Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has led the Broncos in targets for five straight seasons.
While Denver's blockbuster acquisition of Jaylen Waddle doesn't necessarily change the top of the pecking order, it does introduce considerably more competition for looks.
Sutton, for his part, is entirely unconcerned with however the distribution eventually shakes out.
"I want to win games," Sutton said Thursday, per team transcript. "At the end of the day, I want to win games. I think last year, we saw what it would take for a selfless offense to be able to get to where we want to get to. I don't think that we have any individuals or personalities in our offense that are saying, 'Hey, I need this, I need that.' I think we have a bunch of guys that are willing to put their pride aside and say, 'What do I need to do for this team to be successful?' I think us seeing that last year, we got to see what that benefit is in terms of overall team success.
"I think having that mentality as an offense and team will ultimately get us where we want to get to. I think last year was a good start and I think that we've added to… Personality-wise and player-wise, we've added to that, and we've kept a lot of those guys as well that understand what this idea of success that we are trying to bring to this team and to this offense. The targets will come. I always say, the ball is going to find you no matter what, you just need to go out there and do your job."
Denver rolled to a 14-3 record and the AFC's top seed last season with a quartet of receivers whose utilization ebbed and flowed.
Sutton was a constant, tallying his third 1,000-yard receiving season on 124 targets (74 receptions) on the way to his second Pro Bowl, but Troy Franklin only trailed slightly behind him with 65 catches on 104 targets. Pat Bryant became more involved as his rookie year progressed, averaging six targets over his final five regular-season games, and Marvin Mims Jr. actually tied Sutton for the team lead in playoff targets with 14.
There was unselfishness among them, and Sutton is harping on that theme as Waddle joins the ranks.
Denver paid a steep price for Waddle, packaging three 2026 picks -- highlighted by the No. 30 overall selection -- to pry the wide receiver and a fourth-rounder away from the Dolphins. It will be well worth it if Waddle and Co. can help third-year quarterback Bo Nix reach the next stage of his maturation.
Waddle profiles as a pass catcher who should make finding completions as easy as possible for Nix. He excels at short and intermediate routes, and despite Miami's offense taking a downturn at the end of his time there, he ended his five-year Fins tenure with 373 receptions for 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns.
His presence, combined with Sutton's, should guarantee contributors such as Bryant and Franklin easier matchups than they faced last year. It should also help Waddle and Sutton directly, in turn leading to the victories Denver's incumbent target leader covets over personal glory.
"Courtland is an elite playmaker, so anytime you have a playmaker on the other side of you, it's just makes it easy," Waddle said during the same media session. "It's someone that the defense has to be looking for, and vice versa."
