Broncos met with several top tight end prospects at the Combine

Sadiq is likely the only tight end to receive first-round attention; however, the group has plenty of day two and three caliber of players who all may interest the Broncos in the draft. As I mentioned, they met formally and informally with at least eight of these tight ends at the Combine.

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Six of these tight ends were formal interviews where the Broncos had 18 minutes to spend time with the prospect and ask them some questions, go over film, and get to know them. Here are the six tight ends the Broncos met formally with at the Combine, based on reports.

Two of the prospects, the Broncos, met informally, which means a representative of the Broncos (GM, Coach, or Scout) met with a prospect outside of the designated 45 formal interviews teams are allowed to have at the Combine. These meetings could be some simple questions and/or setting up a private workout/meeting in the coming weeks.

Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq

Sadiq is a compact but well built muscled up athlete who profiles as a pass-catching threat at tight end in the NFL, with the willingness and ability to contribute as a blocker. He may not be a blocking specialist, but he won’t be a liability out there and won’t be a tell on what the offense is doing when he is out there.

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He’s one of my favorite players in the draft for the Broncos and is expected to be a first-round pick, and likely will be off the board by the time they are on the clock.

Ohio State TE Max Klare

Klare has good size and is an athletic pass-catching tight end who has the ability to play in-line and contribute as a blocker. He is a pass-catching first tight end prospect, but like Sadiq, can line up in-line and contribute as a run blocker if needed.

He is projected to be a day 2 prospect and a likely second-round player who may interest the Broncos with their second-round selection if he is still on the board. He is the type of player the Broncos need in their tight end room, and I think he will be someone they will be interested in during this draft process.

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Georgia TE Oscar Delp

Delp might be my favorite tight end not named Kenyon Sadiq. While his production as a pass catcher is not great, he has untapped potential in that regard. He is a top-notch athlete with soft hands, good size, and the ability to get open in the middle of the field.

He is also a willing and reliable run blocker who will put his hand in the dirt and play inline. Again, this is the type of player the Broncos need, and his untapped potential as a pass catcher makes him an intriguing prospect for teams.

TCU TE DJ Rogers

DJ Rogers may not be a top prospect like some of these other players mentioned, but has the potential to be a pass-catching threat at the tight end position. He’s a willing run blocker but needs to improve in that area, but profiles as an upside day 3 tight end who adds some depth to your room.

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The Broncos’ depth at tight end was lacking last season to the point where they signed 41-year-old Marcedes Lewis off the couch. While Rogers may not be a starter, they need better depth in that room and he could provide that will giving the Broncos another pass-catching threat at the position.

Cincinnati TE Joe Royer

Joe Royer is a well-built tight end with good size and length, and he looks the part of an NFL tight end. He transferred from Ohio State to Cincinnati and had a standout season for them. He is not the most athletic tight end in this class, but he is a big pass-catching target who is physical at the catch point and in coverage. While blocking may not be his game, he is willing to contribute there and has the size to hold his own.

The Broncos lacked a pass-catching threat at tight end with his size and ability this past season, and would give them an intriguing TE2 or TE3 to develop moving forward.

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Stanford TE Sam Roush

If you’re looking for an inline specialist, Sam Roush is your guy in this draft. He has excellent size and will be a plug-and-play inline blocker in the NFL. His pass-catching upside is not great, but you’re not drafting him for that.

With Adam Trautman a free agent, the Broncos lack a true inline threat at tight end. Roush would give them that and someone who can come in one two-tight end sets and contribute as a blocker in the run game while also being a sneaky underneath option in the pass game.

Texas TE Jack Endries

Jack Endries is another big tight end with pass-catching upside who has shown some willingness to block in-line. He’s at his best as a big target in the middle of the field and uses his size and length to box out defenders and has strong hands to haul in passes. He needs work as a blocker, but has flashed upside there and has the willingness to do it.

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Endries would give the Broncos a much-needed big target in the middle of the field and in the red zone. He’s more of a TE2 or TE3 but would add some upside to the Broncos’ tight end room.

Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers

Stowers is an explosive athlete who profiles as a pass-catching weapon/Joker in the NFL. He is a little undersized for a tight end, but he has room to add weight while already having good length and long arms. He is a little bit raw at the position as he is a converted quarterback who has only played tight end for three seasons, but the pass-catching upside and run-after-the-catch ability are there. However, his upside as a blocker is very low and profiles more as a big wide receiver than an inline tight end.

As a receiver, he would give the Broncos another big and athletic pass-catching tight end to utilize. Evan Engram has one year left on his contract, and Stowers will not be needed to start right away. However, he will not give the Broncos the inline threat that they are looking for at the position. With that said, his pass-catching upside is hard to ignore.