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Rookie WR Pat Bryant Reminds Sean Payton Of ‘Michael Thomas’
Rookie WR Pat Bryant Reminds Sean Payton Of ‘Michael Thomas’
Pat Bryant is a wide receiver from Illinois who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the third round. He had a great year finishing with 54 receptions, 984 yards, and 10 touchdowns. One of his most eye-catching stats was his impressive 18.2 yards per catch. It appears Broncos head coach Sean Payton liked these stats and what he saw on tape from Bryant.
Payton wanted a more physical wide receiver with good size that could balance out the Broncos’ passing attack. Furthermore, outside of Courtland Sutton, Denver’s wide receiver room is filled with young, small, and speedy wide receivers. Bryant is 6-foot-2, 204 pounds with strong hands and a knack for winning contested catches. These attributes led Payton to deliver the rookie a flattering comparison to former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas.
“There are so many things about his game that reminded me of Mike Thomas. With respect to Mike, who became… I mean, Holy Cow” – Sean Payton
“But [Bryant is] really explosive off the line of scrimmage, he’s very competitive, very tough… his size and hands are outstanding. He competes,” – Sean Payton
These are truly high compliments for a rookie, especially a third rounder. Thomas was arguably the best wide receiver in the league for a couple of seasons, but then injuries derailed his career. It will be interesting to see if Payton can unlock some of the same success with Bryant as he did with Thomas.
Broncos Offense
Bryant seems to have a good head on his shoulders, which is a good sign for the rookie. He will have his work cut out for him being behind Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr, Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin. Luckily, that is two second-year wide receivers and one third-year target. Also, Sutton is a physical wide receiver with a similar frame to Bryant so maybe he will be able to mentor the rookie.
Besides the wide receiver room, the Broncos will be starting a rookie running back and a second-year quarterback. Although Bo Nix does not exactly count because it felt like he played ten seasons at QB in college. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see if these younger skill positions can make the Broncos a formidable offense. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing if Bryant will be able to show any flashes of Michael Thomas or if he will get lost in the sea of young Denver pass-catchers.
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