ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Following the 2024 NFL Draft, Head Coach Sean Payton saw the potential of Denver's incoming rookie class.
"I thought it had a chance to be [special]," Payton said Wednesday. "... With each player when we drafted them, we probably had a grade [of] two rounds earlier. That's doesn't happen often. I think most importantly was the vison for each guy. 'How do we see this guy fitting in Year 1?' We did a lot of work on it. Three years from now, we'll know for sure where this draft panned out. We did know it would be measured certainly with the first selection [of quarterback Bo Nix], and I understand that. We felt [really] good about those other selections, as well."
While Payton said it's too early to conduct a final assessment of the draft class, it's safe to say that several newcomers have already made an important impact for Denver this season. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix — who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. the Falcons in Week 11 — has continued to progress each week while showcasing his ability to effectively lead the offense.
Denver's success, though, has been fueled by newcomers on both sides of the ball. Defensively, outside linebacker Jonah Elliss has made his presence known, recording three sacks this season. And offensively, Nix has built connections with several playmakers — including the rookie wide receiver duo of Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele.
"Watching Vele develop and watching Troy develop from training camp to now, those guys have developed so much and matured," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Wednesday. "That's something that I tell people all of the time — that there is so much a learning curve [and] that you have to get thrown into the fire to get experience. You can sit here and watch film all day and have these practices during training camp. Yes, those are things that sharpen your iron. However, getting thrown into the fire in games is really where you get to sharpen your iron. I think that those guys have taken on the challenge really well, and they continue to develop and continue to progress [with] the professionalism that comes with playing this sport and playing this position."
After leading the team in receptions during his first NFL game against the Seahawks, Vele has continued to be a reliable offensive weapon for Denver. He recorded his first receiving touchdown in Week 10 vs. the Chiefs, and he was on the receiving end of an impressive 33-yard completion that ultimately led to a touchdown before the end of the first half of Sunday's win vs. Atlanta.
"Once the experience came through, I feel like the game slowed down for me a little bit more," Vele said Wednesday. "I'm able to see the field a little bit better and able to make the right reads."
Franklin, who recorded the first touchdown of his career in Week 6 and added another one in Week 11, has consistently spoken about the importance of continuing to gain experience that translates to an increase in on-field production. Specifically, he has found value in continuing to build trust amongst the offensive unit and with his former college teammate Nix.
"The trust is all there," Franklin said of Denver's offense. "We're working on it every week."
Denver has also seen production from rookie running back Audric Estime, who has made several key plays throughout the season and led the team in rushing in Kansas City. For Estime, having an entire rookie class that is continuously striving to improve has been a key part of the group's success this year and will continue to play a role moving forward.
"You've got a different type of bond with the guys that you came in with," he said. "And just to see them grow throughout the past couple of months is definitely a great feeling. Coach Payton had a lot of high hopes of this class, and it's kind of coming to light now."
While recruiting high-end on-field talent was certainly important for Payton and Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi, equally as important was the mentality and the work ethic of the players that Denver chose to add to its roster.
"Obviously, the talent of a player is important to us," Lombardi said Thursday. "But also what kind of worker he is, how he is in the locker room. Those things carry a lot of weight with us. ... The maturity [these players] have [and] their competitive stamina [is important]. ... It's a longer season and it's a longer workday than maybe they're used to in college. These guys have really adapted very well to it. ... They love football, they're not afraid to work, and they've got the stamina to sit in there in the meetings and the practices and not lose focus."
As Denver's rookies look to continue to improve and develop this season, veteran players like Sutton believe that with qualities like this, the sky is the limit.
"Seeing those young guys take control of their own destiny and be willing to learn and grow as much as they possibly can, the ceiling is beyond high for those guys," Sutton said. "They have so much potential. It's been a lot of fun watching them grow into themselves. These past few weeks, I think they have been having really good games of doing what they are being asked to do. They are going to continue to get better. I'm just excited to be part of their journey as well. We have really good young guys in this locker room, offensively and defensively. You can see them progressing. They are going to be the ones to set the foundation that allows us to be able to have the success that we want to have long term."
