This is a unit in the middle of a rather significant make-over. There are understandable concerns raised by the departures of Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler, who together accounted for 40% of the Broncos' receiving yards in 2009 along with 57% of the receiving touchdowns. Denver has veterans who should be able to take up the slack -- Jabar Gaffney, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, and Brandon Lloyd. The Broncos also have Kenny McKinley and Matt Willis who have been around the NFL but have yet to show what they can do. Gaffney should be solid as a primary WR. Royal will hopefully return to his 1st year form. The rest of the veterans will need to show the rookies the way to be successful. Denver currently has a long slate of WRs going into Training Camp. There are a lot of optimistic comments coming out of the OTAs regarding the play of Thomas, Willis, McKinley and Lloyd, so perhaps the predictions of doom and gloom regarding our receiving corp are premature. After the fold, let's put some faces and history to these men.
Since the Broncos have not yet released an official depth chart, I chose to list these players by years in the NFL. If two or more players have the same level of experience, I chose to list them alphabetically by last name.
Brandon Stokley
#14 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-0
192
Jun 23, 1976
UL-Lafayette
1 yr, $1.4 million, FA in 2011
The Basics
|
Acquired: Free Agency, 2007 |
Pro Year: 12th |
Broncos Year: 4th |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 118/35 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 12/1 |
Born: Blacksburg, VA |
Highlights
| Is widely acclaimed as one of the most effective slot WRs in the NFL |
Has Super Bowl rings from two different teams (2000 Ravens & 2006 Colts) |
| Has 8 100-yard games, 4 40-catch seasons, and 1 1000-yard seasons in his career |
Scored the first points of Super Bowl XXXV on a 38-yard pass reception |
| Ranks 5th in 1st Down Percentage (77.5) during his years as a Bronco |
Was a key part of Indianapolis' AFC South titles (2003-2006) |
| Ranked 9th in NCAA career receiving yards (3,072) and 10th in career receptions (241) |
Set all of his school's receiving records |
| Exceeded 1000 receiving yards in 3 of his 4 collegiate years (was limited to 4 games his junior season due to a knee injury) |
Statistics
| High School | Played football only in his freshman and senior years; his senior year caught 80 passes for 946 yards (11.8 average) |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 1995 |
11 |
75 |
1121 |
9 |
| 1996 |
11 |
81 |
1160 |
7 |
| 1997 |
4 |
20 |
248 |
1 |
| 1998 |
11 |
65 |
1173 |
8 |
|
NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 1999 (Bal) |
1 |
28 |
28.0 |
28 |
1 |
| 2000 (Bal) |
11 |
184 |
16.7 |
32 |
2 |
| 2001 (Bal) |
24 |
344 |
14.3 |
46 |
2 |
| 2002 (Bal) |
24 |
357 |
14.9 |
35 |
2 |
| 2003 (Ind) |
22 |
211 |
9.6 |
37 |
3 |
| 2004 (Ind) |
68 |
1077 |
15.8 |
69 |
10 |
| 2005 (Ind) |
41 |
543 |
13.2 |
45 |
1 |
| 2006 (Ind) |
8 |
85 |
10.6 |
23 |
1 |
| 2007 (Den) |
40 |
635 |
15.9 |
58 |
5 |
| 2008 (Den) |
49 |
528 |
10.8 |
36 |
3 |
| 2009 (Den) |
19 |
327 |
17.2 |
87 |
4 |
| TOTALS |
307 |
4319 |
14.1 |
87 |
34 |
|
Postseason |
|||||
| 2000 (Bal) |
7 |
91 |
13.0 |
38 |
1 |
| 2001 (Bal) |
2 |
38 |
19.0 |
27 |
0 |
| 2003 (Ind) |
11 |
223 |
20.3 |
87 |
3 |
| 2004 (Ind) |
10 |
97 |
9.7 |
21 |
0 |
| 2005 (Ind) |
1 |
13 |
13.0 |
13 |
0 |
| TOTALS |
31 |
462 |
14.9 |
87 |
Snapshots from Life
**Has been active in raising money for the Meningitis Foundation of America
**Donated clothing, food and supplies to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
**Is married to Lana, and has two sons -- Cameron and Carson
Jabar Gaffney
#10 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-2
200
Dec 01, 1980
Florida
4 yr, $10 million, $3 million guaranteed, FA in 2011
The Basics
|
Acquired: Unrestricted Free Agent (New England) 2009 |
Pro Year: 9th |
Broncos Year: 2nd |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 123/77 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 6/4 |
Born: Jacksonville, FL |
Highlights
| Earned consensus first-team All-American honors as a redshirt sophomore at the University of Florida |
In 2001 ranked 2nd in the nation in receiving yards per game (108.3) |
| Set an NCAA Division I-A freshman record for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2000 |
Earned consensus National Freshman of the Year and All-SEC honors |
| Has appeared in 16 games and totaled 400 receiving yards or more in 6 out of 7 seasons with NE and Hou |
Has 14 career games with 80 or more yards and 4 with 100 yards or more |
| Caught a career high 5 receiving touchdowns in 2007 to help NE post the first ever 16-0 regular season record |
In 2006, set an NFL record with consecutive 8-catch, 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs |
| Set a career high for receiving yards (732) in his first season with Denver |
Gaffney's teams are 4-0 (including 2 post season games) when he has recorded 100 or more yards in a game |
Statistics
| High School | Was a 2-year starter in high school. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the 4th quarter of the state championship game his junior year. |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2000 |
12 |
71 |
1184 |
14 |
| 2001 |
11 |
67 |
1191 |
13 |
|
NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2002 (Hou) |
41 |
483 |
11.8 |
27 |
1 |
| 2003 (Hou) |
34 |
402 |
11.8 |
33 |
2 |
| 2004 (Hou) |
41 |
632 |
15.4 |
69 |
2 |
| 2005 (Hou) |
55 |
492 |
8.9 |
29 |
2 |
| 2006 (NE) |
11 |
142 |
12.9 |
33 |
1 |
| 2007 (NE) |
36 |
449 |
12.5 |
56 |
5 |
| 2008 (NE) |
38 |
468 |
12.3 |
37 |
2 |
| 2009 (Den) |
54 |
732 |
13.6 |
49 |
2 |
| TOTALS |
310 |
3800 |
12.3 |
69 |
17 |
|
Postseason |
|||||
| 2006 (NE) |
21 |
244 |
11.6 |
31 |
2 |
| 2007 (NE) |
4 |
38 |
9.5 |
13 |
1 |
| TOTALS |
25 |
282 |
11.3 |
31 |
3 |
Snapshots from Life
**Is married. He and his wife, Terin have two children: son - Jackson and daughter - Teagan
Brandon Lloyd
#84 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-0
194
Jul 05, 1981
Illinois
2 yr, $2.05 million, $500 thousand signing bonus, FA in 2011
The Basics
|
Acquired: Free Agency, 2009 |
Pro Year: 8th |
Broncos Year: 2nd |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 81/48 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Kansas City, MO |
Highlights
| Tied for second among all players with three successful two-point conversions since 2003 |
Has 4 100-yard receiving games in his NFL career |
| Was the University of Illinois’ second-leading receiver with 2,583 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. |
Only 2nd player in University of Illinois history to have 2 1000-yard receiving yards in his college career |
Statistics
| High School | Was a cornerback, wide receiver, kicker and punter in high school |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2000 |
11 |
30 |
511 |
2 |
| 2001 |
11 |
65 |
1062 |
10 |
| 2002 |
12 |
65 |
1010 |
9 |
| NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2003 (SF) |
14 |
212 |
15.1 |
44 |
2 |
| 2004 (SF) |
43 |
565 |
13.1 |
52 |
6 |
| 2005 (SF) |
48 |
733 |
15.3 |
89 |
5 |
| 2006 (Was) |
23 |
365 |
15.9 |
52 |
0 |
| 2007 (Was) |
2 |
14 |
7.0 |
9 |
0 |
| 2008 (Chi) |
26 |
364 |
14.0 |
32 |
2 |
| 2009 (Den |
8 |
117 |
14.6 |
44 |
0 |
| TOTALS |
164 |
2370 |
14.5 |
89 |
15 |
Snapshots from Life
**Majored in speech communications with an emphasis in journalism.
Eddie Royal
#19 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
5-10
180
May 21, 1986
Virginia Tech
4 yr, $3.955 million, $2.4 million guaranteed, FA in 2012
The Basics
|
Acquired: 2nd Round (42nd overall) 2008 Draft |
Pro Year: 3rd |
Broncos Year: 3rd |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 29/27 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Alexandria, VA |
Highlights
| Was Virginia Tech's all-time leader in all-purpose yards (4,686) |
Set an ACC record for punt return yards (1,296) |
| College career ranked 4th in receptions (119), 5th in receiving touchdowns (12) and 6th in receiving yards (1,778) at Virginia Tech |
In 2008 totaled the 2nd most receptions (91) by a rookie in NFL history |
| Earned all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly in 2008 |
In 2008 set Broncos' records for receptions (91), receiving yards (980) and receiving touchdowns (5) |
| In 2008, became the 1st player since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to post his team's longest kickoff return (95 yds), reception (93 yds), run (71), and punt return (36 yds) in the same year |
Set a Broncos' rookie single game record with 11 catches vs San Diego on 12/28/08 |
| Recorded the 6th highest receiving yardage (146 yds) by a player in his first career game since 1960 |
Statistics
| High School | Caught 41 passes for 875 yards with 11 touchdowns as a senior to help his HS win their division's state championship. Returned 10 kickoffs for touchdowns. SuperPrep rated him as the top player in Virginia. |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2004 |
12 |
28 |
470 |
3 |
| 2005 |
13 |
27 |
315 |
2 |
| 2006 |
13 |
31 |
497 |
3 |
| 2007 |
13 |
33 |
496 |
4 |
| College |
||||||
| Year |
Punt Returns |
Yards |
Average |
Kickoff Returns |
Yards |
Average |
| 2004 |
25 |
274 |
11.0 |
12 |
346 |
28.8 |
| 2005 |
32 |
263 |
8.2 |
14 |
293 |
20.9 |
| 2006 |
23 |
304 |
13.2 |
19 |
431 |
22.7 |
| 2007 |
31 |
455 |
14.7 |
14 |
316 |
22.6 |
| NFL |
||||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
|
| 2008 |
91 |
980 |
10.8 |
93 |
5 |
|
| 2009 |
37 |
345 |
9.3 |
20 |
0 |
|
|
TOTALS |
128 |
1325 |
10.4 |
93 |
5 |
|
|
Year |
Punt Returns |
Yards |
Average |
Kickoff Returns |
Yards |
Average |
| 2008 |
23 |
600 |
26.1 |
|||
| 2009 |
31 |
335 |
10.8 |
26 |
621 |
23.9 |
|
TOTALS |
||||||
|
Year |
Punt Return TDs |
Kickoff Return TDs |
||||
| 2008 |
0 |
|||||
| 2009 |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
TOTALS |
1 |
Snapshots from Life
** Earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology in 3 1/2 years.
Matthew Willis
#12 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-0
190
Apr 13, 1984
U-C-L-A
3 yr, $1.26 million, FA in 2013
The Basics
|
Acquired: Free Agency, 2008 |
Pro Year: 3rd |
Broncos Year: 2nd |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 6/1 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Dallas, TX |
Highlights
| Won accolades in HS for accomplishments in track and soccer |
In 2003, was a part of the US Junior National track team and participated in the Junior Pan Am Games in Barbados |
| Entered the NFL as a College Free Agent in 2007 |
Statistics
| High School | Only played football during his freshman and sophomore years |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2005 |
8 |
3 |
29 |
1 |
| 2006 |
13 |
21 |
219 |
2 |
|
NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2009 (Den) |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
| TOTALS |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
Snapshots from Life
**Majored in Sociology
Kenny McKinley
Kenny McKinley#11 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-0
183
Jan 31, 1987
South Carolina
4 yr, $1.9502 million, $200 thousand signing bonus, FA in 2015
The Basics
|
Acquired: 5th round (141st overall) 2009 Draft |
Pro Year: 2nd |
Broncos Year: 2nd |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 8/0 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Mableton, GA |
Highlights
| Set school records for receptions (207) and yards (2,781) |
Scored 19 touchdowns in his 4 years in college |
| Called "Best receiver ever coached" by SCU Head Coach Steve Spurrier |
Only 5th player in SEC history to make more than 200 catches in a career |
| In 2007 led the SEC with 80.7 receiving yards per game |
In 2009, finished 3rd in punt and kick return yardage for Denver |
Statistics
| High School | Played QB in his junior and senior years. Threw for 3,045 yards and 28 touchdowns. Rushed for 1,150 yards and 20 touchdowns. |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2005 |
12 |
25 |
291 |
1 |
| 2006 |
13 |
51 |
880 |
5 |
| 2007 |
12 |
77 |
968 |
9 |
| 2008 |
10 |
54 |
642 |
4 |
| NFL |
||||||
| Year |
Kick Returns |
Yards |
Average |
Punt Returns |
Yards |
Average |
| 2009 |
7 |
158 |
22.6 |
3 |
32 |
10.7 |
Snapshots from Life
** Majored in Retailing at South Carolina
Alric Arnett
#82 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-0
189
Jun 26, 1988
West Virginia
3 yr, $1.215 million, FA in 2013
The Basics
|
Acquired: College Free Agency, 2010 |
Pro Year: 1st |
Broncos Year: 1st |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Belle Glade, FL |
Highlights
| Was named team captain on his HS football team |
Posted 3rd best time in Florida in the 400-meter event in track while in HS |
| Led WVA in receiving yards as a junior |
Ranked 2nd as a senior in receptions and receiving yards |
| Was a 2 year starter at WVA after playing for 2 community colleges his freshman and sophomore years |
Statistics
| High School | Competed in both football and track |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2008 (West Virginia) |
13 |
35 |
466 |
6 |
| 2009 (West Virginia) |
13 |
43 |
586 |
3 |
|
NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2010 |
Rookie |
No |
NFL |
Stats |
Yet |
Snapshots from Life
**Majored in Athletic Coaching Education
Eric Decker
#87 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-3
220
Mar 15, 1987
Minnesota
No Information Available
The Basics
|
Acquired: 3rd Round (87th overall) 2010 Draft |
Pro Year: 1st |
Broncos Year: 1st |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Cold Spring, MN |
Highlights
| Acclaimed by many scouts as being a premier pass receiver, with comparisons to Don Maynard and Raymond Berry |
Is widely praised for having great hands, solid route running and a willingness to go after the ball in a crowd, as well as being a great blocker |
| Has been praised for his team first attitude and work ethic |
Had only 3 drops (out of 354 targets and 227 catches) |
| Ranks 6th in Big 10 Conference history in receptions |
Produced 1st downs on over 74% of his receptions |
| Converted 3rd Downs on 22% of his receptions |
1st receiver in Minnesota history to have more than 200 career receptions (227) |
| 1st player in Minnesota history to amass over 3000 receiving yards (3119) |
29.5% of his catches led to his team going on to score |
| Has 30 TD catches in the Red Zone (16 came on goal line plays) |
Red-shirted as a freshman in 2005 |
Statistics
| High School | Earned numerous HS awards; finished his career with 2156 yards and 28 touchdowns |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2006 |
13 |
26 |
378 |
3 |
| 2007 |
13 |
67 |
909 |
9 |
| 2008 |
12 |
84 |
1074 |
7 |
| 2009 |
8 |
50 |
758 |
5 |
| NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2010 |
Rookie |
No |
NFL |
Stats |
Yet |
Snapshots from Life
**Business and Marketing major
Patrick Honeycutt
#17 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
5-9
172
Dec 30, 1986
Middle Tenn State
3 yr, $1.215 million, FA in 2013
The Basics
|
Acquired: College Free Agency, 2010 |
Pro Year: 1st |
Broncos Year: 1st |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Hoover, AL |
Highlights
| Was Red-shirted as a freshman in 2005 |
Missed the entire 2006 season with a knee injury |
| Ranked 4th in school history in receptions |
Statistics
| High School | received numerous HS awards; was invited to play in the Max Emfinger All-American game |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2007 |
12 |
28 |
328 |
1 |
| 2008 |
12 |
51 |
513 |
3 |
| 2009 |
12 |
37 |
420 |
4 |
| NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2010 |
Rookie |
No |
NFL |
Stats |
Yet |
Snapshots from Life
**Majored in Construction Management Technology
Demaryius Thomas
#88 / Wide Receiver / Denver Broncos
6-3
229
Dec 25, 1987
Georgia Tech
No Information Available
The Basics
|
Acquired: 1st round (21st overall), 2010 Draft |
Pro Year: 1st |
Broncos Year: 1st |
|
NFL Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Postseason Games Played/Started: 0/0 |
Born: Montrose, GA |
Highlights
| Nick-named "Bay-Bay" |
Red-shirted as a freshman in 2006 |
| Had string of 3 consecutive games with at least 1 TD catch of over 70 yards as a junior |
His size and athletic ability created mismatches for many cornerbacks |
| In 2009, he accounted for 37 of the Yellow Jackets' 67 plays that went for 20 or more yards |
His 1154 receiving yards in 2009 was the 2nd highest in school history |
| Turned down scholarship offers from Georgia and Duke |
Earned first team All ACC honors in 2007 and again in 2009 |
Statistics
| High School | In his junior and senior years, compiled 88 catches for 1086 yards and 10 touchdowns; was ranked as the 58th-best WR in the country by Rivals.com |
| College |
||||
| Year |
Games |
Receptions |
Yards |
Touchdowns |
| 2007 |
13 |
35 |
558 |
4 |
| 2008 |
12 |
39 |
627 |
3 |
| 2009 |
14 |
46 |
1154 |
8 |
| NFL |
|||||
| Year |
Receptions |
Yards |
Average |
Longest |
TDs |
| 2010 |
Rookie |
No |
NFL |
Stats |
Yet |
Snapshots from Life
**Management major
While there are a lot of question marks here: Will the veterans step it up? Are there rookies who will be able to have an immediate impact? And so on, there are equally reasons to be optimistic. The body of work for both our veterans and our rookies are impressive across the board. I am left with the feeling -- after compiling all of the information on this group of players -- that we are more likely to see them shine as a group as we are to having a single individual or two who stand out above the crowd. The reports coming out of the OTAs would appear to support this claim, as it seems like every day there has been a different receiver who has shone. I'm inclined to believe that come our season opener we will have a strong group of targets, enough different targets that it will become problematic for opposing defenses to decide who to focus upon.