The Broncos spent two draft picks trying to thicken up their tight end room, but the question hanging over the position is the same one that was there before the draft: is that enough?
Denver added Justin Joly of North Carolina State in the fifth round and Dallen Bentley out of Utah in the seventh, giving the group more bodies but not necessarily a proven answer. Evan Engram is the starter, and the rest of the room includes Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, Lucas Krull and last year’s seventh-round pick, Caleb Lohner. That makes for a young group, and Lohner remains the biggest wild card.
That uncertainty is why CBS Sports’ Bryan De Ardo connected Denver to another name still on the market: veteran tight end Jonnu Smith. The fit has been floated before, and De Ardo pointed to both the Broncos’ lack of production at the position and Smith’s track record as reasons the move would make sense.
"The Broncos didn't get a ton of their production out of their tight ends last season as Evan Engram and Adam Trautman combined to catch just 70 passes for 656 yards and two scores. In Smith, the Broncos would be getting a player who is just two years removed from setting career highs with 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns.
Smith's skill set also meshes with Sean Payton's offense, which gives pass-catchers a chance to make plays after the catch", wrote De Ardo.
Engram is the only tight end on the roster who has clearly shown he can help in the passing game, though he’s coming off a disappointing season. Trautman and Adkins bring blocking value, but Denver still needs another receiving threat for Bo Nix, especially if Engram doesn’t bounce back. Joly could eventually grow into that role, but Sean Payton generally doesn’t ask much of rookies right away.
Smith would change the shape of that conversation immediately. He’d also likely push someone like Krull off the roster. It’s still possible he never becomes much of a factor for Denver with training camp less than a month away, but the logic is easy to see.
Smith has put together a career line of 345 receptions for 3,529 yards and 30 touchdowns. Last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had a quieter run and finished with 38 catches.
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