Summary

Pat Bryant was selected in Round 3 (#74 Overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. With the Illini, Bryant emerged as a primary scoring threat in the Big Ten, finishing his Illinois career with 2,000+ receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns, including a breakout 2024 season (984 receiving yards, 10 receiving TDs) that earned him Second-Team All-Big Ten (2024) honors. Early in his NFL career, Bryant has been used as a developmental rotational receiver with early-career production (27 receptions, 347 yards, 1 TD) and special-team utility. From a character and off-field standpoint, Bryant is viewed as a selfless, high-effort, coachable competitor with strong work habits and a team-first approach.

Strengths

• Contested-Catch Skill: Wins at the catch point with timing, body control, and strong hands. Willing to strain through contact and battle defenders on in-breaking routes.

• Red-Zone Profile: Natural finisher—uses frame and competitiveness to score in tight spaces. Uses size and extension to bail out quarterbacks on imperfect placement with catch radius.

• Boundary Awareness: Good sideline control and wins on back-shoulder and toe-tap plays. Strong downfield tracking and adjustment ability on vertical throws.

• Blocking Effort: Competitive perimeter blocker who brings toughness to run game and screens.

Weaknesses

• Separation Quickness: Not a sudden separator and relies more on physical wins than burst. More power-through-contact than elusive after the catch.

• Top-End Speed: More functional than dynamic as a possession receiver and not a consistent “run-away” vertical threat.

• Jamming the Press: Can be slowed by long, technically sound press corners. Needs time to adjust to tighter windows and faster coverage rotations.

• Route Nuance: Must continue refining stems, pacing, and deception to separate consistently. Profiles more as a complementary outside receiver than a true WR1.

Outlook

Pat Bryant fits best in Denver as a boundary “X/Z” receiver who can contribute in red-zone packages, play-action shot concepts, and intermediate in-breakers, especially in an offense that values physicality and reliability. His skill set complements timing quarterbacks by providing a trustworthy catch-point option when separation isn’t clean. In a Broncos receiver room that benefits from size, toughness, and situational scoring, Bryant projects as a WR3/WR4 early with upside toward a steady WR2/WR3 role if he sharpens his releases and route efficiency. Though the presence of Courtland Sutton may block his ascension into a starting X role, long-term, he profiles as a high-floor possession/TD complement—the type of receiver who may not dominate targets but can consistently impact games with chain-moving catches, red-zone finishing, and dependable physical play.