With the 40th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected our fourth-ranked receiver and 49th overall prospect, Courtland Sutton.

Coming into the season, Sutton had real first-round potential and seemed to pick his stock back up after a pretty impressive combine showing. Here’s what we found when we went back to watch his tape.

Strengths:

• Sutton’s a big-body receiver with outstanding size and a really good athlete at his size.
• He has some of the best contested-catch ability in the entire draft class.
• He is outstanding adjusting to the ball mid-air, making really tough grabs look routine on a regular basis. He has hops for days and can really dominate small DBs.

• The SMU star has phenomenal hands and made his fair share of one-handed grabs. Shows natural hands and makes receptions away from his body.

• While not the greatest athlete, Sutton is a beast with the ball in his hands. He’s a YAC machine and a handful to take down in the open field. He’s scary good on screens.

• Sutton is really talented coming back to the ball and overpowering defensive backs gaining position for the ball. Has great box-out skills.

• Tested way better at the combine than anyone expected, showing deceptive agility and promise as a route runner.
• Is pretty talented on inside routes and making double moves deep.
• Can be a great red-zone threat, had 31 touchdowns in the last three seasons.

Weaknesses:

• Struggles creating separation on a regular basis. The best corners he faced really blanketed him. He did most of his damage against lower-level competition
• His route tree isn’t extensive in SMU’s spread offense and he struggles with sharp cuts. He isn’t a technician by any means.
• Sutton must be a better blocker for his size. He doesn’t dominate the way he should blocking in the run game.
• The big WR isn’t the most sudden mover, he needs to be more explosive off the line with consistency.
• Sutton doesn’t get off press coverage with consistency, needs to be more physical at the line and use is size better.
• Though he ran a great three-cone, he doesn’t play with great quickness.

In conclusion 

Sutton is a nice value pick and a very promising receiver prospect with a great combination of size and raw athleticism. It’s really important he tap into that athleticism and become a more natural speed threat.

The big wideout is an odd fit in Denver where he’s fairly similar to Demaryius Thomas. His size and route running ability make it so that he likely won’t play in the slot. He is a red-zone machine and could be used as a big slot receiver in such situations almost becoming a defacto tight end in certain situations, but his fit is odd.

Much like with Carlos Henderson a year ago, this is another developmental piece who needs to be developed as a route runner to really succeed. Case Keenum a year ago in Minnesota thrived with some really technically proficient route-running receivers, it’ll be interesting how Denver replicates that offense with the WRs on their roster now. He’ll have to develop in his major areas of weakness for the Broncos to not have another Cody Latimer, who himself had all the potential in the world.