The Denver Broncos selected Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Pat Bryant is simply a Sean Payton wide receiver.
He’s not the flashiest receiver, he’s not the fastest receiver, but he is a sure-handed receiver who can be a problem in the run game as a blocker. He also earned some high praise from Sean Payton, who compared him to former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas.
Sean Payton said WR Pat Bryant player comp is Michael Thomas. “Especially at the line of scrimmage.”
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) April 26, 2025
Throughout the draft process, I found a number of run-blocking wide receivers who would make sense for the Broncos in the draft. I did profiles on a number of them, but one I did not do one on was Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant.
Bryant has repeatedly said that he operates with a “no block, no rock” attitude and loves getting his nose dirty in the blocking game. Again, this is a Sean Payton-type of player.
Last season, we saw Lil’Jordan Humphrey earn a 50% snap share with the Broncos despite not being an overly effective receiver. Bryant will likely fill that role and see a decent amount of playing time during his rookie season. On top of that, he is a sure-handed receiver with some sneaky run-after-the-catch ability despite his 40-time. He is a big and physical receiver who can be a sure-handed possession receiver for Sean Payton.
The Broncos have their explosive receivers in Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin, and now they add another big physical guy to that room. He was picked a bit earlier than anticipated but Sean Payton doesn’t give a shit about these media draft boards. He profiles as a player who fits well and can operate in his system. He wasn’t a reach on their board and at the end of the day, that is all that matters.