Pat Bryant turned heads in Broncos training camp, and the reason he’s drawing attention is a little different than the usual wideout buzz.
Denver’s receiver group has plenty of talent, even if it doesn’t always get the credit it deserves from the outside. But according to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, Bryant stood out in camp because of a trait that sounds almost too simple to matter: he catches the ball with his feet planted and finishes the play.
Sean Payton said that was part of what made Bryant appealing in the first place.
“[That’s one of] “the things we were attracted to when he was coming out of Illinois,” said coach Sean Payton.
Bryant sees it in plain terms. For him, it starts with doing the job the right way and using that to create an edge.
“It’s just, as a receiver, your job is to catch the ball, right?” he explains. “But if you can keep your feet on the ground, when you catch the ball, then the defender’s gotta think twice about what angle I’m going to take.
“So the ability to keep your feet on the ground and run through the catch - I’m not the fastest guy, but I know there’s certain tools to my game where I can get an advantage on a guy that is faster than me.”
He also gave a blunt answer on the habit of leaving your feet to make a grab, something that can look flashy but doesn’t always fit the way he wants to play.
“It’s confidence,” Bryant said with a shrug. “If you’ve got to jump to catch the ball, you don’t really have confidence and trust in your hands.”
That confidence has grown, too. Bryant said the game feels slower to him now, and that shift has changed the way he sees his role.
“My confidence is just on another level,” he said. … “This year, I feel like I can go out there and be part of the offense and, when needed, make a huge play. Last year, I was thinking, ‘OK, run my route at this depth and make sure I’m catching the ball.’
“Now I feel like I’m catching the ball, getting those yards after catch and just having that confidence that I’m better than the man that’s in front of me.”
That’s part of why Bryant has been such a problem in practice. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has the job of trying to slow him down, and Bryant’s ability to attack the catch and keep the rest of his game intact makes that a difficult assignment.
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