Who Should I Start? Pat Bryant or Jaylin Lane

Tuesday, July 28, 6:14 AM

When the Denver Broncos take to the field for their first practice of training camp on Friday, one of the more intriguing positional battles will be for the third receiver spot, and a player who should factor heavily into the mix is 2025 third-round pick Pat Bryant. As a rookie, Bryant became a trusted option for quarterback Bo Nix late in the year, but with the top two receiver spots presumably locked up by veteran Courtland Sutton and big-ticket trade acquisition Jaylen Waddle, he'll need to carve out his own role from a group that includes Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin. One of Bryant's biggest strengths in year one was his run-after-catch ability when working underneath. The spacing now provided by Waddle could allow him to further thrive and help to create the most dynamic version of the Broncos' passing attack while also bringing usable size to the running game. Bryant is RotoBaller's WR76 for 2026, but with a fluid situation such as his, drafters would be advised to monitor his usage throughout training camp.