Eight players who could have breakout performances during Broncos camp

Which Broncos players could have a breakout performance during training camp?

Each year, we see a handful of players have breakout performances during training camp and turn that into a bigger role with the team during the season. Last year, we saw rookie quarterback Bo Nix blossom right in front of our eyes and win the starting quarterback job and help lead the Broncos back to the postseason. Who could we see do that during this year’s training camp practices?

Due to a fairly young roster and an exciting rookie class, the Broncos have several candidates who could be breakout performers this year. Some, we saw start their breakout year last year, while others will look to have an instant impact as a rookie. So, with all that said, here are 8 Broncos players who I believe could have a breakout performance during training camp this year.

1: WR/KR Marvin Mims Jr.

Marvin Mims is a 2x Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro in 24, a second-team All-Pro in 23, and is coming off a breakout second-half performance last season. Due to this, you might be questioning why I am including him on this list, and you have a point. However, I believe Marvin Mims has only started to break out and could fully break out during Broncos camp this year.

We all know what he can bring to the Broncos on special teams, but we started to see what he could do on the offensive side of the ball late last season. Now, he will look to continue that play throughout training camp and into the regular season.

Despite his accolades, Mims has yet to have a standout performance during training camp, but I think it will happen this year. Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton figured out how to use Mims properly as an explosive gadget player last season, and I believe we will only see his role grow moving forward. If Mims can continue to develop his route running and become more of a traditional wide receiver, he has the potential to be a very good WR1 or WR2 in this offense.

I have high hopes for Mims, and I believe he will be someone we are talking about a lot in the coming weeks.

2: RB R.J. Harvey

Rookie running back R.J. Harvey is an obvious breakout candidate for the Broncos. He was hand-picked by Sean Payton to fill the Alvin Kamara role and has the explosive ability to be a fun player to watch on the practice field.

Now, it’s tough for a rookie running back to break out during camp as a runner, given the non-padded practices, limited tackling, and practice setting. However, I believe his receiving ability is what is going to stand out during camp and have us excited about his potential moving forward.

We all know Payton loves to use his backs in the passing game, and this is the role Harvey is expected to fill. So, I am expecting them to target him a lot in camp, and hopefully, we see some big highlight plays from him.

3-5: WR’s Troy Franklin/Pat Bryant/Devaughn Vele

I am including all three wide receivers in here as a bundle because they are all potential breakout candidates at the wide receiver position. I already talked about Mims, but the other young receivers on the roster deserve to be mentioned as well.

Troy Franklin: Franklin is coming off a rookie year where he flashed his potential as a deep threat and will be looking to build on that in year two. He has been a standout player during the OTA and minicamp practices, according to Head Coach Sean Payton, and will hopefully carry that into training camp. He is arguably the Broncos’ most explosive wide receiver, so if he can put it all together, that would be huge for their offense.

Devaughn Vele: Vele is a big possession wide receiver who is coming off a productive rookie year. He has the potential to be the WR2 in the Broncos offense, but the growth and development of Mims, Franklin, and Bryant could impact his role in the passing game. If he can have another strong summer, he could lock down the WR2 job, but he will face competition for that role and snaps in this offense.

Pat Bryant: The third-round rookie has been compared to former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas by Sean Payton this offseason and could have an instant impact on the Broncos offense. He will likely be competing with Vele for a key role on the offense, and a strong summer could help him earn a starting job in the Broncos’ offense.

6: TE Caleb Lohner

The biggest wildcard in Broncos training camp will be rookie tight end Caleb Lohner. As we know, he is a former basketball player transitioning to tight end and has loads of untapped potential. He is a 6-7, 250-pound tight end with 4.69 speed and has been compared to former Saints tight end Jimmy Graham by Head Coach Sean Payton. That is high praise, and this will be our first real look at Lohner to see where he is with his development.

Now, he needs a lot of work, but he could quickly become a red zone monster for the Broncos. He has the size, strength, athleticism, and basketball background to win 50/50 balls and could thrive in key red zone drills during training camp.

Again, he needs a lot of work, but there is also a chance he is someone we leave training camp excited about.

7: EDGE Que Robinson

Rookie edge rusher Que Robinson is known for his special-teams ability, but the explosive pass rusher was a standout player on the defensive side of the ball during the OTA and minicamp practices.

He needs development as a pass rusher, but is athletic, explosive off the snap, and has the natural bend you look for in an edge rusher. If he continues to play like he did during the spring practices, he will be a name we are all excited about heading into the season.

Considering the Broncos’ current depth at edge rusher, Robinson will be going against the Broncos’ 2nd and 3rd team tackles for the most part, and should thrive. Now, he did this without the pads on, so that’ll be something he has to prove, but the talent is certainly there.

8: CB Jahdae Barron

First-round pick, cornerback Jahdae Barron, is expected to see first-team reps right away with the Broncos and has the potential to be a major breakout player for them. Head Coach Sean Payton has praised Barron’s mental makeup and ability to process information quickly, so we could see him thrown into the fire quickly during training camp.

Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post

He is expected to play inside and outside for the Broncos and should be getting first-team reps fairly quickly during camp. If he is able to showcase tight coverage and lockdown the Broncos receivers, vibes will be high in Broncos Country. Their defense and secondary were already talented on paper, so adding a very talented rookie to the mix would take this unit to the next level.

There will be growing pains, but I think we will see plenty of growth and development from the Broncos’ first-round pick throughout training camp.