Broncos WR room in good hands with Courtland Sutton, an improvement ‘thief,’ leading the way

The Broncos’ 2025 wide receiver corps has a high ceiling because of the upside several players in the room possess.

Perhaps just as important: The group has a pretty stable floor because of Courtland Sutton, the trusty veteran and No.1 option.

Sutton is coming off perhaps the best year of his professional career in 2024, is newly signed to a four-year, $92 million contract extension, and is primed to carry on into 2025 as the top option for second-year quarterback Bo Nix in the passing game.

None of that seemed like a guarantee when the 2018 second-round pick got off to a slow start with Nix last year, but over the course of the season, their connection continually strengthened.

By the end of Week 18, Sutton logged career highs in catches (81) and targets (135), topped 1,000 yards for the first time since 2019, and set himself up to be part of Denver’s long-term future.

“He’s been a captain,” head coach Sean Payton said this summer. “If he didn’t say a word, the young guys watch his preparation and his work ethic. Yet, obviously, his experience (helps) with all of those players. It really starts with his preparation in (the building) and on to the field.

“He’s everything you want in a pro.”

In 2024, he started slow but turned himself into everything Nix needed as a rookie trying to navigate his first NFL season.

Sutton finished third in third-down catches (30) and led the NFL in both third-down yardage (452) and first downs generated (27), according to Football Database data.

At 6-foot-4 and 215-plus pounds, Sutton gave Nix a big target to trust down the field and in traffic.

According to Next Gen Stats, Sutton accounted for 45.7% of the Broncos’ downfield targets, which was the second-highest share on throws of 10-plus air yards in the league.

That led to a lot of good (812 yards on downfield throws between Nix and Sutton), some bad (six interceptions on such attempts), and a clear trust built between the two.

Payton said this summer that Sutton reminds him of former New Orleans receiver Marques Colston, a seventh-round pick who went on to log six 1,000-yard seasons, 9,759 total receiving yards and 72 touchdowns over a 10-year career.

“Marques was maybe a little quieter, but day in and day out, so consistent in their performance,” Payton said. “And then on gamedays, they were very similar. They both played split end, strong hands in traffic, really, really good football instincts. …

“When you get to know (Sutton), he doesn’t have too many bad days. Those guys with the right energy, there’s a lot to be said for that because you’re going to hit some tough times and you’re going to hit some walls during the course of any season. He’s one of those guys who is part of the solution. Always.”

Sutton turns 30 in early October — he’ll celebrate the big, round number while the Broncos are in London preparing to play the New York Jets — but has shown no signs of slowing down. Even in 2024, when he skipped the voluntary portion of Denver’s offseason in protest of his contract status, Sutton showed up to training camp in terrific shape.

This year proved no exception.

“Courtland has been having a really good camp,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said recently. “He looks to me even better than he did last camp.”

As Nix gets more comfortable and more in command of Payton’s offensive system, it’s possible Sutton won’t be such a frequent target — though the coach will still run a ton of stuff where he’s the primary option.

With tight end Evan Engram signed to be a matchup problem, a revamped running back room ready to share the load, and a series of young receivers all on the rise, Nix should be throwing to a more balanced set of options.

Still, the 2025 season will be a surprise if anybody other than Sutton ends up leading the Broncos in receiving yards, targets or catches this fall.

“I take every day as an opportunity to be able to chase greatness within myself and get 1% better, whether it’s a football thing, whether it’s a life thing, whether it’s recovery, film, pre-practice, post-practice, all these different things,” Sutton said. “I feel like if you get to a place of complacency in your life, whether it’s career-wise or personal, then you get to a spot where you’re no longer able to grow. There’s always (room for) growth.

“I tell the young guys all the time, I’m always trying to find different ways to master and become better at my craft on and off the field. I’m a thief when it comes to finding different ways to be better.”

Third down receiving, 2024

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix often looked Courtland Sutton’s way on third downs last season, and for good reason: Few in the league were better at converting those passes into first downs. Mobile users, tap here to see the chart.

*Source: Football Database 

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