Sean Payton on rookie TE Caleb Lohner: “There are traits there that excite me.”

Broncos head coach Sean Payton sounds excited to work with and develop 7th round TE Caleb Lohner.

With their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Utah tight end Caleb Lohner in the 7th round. He played one year of football and is a 6’7” athlete transitioning from basketball to football who appears to have caught the eye of Broncos head coach Sean Payton.

Payton met with the media on Saturday after the Broncos’ rookie minicamp and once again compared the rookie tight end to former Saints tight end Jimmy Graham and hyped up the potential of Lohner.

Payton mentions to reporters that Lohner’s experience is limited, but says that you see the traits and movements that get you excited about his potential. When watching his tape, he said there were two or three clips that had him saying “Play it again, Play it again!” and they saw more of that during the practices this past weekend.

“It’s limited. So, this is a basketball player for most of his career. He plays a year of football, count the snaps, count the catches. I get it. Yet you see traits, you see movements. I’m not a big fan of the Big 12 Pro Day because a player like him gets six routes instead of 20 that he would get at his own Pro Day. So hopefully that’s going away, but there are two or three clips where I’m like, ‘Play it again. Play it again.’ Then, when you watch him, and you watch him move, and even in our first two days here.”

Lohner’s tape is very limited. He played just 57 snaps this past year at Utah and had just 4 catches (all of which were touchdowns), but the potential is there. He used his size, length, and athletic ability to be a weapon in the red zone, plus his movement skills get you excited about what he can develop into as a receiver.

Payton had a similar type of prospect with the Saints in Jimmy Graham. He was a basketball player transitioning to football and had limited snaps and production in college. While he did have more snaps, more catches, and was drafted in the third round, Payton does see a comparison between the two players. He told reporters that “there are traits there that excite me” when talking about Lohner.

“People bring up Jimmy. Now Jimmy was a third-round pick. I get it, but there were some similarities in that. He only played a year, 80-something snaps. I think he had 18 catches. So yes, we have to coach and develop. In other words, if it was already present when you watch him, and you guys see him, and shake his hand and stand next to him, like, ‘Holy cow.’ There are traits there that excite me. Then just visiting with him, and his intentionality and his excitement about it. I’m excited to watch it.”

Lohner is a developmental lottery ticket that may or may not work out, but Payton’s track record and eye for talent speak for itself and can’t be ignored here. He does see something in Lohner that has him excited and invested in the rookie tight end’s development, and that alone should excite Broncos fans.

The development and progress of Lohner will be one of the storylines of training camp. With there being no quarterback battle to track, we can focus on the development of players like Lohner. If Payton’s evaluations of Lohner ids accurate, he has a chance to be one of the stars of training camp, and we could see him make some highlight reel catches in the end zone during the summer.

Lohner does have a LONG way to go, but if Sean Payton is excited about a player, then so am I. Hopefully, Lohner lives up to the Jimmy Graham comparison and the Broncos get an athletic freak at tight end for Bo Nix.