Troy Renck: NFL tight ends are asked to do so many things. Catch passes isn’t necessarily one of them in Denver. Where have you gone Julius Thomas? apountry turns its lonely eyes to you. Sean Payton has turned the Broncos into a legitimate Super Bowl contender in three seasons. One thing, however, has not changed since he arrived: the lacking production from the tight end position in the passing game. Evan Engram was expected to goose the stats, and fell flat. Adam Trautman plays the most snaps because he is the best blocker. Will the addition of draft picks Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley and the surprising development of Caleb Lohner change the equation?
Sean Keeler: Like Fox Mulder, But as precedent goes, the best we’ve got to work with is new offensive play-caller Davis Webb’s dry run pushing the buttons during last August’s 27-7 preseason win over Arizona. The Broncos had 39 pass attempts between Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, who completed 30. But here’s the catch: Of the 36 recorded targets that night, only six went to tight ends — Evan Engram, who logged one for 58 yards and a score; three to Caden Prieskorn for 52 yards in receptions; one for Caleb Lohner, who turned it into a 4-yard catch; and one to Lucas Krull for 3 yards. Small sample size, granted. But color me more skeptical than hopeful.
Troy Renck: Jaylen Waddle comes in and out of breaks better than any receiver on the roster. He starts and stops like a Porsche. He can run deep, and slice like a knife on slants. Why bring this up? His versatility should create room in the middle of the field for tight ends. Based on his roots in uptempo offenses, new offensive coordinator Davis Webb should be more open to using Engram, a player he recruited to Denver. Will Payton let him? Will Engram even be on the team if one of the prospects breaks through in training camp? Last season, the Broncos’ five tight ends caught 78 catches for 719 yards, the latter ranking 26th in the NFL. They combined for three touchdowns, good for 24th. No player had more than one. Bentley and Lohner are intriguing prospects. Bentley can block so he should see the field as a rookie, making him available for sneaky targets. And why not make Lohner a red-zone target with his vertical leap honed from his basketball background? Let’s be real. Waddle cannot make the Broncos more explosive on his own.
Keeler: I was banging the Lohner drum a year ago to try him as an end-zone specialist — you won’t find many linebackers with a 6-foot-7 frame, an 80-inch wingspan, a 4.69 40-yard-dash time and you’ll find even fewer safeties who could match up. If you could combine Bentley’s physicality with Lohner’s (literal) upside, you’d have the perfect Joker. Alas, Payton and Webb are likely going to have to draw the line at one of the two former Utes, once push comes to shove at the end of camp.
Renck: Where Bo Nix must improve over the middle and against zone coverage and tight ends can help. The idea the Broncos cannot incorporate dig, hook and leak routes is preposterous. The running back screen has not worked. Maybe it will improve with R.J. Harvey and Jonah Coleman. Regardless, the tight end must become more of a weapon for the Broncos to produce a top-10 offense and reach the Super Bowl as a top two team.
Keeler: You know what the last two Broncos Super Bowl teams had in common besides Peyton Manning at the controls? The 2013 and 2015 Denver offenses featured at least two tight ends in each of those campaigns who’d snatched at least 25 targets during the regular season. Fast forward a decade, and under Payton, the resurgent Broncos have had one tight end with 25 or more targets (Trautman) in ’23; none in ’24 (Krull led the TE room in targets, though, with 23); and one in ’25 (Engram, with 76). Seam routes matter. Keeping linebackers honest matters. Is Nix averse to throwing the rock across the middle of the field because he doesn’t trust his options, or because his options are so rarely open? It’s your classic chicken-or-the-egg dilemma, and I can’t wait to see Davis take a crack at it.
