Pat Bryant has been the most polarizing selection in the Denver Broncos 2025 NFL Draft class, and the team used a first-round pick on the cornerback position.
Everyone in Broncos Country went into this offseason eager to find out how head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton would surround young quarterback Bo Nix, who had by all accounts a truly historic rookie year with the Broncos. Last year, the Broncos had a top-10 overall scoring offense despite not having the greatest collection of offensive weapons, to say the least.
The assumption from the fan base was that the team would be aggressive in getting offensive weapons, and to say there have been unmet expectations in that regard would be an understatement. Although the Broncos invested their second-round pick in running back RJ Harvey and a third-round pick in Illinois receiver Pat Bryant, many were hoping for someone higher on the consensus board.
Bryant was a sleeper prospect who was projected by most to land somewhere on Day 3. The Broncos took him with the 74th overall pick, so some disappointment was to be expected. But head coach Sean Payton revved up the hype train for this guy a little bit. He threw out a comparison for Bryant after he was selected that might get Broncos fans excited.
Sean Payton compares Pat Bryant to former Saints All-Pro Michael Thomas
“Early on, they come in and they compete in the rotation. We always talk about, ‘Who does he remind [you of]?’ We try to find comps. There were so many things about his game that reminded me of [Saints WR] Mike Thomas. With respect to Mike who became… I mean, holy cow. You don’t ever want to put pressure on a rookie like that, we’re just talking about traits. But really explosive off the line of scrimmage, he’s very competitive, very tough...
I really think the body of work and all the additional film study, but his size and his hands are outstanding. His competes… I don’t know how many critical… He was just a player that excelled in crunch time. I think he had a walk-off [or] a couple of these big plays. Obviously, he’s physical, but the player comp for me—forget the jersey number—just of a lot of traits that Mike had, especially at the line of scrimmage.”
- Broncos HC Sean Payton (via team PR)
Sean Payton is clearly trying here to make sure that he's not laying on the hyperbole too thick, but you naturally look for players you've seen before when you watch guys at the college level. Michael Thomas fell to the second round of his draft and the Saints scooped him up there, but the comparison is exciting because of what he became at the NFL level.
Time will tell if Bryant has the goods or not to make it in the NFL, but when your head coach has this kind of belief in you, that's a great sign.