Will Marvin Mims be the Broncos' returner in 2023?

The Broncos selected Montrell Washington in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft to serve as their kick and punt returner. Through four weeks, Washington looked like the perfect man for the job, and if he’d played at the same level there would be no debate about who should be the Broncos’ returner in 2023.

But after averaging 15.2 yards per punt return in the first month of the season—a mark that would have been the best in the league by nearly three yards—Washington less than six yards per return during the rest of the season. He lost a few fumbles. He made poor decisions about whether to catch a punt or let it bounce in the end zone, a new responsibility for Washington after he was told to return everything at Samford.

Washington, who turned 24 this offseason, will be a major player in the competition for the Broncos’ kick and punt return duties. He has the physical traits to be one of the league’s best returners, and he flashed those abilities as a rookie. But he’ll need to clean up some of the details to get any opportunities this season.

The Broncos brought in two returners this offseason.

Cornerback Tremon Smith ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his Pro Day before the Chiefs selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He hasn’t earned a starting cornerback job with any of the four teams he’s played with in the NFL, but he’s been the starting kick returner throughout his career. Only five kickoffs have been returned for touchdowns in the NFL over the past two years, and Smith has one of them.

Smith has hardly been used as a punt returner, but he’s flashed an ability to do so. Last season, with the Texans, Smith returned four punts and averaged 13.3 yards per return. Of the 83 players who returned at least one punt, only one had a better mark than Smith.

The Broncos have a handful of other return candidates who impressed with a small sample size last season. Wide receiver Marquez Callaway returned two punts and finished seventh out of 83 players in yards per return. Kendall Hinton finished 10th over three punt returns. For what it’s worth, Washington finished the season 30th.

Second-round rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims is another candidate for the job. The speedy wide receiver finished third in the Big 12 in punt return yards last season and finished in the top 10 nationally in yards per punt return as a freshman in 2020. Mims didn’t return enough punts to qualify for the national leaderboard last season, but if he had returned three more punts, his 16 yards per return would have ranked second in the nation.

“We felt like there were two elite punt returners; the young man in Houston (wide receiver Tank Dell)… and this was another,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Mims after the draft.

Mims should be the favorite for the punt return job, given that he has a skill set that fits the role, he was successful in college, and Payton has mentioned him as a potential “elite” returner. The Broncos have a handful of receivers to fit into their offensive rotation, so getting Mims touches in the return game could make up for a decreased role in the passing game.

At kick returner, Smith should be the favorite. Wide receiver Jalen Virgil flashed some potential as a rookie last season, and wide receiver KJ Hamler could be an explosive option. Undrafted rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin could even get into the race. But Smith is a proven veteran returner and as long as he proves worthy of a roster spot, he should be returning kicks in Week 1.

Here’s how I think the depth chart will shake out at the returner spots…

Kick Returner

1. Tremon Smith
2. Marvin Mims
3. Jalen Virgil
4. Montrell Washington
5. Kendall Hinton

Punt Returner

1. Marvin Mims
2. KJ Hamler
3. Tremon Smith
4. Montrell Washington
5. Pat Surtain

(I don’t think Surtain will return a punt this season. I think he’ll be an emergency option. But there’s an outside chance that Payton has something up his sleeve and wants to find a way to get the ball into Surtain’s hands. Don’t expect to see Surtain back there, but it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out.)

These depth charts will change depending on who makes the roster. If Washington doesn’t finish camp with a return job, he is doubtful to make the team. Hinton’s ability to return in a pinch could be enough for him to make the roster. It’s tough to imagine both Smith and Virgil making the team since both seem to need the starting kick-returner job to have a roster spot.

And don’t be surprised if Mims is your starting kick and punt returner for Week 1.