Sean Payton says this Pat Bryant skill makes him 'noticeably different'

Pat Bryant could be headed for a Year 2 breakout with the Denver Broncos.

Bryant (6-2, 204 pounds) finished his rookie season strong, totaling 26 receptions for 332 yards and one touchdown in his final nine games of the campaign, and he’s been the talk of training camp this summer.

Broncos coach Sean Payton has been full of praise for the receiver’s ability to keep his feet on the ground while making a catch. That underrated skill helps Bryant pick up yards after the catch, and it’s just one of his strengths.

“[He has] consistency, he has really strong hands,” Payton said. “I’ve said this before, if you watch tape and you’re looking at it, rarely does he have to leave his feet to make a clean catch. Even if you just skip to catch it, at that moment, everyone’s moving and you’re kind of frozen and rarely does he do that.

“So his yards-after-catch are noticeably different because his feet are on the ground as he runs through a ball. He’s smart, he’s sudden, he’s big. He’s having a heck of a camp. You guys have seen it, and it’s been consistent. He’s super intelligent. It’s really important to him, and I like his size.”

Pat Bryant II Slow Mo pic.twitter.com/hqAPbvfmcu

— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) August 26, 2026

Denver’s “unofficial” depth chart lists Marvin Mims as a third starting receiver alongside Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. If the Broncos plan to have Mims continue returning kickoffs and punts, though, it’s hard to imagine him actually having a larger role than Bryant on offense. We project Bryant to draw the third-most targets behind Waddle and Sutton in 2026, making him a breakout candidate to follow this fall.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton says this Pat Bryant skill makes him ‘noticeably different’