To nobody’s surprise, the Broncos didn’t feature third-round rookie Pat Bryant much early in the season. Bryant’s expectations for this year were very low, as he was forced to sit behind Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims.
However, he has started to come on strong at the perfect time for Denver.
Aware that their offense was shaky, the Broncos knew they’d need help from some of their young guys. Pat Bryant has shown that he can be that help.
The Rise of Pat Bryant
The Broncos drafted Pat Bryant out of the University of Illinois in the 2025 NFL Draft with the 74th pick. Bryant was never particularly electric, but he proved at Illinois that he was a solid, sure-handed, medium-range receiver.
Predictably, Bryant did not see much action early on in the season. In fact, he failed to haul in a reception in four of his first five games.
After those first few weeks or so, the Broncos slowly began to feature him more and more in the offense. Since Week 5, Bryant has been used in at least 49% of the Broncos’ snaps each game. However, his success this season goes beyond just snap counts.
In Week 8, Bryant began to make himself known with a beautiful touchdown catch against the Cowboys. In Week 10, his 43-yard reception served as one of the lone highlights from Denver’s victory over the Raiders.
But it’s the last two games that have really shown how quickly Bryant has started to come into his own.
https://twitter.com/NFLPlus/status/1986622396980470089
From Rookie to Reliable
On paper, Bryant’s stats in the two games without Mims weren’t incredible. In those games, he put up a combined three receptions for 63 yards.
However, his production went beyond the box score. He serves as an all-around threat that keeps the defense honest. Not to mention, in those two games, Denver’s offense only put up 18 and 10 points, respectively. Thus, it’s hard to put all the blame on Bryant. Nevertheless, coach Sean Payton clearly liked what he saw.
When Marvin Mims returned, many thought he would take his No. 3 receiver spot right back, but Bryant’s snaps did not decrease.
In fact, in Mims’ first game back, Bryant had his best game of the season. Against the Chiefs in Week 11, he notched an impressive 82 yards on five receptions.
Then, in the following game against the Commanders, Bryant followed it up with a respectable three catches for 42 yards. What’s most notable about that game, though, is that Bryant was in on 70% of Denver’s offensive snaps.
As skilled as Marvin Mims is, Sean Payton mostly uses him as a gadget guy for screen passes and deep balls. Payton has always favored bigger receivers, as seen in his usage of 6-foot-4 Courtland Sutton and 6-foot-2 Troy Franklin.
Thus, it is not shocking that he would turn to 6-foot-2 Pat Bryant for a more involved role. Bryant’s size and speed allow him to do it all: whether it be deep balls, blocking reps, or routes over the middle against big linebackers, there’s not much he can’t do.
Pat Bryant’s Future
After seeing how often Payton had Bryant on the field, it stands to reason that his high usage will continue. A wide receiver trio of Sutton, Franklin, and Bryant will give defenses nightmares, as all three wideouts can do just about anything the Broncos need them to do.
Furthermore, Bryant has been establishing himself as a safety valve of sorts over the middle for Bo Nix. His size allows him to corral the ball and bounce off tacklers. Continuing on as a weapon of choice for Nix will only increase his time on the field.
With the playoffs inbound, Bryant could not have picked a better time to get hot. The playoffs are all about depth; an extra solid player at any given position could be a huge difference maker in any given game.
Denver’s defense has been stout all season and likely will continue to be. It will be their offense that determines how far they’ll go.
The offensive line will give Nix time, and Nix will deliver some very good throws. Having an extra receiver that can be both a safety net, like against Washington, and a big-time player, like against Kansas City, is huge for the Broncos.
With Denver headed for a very high playoff seed and with expectations beginning to grow, it’s time to see how high this Illini can fly.
Leave a comment