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Broncos Position Preview: Wide Receivers

By Justin Adams

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - With the Denver Broncos training camp right around the corner, let's take a look at each position. Here's a peek at the wide receivers.

In the Hunt:
Trinity Benson, rookie
Fred Brown, 1st year (spent part of 2017 season on Colts practice squad)
River Cracraft, 2nd season
Romell Guerrier, rookie
DaeSean Hamilton, 2nd season
Brendan Langley, 3rd season
Kelvin McKnight, rookie
Tim Patrick, 2nd season
Emmanuel Sanders, 10th season
Courtland Sutton, 2nd season
Juwann Winfree, rookie

Projected Starters: Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton

The Broncos biggest questions at wide receiver deals with how well Emmanuel Sanders returns from his Achilles injury and how Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton improve in their sophomore season.

Denver Broncos v San Francisco 49ers
DaeSean Hamilton (credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

With Emmanuel Sanders out the final four games of last season, Denver averaged 224 passing yards a game and had only three passing touchdowns to five interceptions. Courtland Sutton begins the season as Denver's number two receiving option and DaeSean Hamilton will be the third receiver. In the final four games of the season, Hamilton had more receptions, yards and touchdowns than Sutton.

Reserves: Tim Patrick, Juwaan Winfree, River Cracraft, Brendan Langley, Trinity Benson, Fred Brown, Romell Guerrier, Kelvin McKnight

Best Training Camp Battle: Can Juwann Winfree hold off River Cracraft and Brendan Langley?

Juwann Winfree
(credit: CBS)

It would take several missteps from the Broncos sixth round pick not to make the team, but if Winfree's play isn't up to par, it could open the door for River Cracraft or Brendan Langley. Winfree will go into camp as Denver's fifth receiver.

Under the Radar: Will the Broncos keep a 6th wide receiver?
If Denver decides to keep a sixth receiver on the roster, it could free up a spot for River Cracraft or Brenden Langley. Cracraft was the team's punt returner and caught one pass last season in a reserve role. Langley is making the change from cornerback to wide receiver and hasn't played the position since he was a freshman for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Stats to Know:
With Emmanuel Sanders out for the final four games due to injury, here's how the top three receivers fared:
- Courtland Sutton: 14 receptions, 146 yards, 0 TD's.
- DaeSean Hamilton: 25 receptions, 182 yards, 2 TD's.
- Tim Patrick: 19 receptions, 242 yards, 0 TD's.
- Broncos averaged 13.2 points per game in the last four games.

What They Said: Courtland Sutton on improving in the Red Zone
"I think, personally, in the red zone I'm one of the biggest threats that DBs go against. Every DB that I played against or will play against will probably say the same thing. They might not show it, but they know. I'm a 6'4, 220 guy in the red zone. I'm a threat no matter where we're at going in. I'm definitely looking forward to capitalizing on that more this season, being able to put more in the end zone, and take advantage of that. Take advantage of what God gifted me with. This body, this size, this speed, the athleticism, being able to take advantage of that and use that against the 5'9" or 5'10" corner that we go against."

BRONCOS TRAINING CAMP: See All Of Justin Adams' Position Breakdowns

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