A breakout camp for Broncos WR Pat Bryant as teammates rave and 'Patty Ice' emerges

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The wide receiver turning heads at the Denver Broncos' training complex this summer isn't old standby Courtland Sutton or speedy newcomer Jaylen Waddle .

It's Pat Bryant who's drawing praise from teammates and coaches as the third-round pick from Illinois prepares for his second NFL season.

“Man, Pat’s a beast,” Waddle said. “He’s another young guy I’m excited to see work this year, I’m excited to play alongside him. I’m excited for the world to get to know Pat Bryant’s name.”

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb even introduced a new moniker for Bryant this summer.

“Man, ‘Patty Ice’ has had some really, really good practices,” raved Webb. “Pat is very, very savvy. Smart. When he catches the ball his feet are on the ground. Those are the things we were attracted to when he was coming out of Illinois. It’s really, really cool to see him take another jump this early into Year 2.”

Of all the impressive performances Bryant has stacked up over the past month, the play of the summer came in a scrimmage.

Hurried, quarterback Bo Nix threw the ball up in the red zone and Bryant, working toward the corner, jumped high over Ja'Quan McMillian and Jahdae Barron, high-pointed the ball, spun as he returned to earth and toe-tapped near the back pylon for the touchdown.

“He made two (plays) today that were unbelievable, but that’s been all camp,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said afterward. “That’s what he can be. He’s the guy in that room, in my opinion — he blocks, he catches the ball in traffic, he can track the ball vertically, he’s great in the red zone. He’s the complete package. He’s got great size, and he loves to play. He’s the same player every day.”

The Broncos saw glimpses of Bryant's traits during his rookie year when he caught five passes for 82 yards in a three-point win over the Kansas City Chiefs in November or when he caught his only NFL touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in October.

But he looks primed for a big breakout in 2026.

“His consistency, he has really strong hands," coach Sean Payton said this week. "I’ve said this before, if you watch tape and you’re looking at it, rarely does he have to leave his feet to make a clean catch. Even if you just skip to catch it, at that moment, everyone’s moving and you’re kind of frozen and rarely does he do that.

"So his yards after catch are noticeably different because his feet are on the ground as he runs through a ball. He’s smart, he’s sudden, he’s big. He’s having a heck of a camp. You guys have seen it, and it’s been consistent. He’s super intelligent. It’s really important to him, and I like his size.”

At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, he's just the kind of big body Payton prefers at wide receiver.

He used that size to his advantage as a rookie when he showed off his blocking skills that sprung others, especially Sutton, for big gains.

Bryant said he spent the offseason rejuvenating his mind and body and focusing on how he could carve out a bigger niche in the offense in his second NFL season.

“I would just say my ability to do all jobs, run every route in the playbook,” Bryant said. “So, I kind of just honed in on that this offseason, just having that versatility whether they need me to block, go deep, call my number on third down, whatever they need me to do just being physically and mentally ready for those moments.”

Bryant said he felt refreshed coming into camp.

“I would say rookie year coming in, it's probably one of the longest years of my life, football-wise: senior season, combine training, rookie minicamp, OTAs. Just really just going through all that," he said. "And then this year, having that break after the playoff games, getting my body back right, really having a feel for it and listening to the vets, like Courtland told me, he's got a lot of great recovery tools.

“In this league, the best ability is availability, so if there's anything I can do to stay fresh, I'm going to do it.”

Bryant laughed when asked about all the gushing teammates and coaches are doing over his breakout camp, especially the “Patty Ice” moniker bestowed upon him by Webb.

“I mean, he gives just about everybody a smooth nickname,” Bryant said. "'Patty Ice.' We ran with it. So, I guess that's my new nickname.”

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