Denver Broncos football is back. Veterans have reported to camp, which is set to start on Friday, July 26. Throughout the offseason, there has been a big question regarding a specific position group heading into camp. This group is the tight end room.
Why did the Broncos not sign or draft a tight end?
Denver's tight end room was the worst in the NFL during the 2023 season. Adam Trautman, who was re-signed, led the room statistically but only had 204 yards, which ranked 44th in the league. Lucas Krull, who played only seven games, emerged as a good offensive weapon. He finished the season with 95 receiving yards. Nate Adkins was more of a blocking tight end. Greg Dulcich spent the season injured, playing in only two games.
Good names were available in free agency, including Mike Gesicki, Gerald Everett, Noah Fant, Jonnu Smith, and Logan Thomas. The team had the chance to upgrade their tight end position, but they passed on all available guys. This fueled the speculation that they might address the tight end need in the draft but, ultimately, they left the room untouched.
Head coach Sean Payton addressed the media on Tuesday, to talk about the status of the roster heading into camp. During the press conference, Payton spoke about Greg Dulcich and his status. Denver placed multiple players on the Physically unable to perform (PUP) list before camp, and Dulcich was not one of them.
Payton had a positive update regarding the third-year tight end. He could have a good breakout season if he can stay healthy.
Dulcich has played in only 12 games, two last year and the other 10 during his rookie season. As a rookie, he had 411 receiving yards on 33 receptions in 10 games, which looked promising, but as I mentioned before, injuries have kept him off of the field. If he can stay healthy, bounce back, and play like he did during his rookie year, the Broncos can have a reliable weapon at the tight end position.
Dulcich missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp while he was recovering from his foot procedure earlier this year, and Lucas Krull stepped up. Dulcich will be a player to watch during camp, as hopefully he can stay healthy.
The Broncos used a relatively high draft pick to select Greg Dulcich, specifically a third-round selection. Can he have a breakout season in year three?
