PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Broncos have been on the hunt for a "Joker" player throughout the offseason.

As recently as the NFL Combine, General Manager George Paton said the search was like to trying to find the Loch Ness Monster.

In Evan Engram, they believe they've reeled him in.

"I would put him in that category or that family," Payton said Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting. "He is someone who has those skill sets."

The Broncos signed Engram to a two-year contract during the initial wave of free agency, and they added a two-time Pro Bowler who recorded 114 catches during a standout 2023 season.

"The vision was pretty clear," Payton said. "Obviously, he's someone that we feel like can run and give us a passing threat on third down and [in the] red zone. I think he has good body control, and I think he is really good when he gets the ball into his hands. His run-after-the-catch numbers, statistical-wise, have been good."

Payton, who coached tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy Graham to multiple Pro Bowl nods, said the proven value of the "Joker" position helped convince Engram that Denver was the right team to choose.

"One of the things that helped us in the process of him making that decision was that role," Payton said. "You can talk about it, but historically speaking [and] having had players like him, I'm excited."

Payton said the addition of Engram, who had nearly 50 catches in nine games in 2024, will also be vitally important to the continued progression of second-year quarterback Bo Nix.

"We've talked about it for two years now, the interior triangle of your passing game [is] the tight end, the running back and the third receiver," Payton said. "When you're seeing a lot of these coverage shell looks, those positions have to thrive. The very logistical answer to your question is Engram is closer to Bo than the receivers sometimes. The matchups inside — it's hard to play that position if you're not able to attack the interior triangle of some of the looks we're getting defensively. This helps Bo."

Added Paton: "It's helpful for the entire offense. It just opens up the middle of the field a little more. That's something that we lacked — the explosive element that we've lacked in the middle of the field. As we've talked about, he's a mismatch-type player, so that only helps the quarterback."

'THERE'S A TOUGHNESS TO HIS GAME'

A day after sharing his first thoughts on the Broncos’ free-agent signings, Payton expanded on the physical force that is former first-team All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga.

One of his key traits, Payton said, is the ability to often be the first player to the ball.

"Well, he's a great communicator, he's super intelligent, his experience and there is a toughness about the way he plays," Payton said. "Sometimes you can be a second responder [and] sometimes a first responder, and he appears first a lot on-screen. There's a style to how he plays. … Because he's so physical and so quick to support, he's had a handful of injuries, but there's a toughness to his game. You guys will like him. [There is] something about him when you meet him and you visit with him. So, that was a big get. We felt excited about that."

TAKING A SMART CHANCE

Engram, Greenlaw and Hufanga all dealt with injuries last year that sidelined them for a portion of the season, but Payton said he believes the team has a firm grasp on how to best prepare the players to make an impact in Denver.

"We felt with those guys, there is always that risk evaluation that is measured, and we felt pretty good about it," Payton said. "We feel like in our program, we will be smart enough to understand their workload and all the things to try to get them healthy to the field. There is always some risk to that."

Payton also acknowledged that without the injuries, the talented players may never have made it to the free-agent market.

"Quite honestly, there were a couple of them that maybe we would've had a much more difficult time signing had there not been a prior injury," Payton said.

With one of the league's lowest injury rates over the past two seasons, the Broncos are banking on helping the trio remain on the field to contribute. And when the team returns for the offseason program, Paton expects the team's additions to be at full strength.

"You weigh it," Paton said of the risk. "We do extensive physicals on everyone we bring in. They're no different. They all passed their physicals, so they'll be 100 percent as we get into the offseason program. We have a great medical team, and we rely on them. We feel good."