Trey Palmer would give Denver Broncos more than a deep threat

We should expect the wide receiver room for the Denver Broncos to encounter changes after the 2023 season.

Evaluate the player, not the helmet. The wide receiver class may not be an overall deep class; however, there are some intriguing options for the Denver Broncos on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite shooting down the rumors of the team trading Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, the wide receivers took to social media to post the words “the last dance.” “The Last Dance” refers to the last time a unit will be together before disbanding. This does not mean Sutton and/or Jeudy are gone after 2023. In all honesty, it probably means more to do with Tim Patrick and/or KJ Hamler who also represent the predominant group of four.

If Denver moves on from Hamler, it would make sense to address a deep threat need in this upcoming draft. This is why we take a look at one player who can bring speed and raw ability to the wide receiver. Lastly, evaluate the player, not the helmet. 

Wide receiver Trey Palmer hails from the University of Nebraska. Palmer clocked the fastest time at the NFL Combine for the entire wide receiver group. Before joining the Cornhuskers, Palmer attended LSU where he was stashed in a room consisting of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Hard to make room there with both of those players having playing time. Also at that time, LSU had one of the best wide receiver coaches in the country in Mickey Joseph. Joseph recruited Palmer since before high school and was a father figure to Palmer. When Joseph left to take the same job at his alma mater Nebraska it became obvious where Palmer was going in the transfer portal. 

During his time with LSU, Palmer showed his speed in both kickoff return and punt return game. From 2020 to 2021 he was seen as the main return man for the Tigers. With Nebraska, he became the complete wide receiver. As a member of the Cornhuskers, he dominated from day one. In his lone opportunity as a starting wide receiver, he flourished. Palmer broke out for a 1,000+ yard season accumulating nine touchdowns. He also proved to excel in the middle of the field and deep middle at Nebraska.

In the deep middle of the field, Palmer caught 8/14 passes for six of his nine touchdowns and 345 yards. Palmer further excelled in the lower middle part of the field. He caught 12/19 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. On both of these occasions Palmer never had an interception thrown his way. If there has been an area of weakness for Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson it has been targeting the middle of the field. This statistic also shows Palmer may not be a true deep threat people think. 

Make no mistake about it though, Palmer is absolutely a burner. If you’re clocking in at 4.33 in the 40-yard dash, then you’re faster than Lightning McQueen himself. Palmer broke the single-game receiving yards record versus Purdue by simply going deep on go routes and hesitation moves. On every single occasion, he made the Purdue defensive backs burnt toast on every rep. 

Looking at Palmer as a prospect, he’s still very raw. This was still his lone season as a starter which means there is plenty of room for growth as a player. There is obviously the blazing speed, but Palmer is a bit more refined route runner than people may think. He is a nuanced runner on his routes. It doesn’t look special, but for a defensive back, it is just enough to create the ideal separation for him on routes. 

Palmer also excels as a pass catcher. He has strong hands to make difficult high-pointed passes. There were numerous occasions where Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Casey Thompson would throw what I’d call a “screw it” ball and Palmer would come down with the pass a fair amount. This is also proof Palmer has the ideal size to work with as a receiver project. Typically when you see a burner it is a wideout that is under six feet. Simply put, Palmer plays bigger than his frame at times which you love to see from a receiver. 

In a room with still unproven talent but exceptional talent that may never see full potential, Palmer would be a great receiver to add to the wide receiver room for the Denver Broncos. He has the speed of KJ Hamler and the hands of an Emmanuel Sanders. Since Palmer has that room to grow in his entire game, you can groom him exactly how he started his career at LSU. Start in special teams as a return man and then work your way into a larger role in the offense. It’s also possible Denver under Sean Payton could have utilized plays for Palmer on end-arounds. Palmer is a fascinating prospect for Denver to consider this year in the NFL Draft.