The Denver Broncos took an unconventional route in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting players not connected to them by many draft analysts. That seems to be just the way Sean Payton wanted it.
Payton drafted the players that were highest on the board he and general manager George Paton had created. Many of those names were in much different places than the national media had placed them.
The Broncos took Jahdae Barron in the first round. Though cornerback was not an immediate need for the team, in fact, it was one of its biggest strengths, the team received tremendous value with the selection.
In the second round, where many figured the Broncos would target a running back, with several more recognizable names still on the board, the Broncos chose R.J. Harvey out of Central Florida.
But perhaps the Broncos' biggest eyebrow-raising pick came in round three when they selected Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant. Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team put together a list of the nine biggest reaches made by teams in this year's draft and he listed the Broncos taking Bryant in his No. 4 slot.
"Tall, slow receivers who don't create separation have difficulty succeeding in the NFL. Pat Bryant has a lot of the positives you need from a 6-foot-2 receiver, including body control and some creativity at the top of routes.
But being big and winning contested catches consistently doesn't usually lead to a long NFL career unless you're historically good at it.
Bryant struggled with concentration drops and was often swallowed up in man coverage against NFL-caliber athletes. Bo Nix isn't the type of quarterback to feed someone like that. The Broncos justly added a receiver, but someone with more juice and upside would've fit the unit better", wrote Valentino.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Payton would definitely shrug off that assessment based on what he thinks of Bryant, who he compared to his former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl wide receiver, Michael Thomas, the day after making the pick.
"We always talk about, ‘Who does he remind [you of]?’ We try to find comps. There were so many things about his game that reminded me of Mike Thomas", said Payton. That is high praise as Thomas was one of the best receivers in the league when he played for Payton.
We'll see who ends up being right with this one, but Payton got the guy he wanted.
MORE BRONCOS CONTENT
Denver Broncos consensus 2025 NFL Draft Grades: What do the experts think?
Disturbing injury report emerges about new Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw
4 Denver Broncos players put on high notice following 2025 NFL Draft selections
Grading Broncos' seventh-round selection of tight end Caleb Lohner
Grading Broncos' sixth-round selection of punter Jeremy Crenshaw