Sean Payton has a type. Tall. Broad shoulders. Good at blocking.
Yes — the Broncos’ head coach is quick to admit he covets larger receivers.
“It’s not that I don’t like smaller receivers,” Payton said last June, on third-round pick Pat Bryant. “I do. But the bigger receivers that can block and are physical at the line of scrimmage … he showed those traits.”
These Broncos already had so many in their room — Courtland Sutton, Bryant, Troy Franklin — that they traded 6-foot-5 wideout Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints before the start of the 2025 season for draft capital. A year later, though, they’ve brought another batch of undrafted rookies into the fray to compete for a roster spot.
Nebraska’s Dane Key stands 6-foot-2 and a half. TCU’s Joseph Manjack IV is 6-foot-2. Charlotte’s Sean Brown, a complete unknown in the draft process who currently has less than 300 followers on Twitter, measures 6-foot-3. Along with speed receivers Kolbe Katsis and Cam Ross, all will vie for a roster spot in training camp on undrafted free-agent contracts with the Broncos — even as Denver has a wealth of resources in the room following its March trade for Dolphins Pro Bowl receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Regardless of any pre-existing surplus, the Broncos are known among agents across the NFL as a premier destination for undrafted clients. Payton, for a brief time early in his tenure with the New Orleans Saints, would offer scouts cash out of his own pocket for hitting on an undrafted rookie who eventually made the roster. And the organization will take an intriguing crop of 14 undrafted prospects into this weekend’s rookie minicamp, the first time draft picks and tryout players alike will put on pads in Denver.
The Broncos are currently sitting at 93 countable players on the offseason roster, over the offseason limit of 90. They’ll need to cut three names by the start of Friday’s rookie minicamp to meet NFL compliance, and those names could come from this list. For now, here’s a hype meter on each of Denver’s post-draft free-agent rookie class.
The blue-chipper
ILB Taurean York, Texas A&M: The single most productive player Denver signed who didn’t get drafted, York started 39 straight games for the Aggies since his true freshman season and will become the youngest player (at 20 years old) on the Broncos’ current roster. He didn’t get drafted for one key reason: he stands 5-foot-10, and his athleticism — despite running the 40-yard-dash in a solid 4.59 seconds — isn’t explosive enough to overcome size concerns. All that said, though, he has the kind of grit and IQ that Payton and Denver’s entire building loves.
“He doesn’t run a 4.3 … but mentally, that kid plays at a 3.9,” said Scott Stewart, York’s former Temple High coach. “I mean, there is not a scheme out there that he doesn’t understand or won’t understand.”
Two undrafted inside linebackers, Karene Reid and Jordan Turner, became 53-man roster stalwarts by the end of 2025. Don’t be surprised if York’s next.
Athletic upside swings
OT Tyler Miller, Iowa State: The rationale here is pretty simple — tackles with this kind of size don’t just sprout from collegiate fields. Miller stands 6-foot-8-plus, weighs 324, and has above-average arm length at 34.1 inches. Add in a decent 40-yard dash (5.21 seconds) and an explosive broad jump (9 feet, 9 inches) in pre-draft testing, and Miller could easily be the next developmental offensive lineman in the pipeline for coach Zach Strief. He took major strides as a pass-protector in his final season at Iowa State, too
Nebraska linebacker Dasan McCullough warms up before a NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Nebraska linebacker Dasan McCullough warms up before a NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
LB/S Dasan McCullough, Nebraska: No clue where he fits on an NFL field, but it could be fun to figure out. In his second season at Oklahoma in 2023, the 6-foot-5 hybrid defender played what the Sooners dubbed the “Cheetah” position — a hybrid linebacker-safety-nickel role tasked with a variety of different assignments against the run and pass. He never quite found a consistent position in college, but showed flashes of potential as both a pass-rusher and dropping back into coverage. Have fun, Vance Joseph.
OL Gavin Ortega, Weber State: Ortega primarily played tackle his last three years at Weber State, and was largely excellent, but will likely shift inside in the NFL due to his height (6-foot-5). His pre-draft testing in both speed and explosiveness popped out, and he should have versatility across a variety of different spots on the offensive line, a quality the Broncos love.
WR Cam Ross, Virginia: One of the weirder collegiate careers you’ll see. Ross had 723 yards as a freshman at UConn in 2019, played just five games combined over the next three seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries, and has played for three schools in the last three years. He caught 53 passes in his final stop at Virginia in 2025, and his speed — a 4.42-second 40-yard dash — made him a return threat on both punts and kicks. The Broncos want another credible returner next to Marvin Mims Jr., so there’s opportunity there.
The Payton-types
Dane Key #6 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers avoids a tackle from Cole Martin #21 of the UCLA Bruins during a 28-21 Nebraska Cornhuskers win over the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Dane Key #6 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers avoids a tackle from Cole Martin #21 of the UCLA Bruins during a 28-21 Nebraska Cornhuskers win over the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
WR Dane Key, Nebraska: In what’ll become a notable under-the-radar storyline in training camp, Key is the younger brother of Broncos safety and All-Pro safety Devon Key. He’s got game in his own right, too, with 2,322 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns across four collegiate seasons. Key showcased strong skills as a blocker and decent hands in college, but will need to carve out a role as a trusty possession receiver and special-teamer to have any shot at cracking Denver’s initial 53-man roster.
WR Joseph Manjack IV, TCU: Look at Manjack’s tape back at Houston in 2023, and there’s something here. He racked up 577 yards and six touchdowns in just 10 games as a sophomore, before his production fell off as a junior and he transferred to TCU for a final season. Manjack’s vertical, speed and agility testing are all solid at his 6-foot-2 height, and he’s got the frame and athleticism to earn a long glance in training camp.
WR Sean Brown, Charlotte: Where’d Brown come from? After two quiet seasons at under-the-radar Charlotte, he racked up 35 and 36 catches in each of his last two seasons, respectively. The size is the draw here, but Brown never had much red-zone production in college.
College production is there, but is the upside?
CB Brent Austin, Cal: Finding a roster spot as a cornerback, with the Broncos’ current roster makeup, is probably the toughest task possible for any undrafted newcomer in training camp. Austin, though, surrendered just a 46% catch rate in 2025 at Cal (according to Pro Football Focus) and has at least 10 passes defensed in each of his last two seasons. He’ll likely project as more of an inside corner at 6-foot-11.
CB Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech: Harvey actually profiles quite similarly to Austin, allowing a 44% catch rate in his snaps in 2025 and also standing 5-foot-11. His 1.52-second 10-yard split in pre-draft testing, though, suggests better foot speed. Harvey actually also played with Bo Nix at Auburn as a true freshman in 2021, before transferring to Georgia Tech.
The special-team standouts
William Wright #0 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball in the first half during their game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
William Wright #0 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball in the first half during their game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
WR Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona: An FCS product, Katsis has top-of-the-line speed, with a 4.43-second 40-yard-dash and 1.52-second 10-yard-split. He was dominant at NAU in 2025, with 1,016 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, and ran back a kickoff for a touchdown. That last point is important, as he’ll likely profile more as a returner. Again, there’s an opportunity to impress special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi there.
S Parker Robertson, Oklahoma State: Robertson worked his way from a reserve role to a starter across five seasons at Oklahoma State, and his program loyalty and steady improvement would likely endear him to Denver’s staff. He had 8.5 tackles for loss and a couple of picks in 2025, and played consistent special-teams snaps the last three seasons. If he shows more upside on kickoff units than secondary depth options like JL Skinner or Reese Taylor, Robertson could grind his way to a roster spot.
CB William Wright, Tennessee: Similar to Robertson, Wright grinded out five seasons at Tennessee — but never actually graduated to a starting role in the secondary. He had more snaps on special teams, in fact, than on defense across his collegiate career. That’s great versatility, but Wright will need to prove he can cover at an NFL level to have any chance at making his mark in training cmap.
LS Luke Basso, Oregon: Yes — a long-snapper deal. The Broncos currently have veteran Mitchell Fraboni under contract, but here’s some competition. Basso played with Nix at Oregon for two years, and was named second-team All-Big Ten by coaches in 2024 and 2025.
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