After fielding one of the worst scoring offenses in the league in 2017, it was clear that the Denver Broncos would have to add some new pieces in the offseason. Among the new faces is wide receiver Courtland Sutton of SMU, whom the Broncos selected with the 40th overall pick.
Make that TWO wide receivers from @SMU_Football.
Welcome to #BroncosCountry, @SuttonCourtland! pic.twitter.com/nyHP9Qs43H
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 27, 2018
Sutton was regarded by many, including John Elway, as a first-round talent. But while the former Mustang has potential, it may be a while before he fully realizes it.
Reasons to Get Excited
Size
At 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, Sutton is a big-bodied possession receiver who could be a force in the red zone. He’s great at going after 50-50 balls and can make catches in traffic. He is the same height as Demaryius Thomas and only 11 pounds lighter, so the Broncos could pencil him in for that role as early as this season should anything happen to Thomas.
Production
In his final three years at SMU, Sutton averaged 1,064 yards per season and scored 31 touchdowns. He also graded out well on film and as a deep threat.
The Denver Broncos added one of the most talented wide receivers in the draft class in Courtland Sutton pic.twitter.com/Hu92skdZK6
— PFF (@PFF) April 27, 2018
He did this despite never having a starting quarterback that completed more than 58.5 percent of his passes in a season. A veteran NFL starter could make a huge difference.
Improved Offense
The Broncos got new starters at quarterback and running back in Case Keenum and Royce Freeman, respectively. Keenum, at the very least, should be a big upgrade over his predecessor.
The offense also showed some improvement once Bill Musgrave took over as offensive coordinator in November. In the 10 games before Musgrave, the Broncos exceeded 20 points just three times. They matched that total in their final six games. An improved offense is good for everyone, including Sutton.
Reasons to Pump the Brakes
Depth Chart
Sutton’s biggest problem is the logjam of players at his position. Of course the biggest obstacles to playing time are mainstays Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. He’ll also have to beat out Carlos Henderson, a 2017 third-round pick who missed his rookie season with a thumb injury, and DaeSean Hamilton, a fellow rookie drafted in the fourth round out of Penn State. Sutton may not have a role in the offense at first.
Quarterback Issues
Case Keenum may be an improvement, but that speaks more to the quality of Denver’s production at the position in 2017 than it does about Keenum. Though he is coming off a career year, his overall numbers point to regression.
Should Keenum falter, the backup plan, Paxton Lynch, is also not very enticing. Lynch has only played in five games but none were particularly impressive. His best start came in Week 17 of last season when he was the 14th-best fantasy quarterback of the week against a Kansas City team that was resting for the playoffs.
In other words, neither option is promising. A repeat of 2017 is within the realm of possibility.
Competition
One knock on Sutton is the trouble he had against good teams in 2017. He had one catch for no yards against TCU. He caught five passes for 46 yards against UCF and one pass for 35 yards against Memphis, a ranked team that had the 123rd ranked pass defense in FBS.
This was partially due to Sutton’s struggles as a route runner. It may take some time for him to develop that skill, especially against NFL competition.
Conclusion
Had Sutton gone to the Cowboys as many predicted, he would be worth a look for the same reasons as Michael Gallup. But in Denver, there’s a good chance he’ll be buried on the depth chart without an elite quarterback. As such, his 2018 outlook is fairly grim. He’s a decent commodity in dynasty leagues, but leave him on the waiver wire in redraft.
