One of the most hotly debated position groups of the young offseason for Denver Broncos fans has been the wide receiver room.
How pressing of a need is it? What should the team do about Courtland Sutton? How do young pieces Devaughn Vele, Marvin Mims Jr., and Troy Franklin all fit together? Could A.T. Perry be a future contributor?
All those questions and more are answered below.
Courtland Sutton
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
The pairing between Courtland Sutton and Russell Wilson appeared to be a match made in heaven.
Sutton is the prototypical jump-ball X receiver, and Wilson threw one of the prettiest moon balls in the league and had no problem trusting Sutton to dominate his opponent at the catch point. As a result, Sutton experienced the most productive season of his career, and arguably the best quarterback play.
It was then understandable that he seemed upset by the decision to move on from Wilson. The choice to pair him with a supposedly weak-armed, overly conservative, low-wattage rookie amplified the sting of Denver’s decision to banish Sutton’s favorite quarterback to Siberia.
Surprisingly though, Nix and Sutton formed an even better bond than the one he had with Wilson. Rather than fading back to the obscurity he experienced with Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, Sutton set new career-best marks in every major statistical category but touchdowns, though he fell just two scores short.
2024 Courtland Sutton was a big play machine. pic.twitter.com/6H0wB0Tt4g
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) February 4, 2025
Even sweeter than the statistical accomplishments was that, after six torturously disappointing seasons, he finally got to experience an NFL playoff game.
Grade: A
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Courtland Sutton signed his big-money extension right before the receiver market exploded, and has wanted his deal reworked for a while now.
After the two sides stared each other down last offseason, an agreement was reached that gave Sutton more money upfront for the 2024 season, but it didn’t solve anything beyond that, leaving them with no guaranteed money left on his deal for 2025.
Courtland Sutton would have been the difference for Pittsburgh.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 5, 2025
Will he be next year?
Understandably, the star receiver doesn’t want to step back onto the football field without some long-term assurances. Meanwhile, the Broncos appear trepidatious about paying a receiver set to turn 30 years old during the 2025 season to a multi-year extension near the top of the market.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Considering the clear chemistry between Nix and Sutton, the Broncos should be willing to pay a bit of a premium to keep their young hopeful franchise quarterback’s developmental infrastructure intact.
That said, one of the Broncos’ greatest team-building superpowers moving forward is the immense amount of flexibility they should have moving forward, and paying Sutton a lot of guaranteed money, right as he crests the 30-year-old receiver cliff, could jeopardize that.
If the Broncos can sign him on a deal worth $25 million in average annual value or less, they should do it, so long as they aren’t on the hook with guaranteed money for longer than two seasons. If Sutton’s asking price exceeds that $25 million number, which it certainly could, Denver would likely be better off spending that money on other elements of Bo Nix’s supporting cast.
Marvin Mims Jr.
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
2024 was a rollercoaster season for Marvin Mims, with the second-year receiver experiencing some painfully low lows and euphorically high highs.
Through the first nine weeks of the season, Mims touched the ball eight times and gained a measly total of just 56 yards. It seemed like Mims was trending towards being labeled a bust, with him slowly being phased out of the offense, despite the team’s receiver room craving speed and dynamism like a fat kid craves chocolate cake.
It was worse than just failing to break out in his projected ‘breakout season.’ He was lost at sea.
Then, in the team’s Week 9 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sean Payton and Co. overhauled how Mims was being deployed, and he began to blossom into the player Denver hoped they had drafted.
Mims started to see more of his snaps come in the slot, instead of out wide. Rather than being relegated to solely being a downfield threat, Mims began to see more touches around the line of scrimmage, where he was able to tap into his remarkable ball-carrying talents.
Marvin Mims pic.twitter.com/zhOBCgOeKf
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 23, 2025
The adaptation to Mims’ usage also better fit with Nix’s strengths.
As a result, Mims totaled 44 touches for 489 yards and six touchdowns over the Broncos’ final eight games. He also tallied 108 yards after the catch over expectation (YACOE) on the season, which was the ninth-most in the league, but his 2.08 YACOE per target ranked best in the NFL among wide receivers with at least 45 targets this season.
The highest high, and the top reason Broncos Country should be optimistic about Mims’ future, was that he took dramatic strides as a receiver as he saw more playing time and more targets down the stretch. This culminated with Mims arguably making the best play of the Broncos’ season, with a remarkable snag that forced overtime in the regular season battle with the Bengals.
WOW!!! Bo Nix connects with Marvin Mims on a double coverage Chuck it- F it Hail Mary to tie the ball game with :08 to go!
— Matt Morris (@mattdubyamorris) December 29, 2024
The Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals are heading to OT with playoff hopes on the line!! 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/T9vN9VChPA
Grade: B-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
How does Mims co-exist with the other Denver Broncos receivers as the room is currently constructed?
Marvin Mims lol pic.twitter.com/k4dPakapCb
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 23, 2025
Mims does his best work in the slot, but Payton prefers to use larger receivers there, like Devaughn Vele, who also was used primarily in the slot. With Vele and Mims being the two most promising receivers on rookie deals that the Broncos have, you would like to be able to use them together, but that likely forces Vele out to the X, which only works if the team moves on from Sutton, and doing that would needlessly make the offense worse.
They could split the usage between the two like the Broncos did last year, but then they’re really limiting how frequently they are getting their 11 best offensive players out on the field.
So how can they solve that conundrum?
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The ideal solution involves Mims continuing his late-season bloom as a true receiver, rather than just a gadget guy, and taking over the team’s starting ‘Z’ receiver spot.
Doing so would allow the Broncos to have all three of their best wide receivers out on the field at the same time when in 11 personnel, and would help further foster Mims and Vele’s development inside this offense. It would also clarify the team’s future at the position with Sutton’s departure likely coming sometime in the next 12 months.
If Mims cements himself as the team’s Z, and Vele locks in his spot as the team’s power-slot option, Denver can attack next spring’s comparatively rich receiver market knowing they just need an X receiver. That’s certainly preferable to having to piece the room together around two young receivers with nebulous roles and uncertain futures.
Devaughn Vele
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
One could easily make the case that no one on the Denver Broncos exceeded expectations more this past season than Devaughn Vele.
As a 26-year-old, seventh-round rookie, expectations for Vele’s rookie campaign were understandably low, with many unsure whether or not he would even make the final roster.
Those projections were quickly proven to be foolish though, as the Utah product emerged as one of the two best pass-catchers on the team.
In his remarkable rookie year, Vele ranked second on the team in targets per game, receiving yards per game, and total first-down conversions, while leading the Broncos in catch rate over expectation (CROE), and total receiving EPA, despite missing four games and having 80 fewer targets than Courtland Sutton.
Devaughn Vele has been a major asset for the Broncos offense when facing zone coverage. He has a great feel for the soft spots between defenders, can make tight window catches through contact, and always makes himself available when a play breaks down. pic.twitter.com/VbFdyWfIhJ
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) January 10, 2025
Vele’s first year in the league was also one of the best rookie seasons we’ve ever seen from a seventh-round receiver. His 2024 campaign ranks second in both receiving yards and receptions among all seventh-round rookies that have been drafted since 1990. Coincidentally, the only receiver Vele is trailing is Marques Colston — another Sean Payton product, and arguably the greatest seventh-round receiver selection in NFL history.
Grade: A+
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
This offseason, the only question regarding Devaughn Vele is, ‘How big should his role be in 2025?’
If Courtland Sutton is traded, as discussed above, the second-year receiver see his target share skyrocket as he becomes the team’s No. 1 option (barring a blockbuster addition) and primary X receiver.
If Sutton is retained, Vele will likely see his slice of the offensive pie remain roughly the same size or grow slightly.
Even though one would expect his game to further develop, which should expand his role in the passing game, it would be surprising if the Broncos didn’t make serious investments in both their tight end and running back positions. Replacing Javonte Williams and Adam Trautman with actual receiving threats should, of course, lead to increased receiving productions from those two elements of the offense, limiting just how much Vele’s passing game responsibility can inflate.
That’s not even mentioning the fact that Marvin Mims Jr. hit his stride at season’s end, and his continued development should also limit how many more passes Vele can have thrown his way. Troy Franklin also has the potential to become a larger part of the offense, and the Broncos could always add a receiver via free agency or the draft, both of which further compound this ‘problem.’
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
The Denver Broncos should stay the course at receiver, save for one or two mid-level additions via the NFL Draft and or free agency, allowing Vele and his role to naturally develop over time, rather than being forced into that enlarged responsibility.
This is not the offseason to move off of Sutton, with no reasonably priced replacement option available, and Bo Nix still early in his development. Better to have an embarrassment of pass-catching riches than leave the second-year quarterback without enough weaponry to work with.
Troy Franklin
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Troy Franklin’s rookie year was a rocky experience to say the very least.
Franklin was a remarkably unreliable receiver, finishing with a CROE of -13.4%, the third-worst of any receiver with at least 30 targets, ahead of only Adonai Mitchell and Jonathan Mingo.
His inability to connect with Bo Nix was shocking considering they entered the league together with pre-existing chemistry. Prior to their playoff touchdown, Nix targeted Franklin deep on 19 different occasions this season and they connected just three times, totaling just 85 yards and a passer rating of 45.7.
On those deep targets, his CROE plummeted to -29.4%, the worst of any receiver with at least 10 deep targets, and his -15.4 receiving EPA on deep targets is the worst of any wide receiver this season period. For a receiver who projects to be a bit of a one-trick pony in the NFL, with that one trick being the ability to beat opponents deep, that’s very troubling.
It’s not all bad though. Franklin was wildly unproductive on those deep targets, but he did do a masterful job of creating those opportunities. Franklin averaged more yards of separation on those deep shots than any other receiver of at least 10 deep looks, just ahead of Nico Collins and Xavier Worthy.
Oh no… anyway
— Ricky 🍃 (@SurtainEra) February 9, 2025
BO NIX TO TROY FRANKLIN CONNECT ON A 43 YARD TOUCHDOWN TO GET THINGS STARTED IN BUFFALO. 🔥🗣️ https://t.co/JdC6gvpPFW pic.twitter.com/D3g5vf4pmU
If he can just become competent at finishing the play, there could be something there. The concerning bit is that this problem also plagued him throughout his collegiate career.
Grade: D
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
With Troy Franklin entering the second year of his rookie deal, there aren’t any contract concerns for Denver to worry about, but that doesn’t mean Franklin can be forgotten about until September.
The second-year Oregon product shouldn’t be entitled to a 2025 Broncos roster that boasts a more talented receiving room, especially considering just how ineffective Franklin was when working within his niche role.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Although Franklin shouldn’t be entitled to anything, the Broncos shouldn’t overlook his aptitude to create explosive opportunities downfield with regularity. Explosive plays are gold in the modern NFL, and Franklin is a soft pair of hands away from becoming a golden goose.
The staff should force him to work with the JUGS machine on downfield, over-the-shoulder catches for 8 hours a day, every day, for the entire offseason, and pray for the best.
Lil’ Jordan Humphrey
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
If you took a poll in Broncos Country today, Lil’ Jordan Humphrey might be the odds-on favorite to be voted “Most Hated Current Bronco,” which is unfortunate.
He is the Roomba of the Denver Broncos’ offensive arsenal — tasked with doing the dirty work around the house that no one else wants to do and met with admittedly unfair frustration when it delivers a passable but ultimately unremarkable performance.
A person requested I put together a cutup of Lil'Jordan Humphrey's dirty work plays that go unnoticed throughout the season, so that is exactly what I did.
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) November 28, 2024
So sit back, relax, and enjoy nearly 4 minutes of LJH being a demon in the run/screen game and one of Denver's best YAC… pic.twitter.com/R3Ha7i7AG1
What did you expect? It’s a mid-2000s robot invented around the same time as the portable DVD player…or, in the Broncos’ case, a near-league-minimum receiver who was stashed on the practice squad for much of the past two seasons.
That’s not to say his gaffes weren’t hilariously painful or that Denver should bring him back, but he does receive too much negativity for a player who largely fulfilled his role on the team and offered a healthy return on the Broncos’ mild investment.
Grade: C+
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Now that we’ve gotten the niceties and the defense of Lil’ Jordan Humphrey out of the way, it’s time to get down to brass tacks.
Humphrey is an unrestricted free agent this year, and the only clear replacement the Broncos have for him at this time is practice squad receiver A.T. Perry, who was unable to beat Humphrey out for this very job during the regular season.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Although he’s helped the Broncos out each of the past two seasons, it’s time for them to move on. He’s the classic bargain-bin free agent that a rebuilding team signs as a stopgap to fill a void while they address more pressing needs, a la George Fant or Sheldon Rankins on the 2023 Texans
But, like those 2023 to 2024 Texans, the Broncos are no longer that bottom-feeding team, even if they do still have needs to address. They should be able to add enough talent to the receiving core that they’re no longer forced to rely on Humphrey.
If he returns on a league-minimum deal as a practice squad player who can fill in for the Broncos if they lose all their other oversized slot options to injury, but he should be no more than a tertiary option for that niche role.
A.T. Perry
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
The patron saint of hating Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, A.T. Perry quickly emerged as an odd fan favorite.
As a rookie with the New Orleans Saints in 2023, Perry appeared in 10 games, starting three, and tallied 246 yards and four touchdowns as a downfield weapon. Then, in 2024, he was waived by the Saints, with then-head coach Dennis Allen citing his poor offensive fit under Klint Kubiak and their need for depth elsewhere.
Considering some of Humphrey’s very obvious errors, it was understandable that fans quickly embraced Perry as a potential replacement, but if he couldn’t crack the rotation last year, when will he?
We’re talking about a mid-round pick who has appeared in 10 games and has 12 catches over the first two seasons of his NFL career and is now on his second team. There aren’t many players with that profile who have gone on to be successful.
His 2024 only could have been worse if he didn’t land in Denver and pair with a perfect schematic fit.
Grade: F
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
With Humphrey hitting the free agent market and the Broncos reportedly unlikely to go big-game hunting at the position, the staff should investigate the prospect of Perry replacing Humphrey. Now, they probably already looked into this pretty thoroughly last year, after acquiring Perry, but it is worth revisiting the discussion before settling for a Humphrey reunion.
Perry is under contract for 2025, so he should at least get a chance in training camp to make his case.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Perry is a young, seemingly talented offensive fit with the versatility to provide some depth at receiver from the practice squad as both a vertical weapon and an oversized slot target.
They should bring him back in that role.
If his role were to suddenly expand this offseason, without him demonstrating a ton of growth during training camp or the preseason, it could be an ominous sign for the 2025 outlook at the position.
Michael Bandy
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Michael Bandy’s career might be over after an age-27 season that saw him fail to see the field for even a single snap. His time in the NFL was already on thin ice after only playing 10 snaps in 2023, and he’s trending in the wrong direction.
Wide receiver is arguably the position with the deepest pool of talent in the sport. There just isn’t room in the NFL for 28-year-old practice-squad receivers, and when the Broncos likely replace him this offseason, it’s hard to think of the team that would scoop him up next.
He had a strong showing in OTAs though, so at least there’s that. It’s also not like people expected Bandy to be a major contributor.
Grade: D-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Michael Bandy is currently under contract for the 2025 season at $960,000, with none of it being guaranteed. Bandy should be on the initial training camp roster, but he has no security beyond that.
He’s also already on the bottom of the Broncos’ receiver depth chart, and it’s hard to see him advancing much. Plus, with Bandy competing for a practice squad spot, he won’t just be competing at wide receiver, but against all the other young roster-bubble talent too.
Therefore, it’s just going to come down to whether or not the Broncos make any sort of acquisition at wide receiver or on the undrafted free agent market that can rival Bandy.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Denver should, of course, try to make that low-cost and low-effort upgrade, and it would be genuinely surprising if they’re unable to do so.
