Despite QB uncertainty, could Broncos have NFL's best wide receiver group? Tim Patrick thinks so

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Even from children, Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick couldn’t avoid The Question.

Patrick spent his Tuesday morning on the artificial-turf field at Englewood High School, teaching hundreds of children route-running and pass-catching tips at teammate Melvin Gordon’s football camp. Both Patrick and Gordon spoke passionately about how much they enjoyed teaching kids football tips; as Patrick described it, joining Gordon was a “no-brainer” once the veteran running back asked the fourth-year wide receiver to take part.

But that also meant being asked the first — and perhaps, only — relevant question regarding the Broncos as training camp approaches in just under a month:

Who will be the quarterback?

“You know, I was asked by the kids today!” Patrick said, smiling. “I get asked all the time.

“At the end of the day, I try to tell people that quarterback is an important position, but it’s our job to make their jobs easier, because they have so much to worry about already, and whoever the quarterback is, I plan on having a talk with the receivers and saying, ‘It’s our job to make whoever’s there look good.'”

Last year, Patrick did his best to make Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien look good. He caught every catchable pass thrown his way in 2020, going a perfect 51-of-51. He posted three 100-yard games, including a 6-catch, 113-yard segment with Rypien against the New York Jets.

Not that many outside of Denver noticed. In February, Pro Football Focus tweeted about the receivers who posted the lowest drop percentages in the NFL, and left Patrick out.

He noticed.

My tweet must be coming soon since mine is 0.0% 🥱 https://t.co/OqhW0zICly

— Tim Patrick (@Tpstreets) February 23, 2021

And then he took it to heart.

“There are certain things I do to keep the edge,” Patrick said. “Certain things I see. I’m not going to be specific with it, but there are things I take from quotes, not having a thousand yards. Basically I just look how people talk about me, and if it’s not the way I like it, I kind of get mad.”

PFF’s tweet was among those items that provided another log for Patrick’s burning competitive fire.

“Exactly. That’s exactly what I needed in the offseason,” he said. “I was feeling really high in the first two weeks, and they did that, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, just got humbled.’ Got to come back better this year.”

“Better” means more productive, and he understands what reaching certain benchmarks means. For a wide receiver, that benchmark is 1,000 yards.

“I wouldn’t say a thousand makes a great receiver, but … this game is a numbers game, and if you have a thousand yards in this league, they look at you somewhat different,” he said. “I had no drops last year, but I had seven-something [yards], and I get talked about, but not how you think I would if I had, say, no drops and a thousand-plus yards. The narrative would be completely different.”

Another thing that would change the narrative is being part of a winning, playoff team. Patrick has experienced neither since joining the team’s practice squad in 2017, just in time for the team’s tumble from relevance.

“I want to be known not just as a role player,” he said. “I want to be known as a great receiver in this league, and until I start getting that respect, I’m going to go out with that edge, and even when I do get that respect, I’ve got something else to fight for — not just I want to win a Super Bowl, I want to win games.

“I haven’t had a winning season since I’ve been here, and that’s something I really want to change around here.”

There is only so much that a wide receiver can do on his own for that. The list of prolific wide receivers on losing teams is long and distinguished.

Now, if Patrick is a 1,000-yard receiver on a team that produces two — or even three — pass-catchers who hit that benchmark? That could change the trajectory.

“Three 1,000-yarders? I don’t know about that, but there’s room for a winning season, I’ll tell you that, and if we’re even close to having three thousand-yard receivers — what you think, Super Bowl?” Patrick said with a laugh and a smile.

He’s not wrong. Three 1,000-yard receivers would likely mean that the Broncos received an upgrade at quarterback — whether it comes from an ascendant Drew Lock, a rejuvenated Teddy Bridgewater or a trade for Aaron Rodgers.

But it would also mean that Patrick, Jerry Jeudy or Noah Fant improved — and that Courtland Sutton returned to his game-breaking 2019 form.

“Top to bottom, we’ve probably got the best receiving corps in the league,” Patrick said. “I don’t think teams have four receivers that have literally taken over a game. Jerry’s taken over a game, K.J. took over the Carolina game, I’ve taken over the Jet game, Courtland took multiple games over and had a Pro Bowl season [in 2019].

“From top to bottom, I don’t think people notice yet how good we’re going to be, and I’m just excited, because there ain’t no such thing as double-teaming when you play us, and our tight ends and our running backs — come on, man.”

The possibilities are tantalizing. And it’s possible that the Broncos have so much pass-catching talent that their offense can be productive … no matter who fires the passes.