Broncos WR not named Jaylen Waddle or Courtland Sutton predicted to have big 2026 season

This offseason, the Denver Broncos didn't make a lot of big changes to their roster, with most of their roster moves being to bring back their free agents or add some depth options as well.

But their biggest move was the trade for Jaylen Waddle. He's bound to play a huge role for Denver in 2026, but he might not be the only WR to have a big season on the horizon. Courtland Sutton could have a big year as well.

But ESPN's Dan Graziano is predicting that the Broncos will see second-year WR Pat Bryant have a breakout season. Not Waddle or Sutton, but Bryant is predicted to have a big year for Denver, according to Graziano.

Pat Bryant predicted to have big 2026 season for Broncos

"We have heard a lot of exciting things out of Broncos camp about second-year receiver Pat Bryant, Denver's third-round pick in 2025," Graziano writes. "... But the universal and specific praise about how Bryant has advanced ahead of Year 2 makes me wonder if he might force his way into a bigger role than expected."

Waddle and Sutton are projected to be the team's leading receivers, while Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims round out the depth chart.

While Bryant might be the team's third wide receiver, Graziano still believes he could have a big season on the horizon.

The hype coming out of training camp is strong enough for this prediction to, at the very least, have some legs to it. While it might be a long shot, Bryant does have a chance to play very well for Denver this upcoming season.

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Last year he caught 31 of 49 targets for 378 yards and one touchdown. It wasn't a super-productive rookie season, but it wasn't a complete dud either.

In the playoffs, Bryant caught all four of his targets for 34 yards. Nothing special, but also enough involvement in a two-game sample size to show he was already trusted in his first season.

There's room to grow, and the camp hype surrounding Bryant could lead to a breakout season. While he might not be the team's No. 1 WR, Bryant might eat into the workloads of Waddle and Sutton more than most would expect.

This prediction from Graziano isn't that far-fetched, and could easily come true. While seeing Bryant become the team's No. 1 or No. 2 WR is not likely, receiving a lot of work as the third option is very much in play.

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