By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos open up training camp in a week. Their first preseason game is on August 11 when they face Arizona. One camp battle to look at is wide receiver.
The Broncos know the three starting wideouts are expected to be Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick. Sutton is the #1 wide receiver. Patrick, assuming he is healthy, should play opposite of Sutton. Patrick missed last year after tearing his ACL in training camp. Assuming Sutton and Patrick are healthy, Judy will play the slot.
The other wide receiver who is most likely going to make a roster spot is rookie Marvin Mims Jr. The Broncos drafted Mims in the 2nd round, 63rd overall. Mims played at the University of Oklahoma where he appeared in 37 games with 123 receptions. He totaled 2,398 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. He is expected to be the 4th wide receiver for the Broncos and handle punt and kickoff duties.
With these players set, that could mean only two roster spots are up for grabs at the position. Among those on the outside looking in are KJ Helmer and Kendall Hinton.
Helmer was supposed to be a speedy wide receiver when the Broncos drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has shown flashes of what he could do in the NFL catching 42 passes for 620 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The problem with Helmer is his health. He appeared in 23 games for the Broncos over his 3 years. In 2021, he tore his ACL. Last year, he tore a pectoral muscle which limited him to just 7 games. He must stay healthy to earn a roster spot.
Hinton was an undrafted free agent for the Broncos in 2020. Hinton split time between the Broncos’ practice squad and the active roster. He caught 39 passes for a total of 486 yards and 1 touchdown in his NFL career. Depending on how he performs in training camp and preseason games, that could be his ticket to the active roster.
The Broncos know they have options when it comes to wide receivers. They have depth at backup. Somebody needs to impress the coaching staff to make it to week 1 of the regular season when the Broncos host the Las Vegas Raiders. There is plenty of time to do so.
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