Josh Reynolds emerges in Broncos' search for playmakers in WR room: 'He's going to be a big part of what we do'

DENVER — The Broncos were in desperation mode against the Pittsburgh Steelers when Sean Payton called Josh Reynolds’ number.

Trailing 10-0 with 7:43 left in the third quarter at Empower Field on Sunday, Sean Payton dug deep into his bag of tricks, putting running back Javonte Williams behind the center in shotgun with quarterback Bo Nix lined up outside.

Williams took the snap and handed the ball off to Courtland Sutton on a fly sweep before the veteran wideout pitched it back to Nix. With Reynolds streaking past the Pittsburgh secondary, Nix let loose with a high-arcing throw downfield, where the receiver leaped over two defenders to make a 49-yard catch down to the Steelers 7-yard line.

“We executed it just like we did in practice,” Reynolds said. “The look was there, and we were able to make a big play.”

Reynolds’ catch didn’t result in the outcome Denver hoped for. Two plays later, Nix threw an interception in the end zone to cornerback Cory Trice Jr.

Still, it highlighted Reynolds’ impact on the Broncos’ offense.

The former Detroit Lion emerging as Denver’s top pass catcher may not have been a dominant storyline before the start of the season. But through two games, he has carried a wide receiver room in need of playmakers.

“(I’m) pleased with what he’s doing,” Nix said of Reynolds. “He played really well down the stretch (against Pittsburgh). He (made) some catches and (found) zones in the defense and got us some key conversions.”

When Reynolds signed with the Broncos this offseason, he was intended to be a reliable second or third option, similar to his role in Detroit, where he was third in receiving yards (608) in 2023.

Instead, he has done a fair amount of heavy lifting. Reynolds has a team-best 138 yards on nine receptions and 13 targets. Against the Steelers, he had four catches for 93 yards — the most by a Broncos pass-catcher in a game since Sutton totaled 91 yards against the Dolphins in Week 3 of last season.

The Week 2 yardage total was also third-most in Reynolds’ career. The last time he recorded 90-plus yards in a game was in 2022.

On the few occasions when Nix has successfully taken shots downfield, Reynolds was on the receiving end. Nix is 2 for 8 on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus, with both completions involving Reynolds. The duo converted a 25-yard completion against Seattle in Week 1 before executing the successful flea flicker in the loss to the Steelers.

During training camp, Reynolds stood out by using his size to make contested catches. That has translated into the regular season with a contested catch rate of 50%, according to PFF. Reynolds also has been a reliable player in moving the chains, with a team-best six catches resulting in a first down.

“He’s going to be a big part of what we do,” Nix said.

Unfortunately, Reynolds’ performance thus far isn’t enough to overshadow the glaring issues within the passing game. Outside of Reynolds, Denver’s wide receivers have combined for 163 yards on 18 catches.

Sutton, viewed as Denver’s top receiver, has gotten off to a rough start. He only has five catches for 64 yards despite having a team-high 16 targets. Rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele, who missed the team’s matchup against Pittsburgh due to a rib injury, has more receptions (eight) in one game than Sutton in two.

Granted, pass protection and Nix’s struggles with his mechanics have played a part in receiving production. At the same time, Sutton and the rest of the receivers’ inability to create separation has been an issue. Sutton has an average target separation — the average distance between the receiver and the nearest defender at pass arrival — of 2.5 yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

As a whole, the Broncos are 17th in the league average target separation (3.4). However, they are 24th in average yards of separation on intermediate throws (2.3) and 25th on deep passes (1.4).

Against press coverage, the Broncos’ separation numbers for their top pass catchers — Sutton and Reynolds — are alarming. Sutton is averaging two yards of separation when facing press coverage while Reynolds generates 1.5.

“We’ve got to separate a little bit more and give our guys better opportunities when we’re getting a lot of match or man coverage,” Payton said. “We’re counting on the one-on-one matchups, and we need to get into some other schemes that I think can help that way.”

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