Position versatile, offensive weapons are all the rage in the modern NFL, as the pro game keeps molding into what the college game already is.

With the Broncos still looking to add speed at wide receiver, more playmaking depth in the backfield and upgrades in the return game, this group of eighteen flashy and unconventional playmakers have the profiles to get fans out their seats and create big plays for the young, developing offense.

Top-50 positionless stars

Laviska Sheanault, WR, Colorado

A do-it-all offensive weapon if there ever was one, Sheanault could easily be a top-five running back in this class due to his speed, power, and shiftiness after the catch, even giving him value as a returner, if a team ever dared to risk him in such a spot.

While wide receiver is Sheanault’s true position, he can line up anywhere. When he’s outside, his acceleration off the line makes him impossible to cover in press coverage, and you can line him up in the slot, out the backfield, and as an H-back, you can fake him on jet sweeps, use him as your wildcat quarterback in the red zone, there really isn’t anything Sheanault can’t do.

So while he carries very real durability questions, the injuries he’s suffered aren’t degenerative and he ultimately only missed four games the last two seasons, making the risk-reward proposition very interesting with his selection as one of the highest upside prospects in the entire draft.

The stud local product has the speed, versatility and hands to complement Denver’s other playmakers and could be a steal outside the top 20.

Antonio Gibson, RB/WR, Memphis

Gibson is one of the most intriguing dual-threat athletes to come out of the college ranks in a while, with experience lining up both in the slot and outside as a wideout or as a runner out the backfield.

With a muscular lower half at 228 pounds, he has great contact balance and is a freight train once he hits the open field thanks to his 4.39 speed, with good burst too.

As a wideout he’s raw but he can make mid-air adjustments with the frame to go over the middle, while also being able to stretch the seam or go deep outside.

Still unrefined at all positions, he needs to sharpen his routes and improve his vision as a runner but the variety of ways in which you could use an athlete of his caliber makes him very intriguing. 

Disciples of Taysom Hill

Lynn Bowden Jr., WR/PR, Kentucky

The Kentucky team captain played receiver to start the season and ended it as a run-first quarterback in the SEC, leading Kentucky to a 6-and-2 record to end the year. He’s a creative runner with great YAC ability, a true joy to watch running with the ball.

Earlier in the year, he showed good quickness to create separation on his breaks with solid route running upside and already has a knack for finding space and coming back to the ball. 

Bowden might’ve played quarterback but really isn’t much of a factor there; it’s as a runner, slot receiver with speed to line up outside, and as a returner, that he is most intriguing. His ability to throw the ball and the fact he was a team captain just adds value to his whole profile. 

Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona

A man who needs no introduction after what he’s done to Colorado the last few seasons, Tate is one of the few running quarterbacks speed and athleticism that’s in the same realm as what Lamar Jackson was doing at Louisville.

Tate’s ability to extend plays and turn scrambles into long scores is what makes him special and uniquely appealing to be a faster version of Taysom Hill, with upside to even be turned into the NFL’s version of Lynn Bowden.

As a quarterback, he has to at least be respected and can execute half-field reads or quick spread concepts on the move.

Malcolm Perry, QB/WR, Navy

One of the standouts from the Shrine Bowl, the former Navy quarterback possesses incredible acceleration and quickness to start and stop on a dime, two traits that led him to an incredibly productive college career.

Despite his size, Perry is someone you’d be wise to get the ball to both as a returner and slot receiver where his agility and quickness are perfectly suited to juke would-be-tacklers out of their cleats in the open field.

While he took snaps under center for Navy he does have some experience as a receiver with 22 career receptions for 470 yards.

Tyler Huntley, QB, Utah

Huntley is a dual-threat quarterback who won a bunch of games at Utah. He has a strong arm with good deep accuracy and was very good when he had time in the pocket. Problem is he’s struggled when asked to perform tight-window throws, work off his secondary reads, or throw under pressure.

That makes him a perfect Taysom Hill-style playmaker and long-term developmental project. He’s a strong runner with great burst, long speed and elusiveness in the open field. He deserves to be on this list as well.

Michigan’s Shea Patterson—who early in his career had a real Johnny Manziel vibe to his game—and Virginia’s Bryce Perkins are two other dual-threat quarterbacks who, like Huntley, could find an added use to their talents.

Perkins is another team captain who was coached by Hill’s former coach at BYU, Bronco Mendenhall. Meanwhile, Patterson underwhelmed when transferring to Michigan and playing in a more pro-style system and was infamously not a captain last year.

Speed, depth and returner ability

Anthony McFarland, RB, Maryland

Arguably the most electrifying speed back of the class, McFarland has another gear and runs low to the ground with great contact balance at 5-foot-8 on a compact 208-pound frame.

Maryland’s star back has lightning-quick feet, great shiftiness, and legitimate home-run speed. His talents would fit perfectly as a returner where he only had one kick return for 40-yards in college.

Underutilized as a receiver, his immediate utility would be as a change-of-pace speed back for the Broncos with the upside to become a weapon in all areas of the game, who you just need to feet touches.

James Proche, WR, SMU

If finding a speed receiver who can complement Courtland Sutton in the passing game is the goal, then why not just go back to Sutton’s alma mater and draft Proche, who was averaging 20-yards per reception when paired with Denver’s star receiver back in 2017?

Proche’s production is unrivaled on this list, with 301 career receptions for 3,949 yards but he makes this list specifically because of his return ability where he’s come close to the thousand-yard mark in combined return yards. Bigger than you’d think, he has strong, reliable hands and intriguing quickness to his game even if he’s not a pure burner. 

Darius ‘Jet’ Anderson, RB, TCU

The man they call “Jet” is aptly named, Anderson is an explosive runner who regularly flashed on tape for the Horned Frogs, he has a different gear to take runs to the house and win the corner over defenders.

The slender runner has electric feet, good wiggle, shows creativity as a runner and is a home run threat on every play he makes. Not a quality inside runner, he still forces too many plays outside but he has the elusiveness, creativity and feet to create yards on his own.

His touches and production were limited, even if he did see more targets in the passing game in 2019 on top of 14 kickoff returns. Anderson’s speed and playmaking ability at 208-pounds make him a unique fit in Denver’s backfield with some added versatility both as a receiver and returner.

John Hightower, WR, Boise State

The 24-year-old star receiver for the ‘other’ Broncos is a dynamic vertical threat with springs in his feet that make him very dangerous with the ball in his hands, making him a threat both as a returner and on jet-sweeps.

Hightower’s slender frame and limited routes as a slot receiver make him a bit of a developmental project who’ll need some manufactured touches on offense, meaning he’ll need to be solid in the return game to present real value to a team early. In Denver, his 4.4 speed and explosiveness off the snap would help open up the middle of the field for the Broncos bigger targets.

Joshua Kelley, RB, UCLA

More of a depth piece as one of the most intriguing day-three running backs of the class than a true, versatile weapon.

Kelley has really impressed in the draft process with a nice showing at the Senior Bowl and Combine—4.49 40. Kelley was the one true star to emerge from Chip Kelley’s offense at UCLA—no relation—with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

He can run between the tackles or pop runs outside, with great contact balance and in 2018, when he was playing at a lighter 204 pounds, showed more juice as a receiver.

Even with more weight last season, one of his biggest struggles was as a blocker, which must improve for him to have true third-down value at the next level.

Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss

The second-fastest offensive playmaker of the entire NFL Combine, running a 4.35, Watkins is a legitimate deep threat with a 6-foot frame and the ability to extend away from his frame. The threat he presents as a runner after the catch and some experience as a returner make him very intriguing as someone who could be slotted into the final roster.

If his at times inconsistent hands can develop, along with his router running and physicality, he could be one of the steals of the draft due to his speed and wiggle in the open field.

J.J. Taylor, RB, Arizona

The shifty 5-foot-6 running back is just different from most athletes who get to the NFL, with a low center of gravity, deceptive power at 185 pounds and the ability to stop on a dime.

Taylor has the requisite speed, at least on tape, to win the corner and hit home-runs with his long speed.

He’s also been a factor as a receiver and kickoff returner in his time with the Wildcats. As of now, he can dance around a bit too much in the backfield and his size limits some of his utility as a receiver but as far as offensive playmakers go, Taylor’s Tarik Cohen-like profile makes him very intriguing late in the draft.

Jeff Thomas, WR, Miami

Thomas is a true burner with the wheels to stretch the field vertically and be a threat after the catch thanks to his speed and quickness in the open field.

Not particularly impressive on his releases, he really struggled to get consistent touches in Miami’s awful passing offense.

He offers value as a kick returner, jet sweep-reverse threat and has a bit more size than Diontae Spencer. 

Freddie Swain, WR, Florida

Another quick slot who’s dangerous in the open field and wasn’t able to truly showcase his talents in a loaded receiver room on a struggling passing offense.

Swain also brings value in the return game as his quick twitch ability allowed him to slalom through would-be tacklers.

Quicker than fast, he needs to play at top speed and show off the 4.46 speed he tested at the Combine.

Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State

Evans is a boom or bust runner, he can hit home runs but has far too many ill-advised rushing attempts trying to run outside that go nowhere.  The long speed is appealing though, as is his contact balance in the open field. The few times he was used as a receiver on screens or dump-offs, those traits shined and the untapped upside there is particularly appealing.

Evans does show the ability to create for himself, a vital skill at the next level even if he overdid it in college. At 203 pounds with 4.4 speed, he’d be a smaller, speedy back with upside in the passing game for Denver.

JaMycal Hasty, RB, Baylor

A long-speed threat with NFL burst and some quickness to his game, Hasty has experience as a receiver, returner and has had a lot of reps blocking out the backfield.

He’s a competitive player with fairly natural, soft hands showing some promising shake as a route runner. Currently, he lacks great vision and creativity in the open field, limiting him to only an outside runner. Meaning the development of his pass-catching skills should prove crucial for his long-term role in the NFL.

Whoever drafts him should have a plan in place or his immediate impact seems limited.

Quartney Davis, WR, Texas A&M

Davis, like Swain and Thomas, was stuck in a loaded receiver room without a dynamic passing game that could allow everyone to excel. Which is why it was so disappointing to see him struggle with his hands in both the passing and return game at the Senior Bowl where he wasn’t particularly impressive in one-on-ones.

With the Aggies, he looked springy, explosive with quickness and sharp feet. The tools are intriguing as a speedy wideout who can play out the slot and be a factor as a returner but he’ll have to be a more consistent playmaker to stick in the NFL.