Caleb Douglas
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Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas.
The Denver Broncos have had some luck using late-round picks on wide receivers and turning them into productive players ahead of schedule — look no further than 2024 7th round pick DeVaughn Vele.
Vele surprised everyone with 41 receptions for 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns in just 13 games as a rookie. That created enough value for Vele on the trade market that the Broncos were able to swap him for a 2026 4th round pick and 2027 7th round pick from the New Orleans Saints in August 2025.
The Broncos might be headed down that same rabbit hole in the 2026 NFL draft after bringing in a similar high upside prospect to Vele in for a private workout.
“Source: Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas has concluded 30-visits with the Eagles, Rams and Texans — and still has the Cardinals,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “He’s also had private workouts with the Broncos, Vikings and Saints. The 6-4, 206-pounder earned All-Big 12 honors and is considered a possible Day 2 pick.”
NFL Draft Expert Pegs Douglas as Late-Round Pick
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicts Douglas will be selected in the 5th or 6th round after he had 114 receptions for 1,723 yards and 13 touchdowns in 26 games for the Red Raiders over the last 2 seasons.
Douglas was 1 of the big reasons Texas Tech won a conference championship for the 1st time in 31 years and made it to the College Football Playoff for the 1st time in program history in 2025.
In his first 2 seasons at Florida, Douglas only played in 13 total games with 21 receptions for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns before tapping into his potential under head coach Joey McGuire in Lubbock. Douglas helped his draft stock at the NFL scouting combine by running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.
“Douglas is a long, slender outside target with good production but uneven tape,” Zierlein wrote. “He has enticing moments, showcasing his catch radius/ball skills on fades and deep throws. Douglas’ focus drops and an inability to win contested catches at a high enough rate can’t be overlooked, though. He shows quick acceleration for a tall receiver, but his top-end speed is relatively non-threatening to defenses. Douglas can expect to be crowded by NFL cornerbacks and forced to prove he can uncover. There are flashes to build on, but he’ll have to battle to make a roster as a backup.”
Looking at Broncos WR Depth in 2026
After trading their 2026 1st round pick for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, the Broncos now have what should be considered 2 options at WR1 with Waddle and veteran Courtland Sutton.
Behind those 2, there is already tremendous depth with Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Franklin, a 2024 4th round pick, made a pretty significant leap in 2025 with 65 receptions for 709 yards and 6 touchdowns — more than double his 28 receptions for 263 yards and 1 touchdown as a rookie.
He’s also got a tremendous amount of confidence. Some might say maybe a bit too much, although if he makes good on a recent claim, it could lead to a really incredible return on investment for Denver.
“I’m going to get a 1,000-yard season,” Franklin told The Denver Post in February. “I’m going to double up the touchdowns. And receptions, I need to probably get about 80 or 100.”