It’s hard to accurately articulate just how bad the Denver Broncos were at tight end in 2024.
They were comfortably one of the least talented position groups, on either side of the ball, among any team in the league, boasting a No. 1 who would be a No. 3 other places, and an assortment of other options that might not have even been rostered by Denver’s peers.
How can the Denver Broncos overhaul this position this offseason, and what else does Broncos Country need to watch out for? Let’s look.
Adam Trautman
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Adam Trautman’s 2024 is probably the hardest to grade among all the members of the Denver Broncos tight end group.
Yes, it was an underwhelming campaign, but wasn’t that the expectation going in? He’s paid slightly more than Harrison Bryant and Drew Sample.
Nonetheless, it is disappointing just how underwhelming he is as a receiver.
Owen Daniels had more receiving yards working with Peyton Manning’s corpse and Brock Osweiler in 2015 than Trautman has had in his entire career. Since the Super Bowl 50 victory, the Broncos have had a parade of forgettable tight ends march through Denver, and yet still, Trautman stands out as especially unimpressive.
His 2024 campaign ranks 12th in receiving yards among Broncos tight ends since 2016, and his 2023 season ranks 10th, despite the fact there are only six seasons in that span where he wasn’t the team’s unquestioned starter at the position. Both of his seasons are notably behind the likes of Albert Okwuegbunam (2021), Jeff Heuerman (2018), Matt LaCosse (2018), Virgil Green (2016), and A.J. Derby (2017).
Adam Trautman continues his run blocking ass kicking tour. pic.twitter.com/XjgFjHtt6L
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) December 3, 2024
Trautman’s blocking ability is a plus, but it’s also nowhere near special enough to make up for his ineffectiveness in the passing game. He’s under contract going into next season, but Denver should hope to make additions that bury him on the depth chart.
Grade: D
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Where does Adam Trautman fall on the Broncos’ 2025 depth chart?
It’s hard to imagine the Denver Broncos upgrading their tight end group to the point that they can feel comfortable cutting Trautman and bringing in an entirely new trio, so the question becomes, where will Trautman fit in?
One would hope he slides down to the team’s No. 3 spot, but it’s unlikely whatever draft addition they make would be able to wrench the job from his hands before Week 1, so Trautman will probably be the team’s No. 1 or No. 2 option at the position early on, depending on their other investments.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The Denver Broncos should turn over every stone at their disposal to ensure that Trautman is as minor a contributor on offense as possible. The less snaps they’re forced to play him in 2025, the better they did with their moves this offseason.
Nate Adkins
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
The only tight end on the Denver Broncos who had a positive 2024 was probably Nate Adkins, and even then, it wasn’t that great.
Denver’s utility player was a fine blocker and surprisingly effective in the red zone, scoring three touchdowns. Only Bo Nix, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr. and Javonte Williams tallied more.
Nate Adkins catches the pass and finds the end zone! @Broncos lead!
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
📺: #INDvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zb02tlAGc5
Adkins also continues to offer the versatility to play both fullback and tight end, which is meaningful when trying to separate oneself from the muck of this position group. That skill could carry added value this offseason though, with Michael Burton hitting the market at age 33.
Grade: B-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Where does Nate Adkins fit in at fullback?
Oddly, this is probably the most important question of Adkins’ offseason. We already know what he is as a tight end — an okay blocker with the most rudimentary receiving skillset.
The fact he could cure the departure of Burton is something new though, and Payton has always valued his fullbacks.
That said, bringing Burton back or signing one of the talented free-agent options like Reggie Gilliam or Adam Prentice are probably more appealing options. If the Broncos pursue one of those latter names, their need for Adkins’ diverse skillset will be greatly diminished, forcing him to make his roster case solely on his merit at tight end.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The Denver Broncos should look to completely re-make their tight end room, except for maybe Adam Trautman bumping down to the No. 3 spot.
They should also look to upgrade fullback enough that they don’t need Adkins to fill in.
However, Denver is still a rebuilding team with a lot of needs, and they don’t have a hoard of assets at their disposal, so they should keep Adkins in mind as a backup plan for their needed depth.
Lucas Krull
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Unfortunately, training camp hall-of-famer Lucas Krull didn’t live up to his early offseason billing once the season came.
The Denver Broncos entered last summer seemingly with the plan of developing Krull into one of their main contributors at the tight end position, and someone who could maybe even challenge Adam Trautman’s job.
Instead, Krull failed to take that next developmental step. He remained a woefully ineffective blocker, often trailing some of the team’s wide receivers in that department, and his pass-catching ability was nowhere near special enough to make up for it.
He now seems like the 2024 Broncos tight end most likely to wind up elsewhere, which is somewhat remarkable considering he’s an exclusive-rights free agent (ERFA).
Grade: F
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
The ERFA label gives all the power to Denver this offseason.
Payton, Paton, and Co. will decide whether or not they want to offer Krull a one-year deal at the league’s minimum salary with zero guaranteed money. If they want to extend that offer, Krull has no choice but to accept. If they don’t want to extend that offer, he’ll become a free agent.
One would expect the Broncos to extend that offer to him, but, if they’re able to make any addition at the position this offseason, Krull is likely to wind up as a training camp cut. Unfortunately for him, it’s hard to imagine Denver emerging from this offseason without making a serious investment at tight end.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Denver should take advantage of the leverage provided by the ERFA deal, but they should also scour both the veteran and rookie markets for any sort of viable upgrade to compete with Krull during training camp.
Then, the coaching staff should simply sit back and let the best men win.
Thomas Yassmin
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
After going undrafted this past April, Thomas Yassmin spent the entire year on the Denver Broncos practice squad.
Yassmin got some playing time in the preseason, but he didn’t register even a single target over the three games.
Despite that, one could argue that 2024 went pretty well for him because the rest of Denver’s tight ends fell flat on their face. That opens a door for Yassmin.
As sad as it makes me to say this, I think we've seen Thomas Yassmin play his last game for Utah.
— 🕴Suited & Uted 🕴 (@thetyrusaurus) October 19, 2023
I am glad I got to see him score his last TD as a Ute up in Corvallis.
This one will forever be my favorite though:pic.twitter.com/aU1UlpFuCX
An Aussie and a former rugby player, Yassmin is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which allows the Broncos to carry an extra player in the offseason and on their practice squad during the regular season. That affords the Broncos extra time to invest in Yassmin’s development, as there’s no opportunity cost associated with keeping him around.
With the room being overhauled, Yassmin could wind up making the backend of the 53-man roster this time around, but at the least, he should remain safe on the practice squad moving forward.
Grade: C
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Practically nothing. At most, it’s worth monitoring the undrafted free agent market for additional members of the NFL’s IPPP program, to create competition for the bonus roster spot, but that’s far from necessary.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The Denver Broncos should continue investing in Yassmin’s development.
Thomas Yassmin is a TE prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 7.72 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 261 out of 1141 TE from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/hsnaV0BHZ2 pic.twitter.com/zNRBPGCI8X
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 28, 2024
He’s an athletic player at a position of tremendous need, which also happens to be a position that requires a lot of time to learn, and there is little to no cost associated with keeping him.
That said, they should also keep their eyes open for better uses of the IPPP roster spot, as Yassmin hasn’t done anything to cement himself.
