson, who has had a very nice offseason program and pretty solidly made the team. How about one of the longest-tenured players?

Yes, I am talking about Courtland Sutton, who just might explode in his sixth year in the NFL. Sutton, 27, was the Denver Broncos' second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He immediately made an impact during his rookie season, catching 42 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns.

He took off in year two, catching 72 passes for 1,112 yards, six touchdowns, and earned his first Pro Bowl. A torn ACL ended his 2020 season after just one game, but he returned in 2021 to amass 776 receiving yards. He then put up 829 yards in 2022, and had two touchdowns in each of those seasons. Outside of his injury-shortened 2020 season, Sutton has missed just two games otherwise.

He averages nearly 15 yards per reception and has a career yards per game of 53.6, which comes out to 911 yards over a 17-game season. Mind you, Sutton has put up these solid numbers playing with quarterbacks like Case Keenum, Drew Lock, Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen, Teddy "If you need 10 yards he'll give you 5" Bridgewater, and a severely inaccurate Russell Wilson.

You see, while we all fawn over Jerry Jeudy finally hitting his stride, young players having promising camps, and an elite head coach in town, I think we seem to forget other things that could make the Denver Broncos great, Courtland Sutton is one of them. We've said his name thousands of times over the years. He's been with the Broncos for what seems like forever, so we just kind of assume he'll be there, right?

Courtland Sutton is going to have the best year of his career in 2023. He finally has stable, competent, efficient QB play (here's hoping). He has a coach that is going to maximize what he does best, and while opposing CB1's give their attention to Jerry Jeudy, who is a more talented receiver, Sutton is going to feast on lesser defensive backs, paving the way for a big year.