Find out the ‘vision’ Sean Payton has for his Day 3 draft picks

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — “Vision” is a watchword for Sean Payton when he gets a new player into his fold.

The Broncos head coach likes to have a long-term plan and a vision for how he expects a player to evolve. Sometimes that vision itself can evolve, too, as it has for 2023 third-round pick Drew Sanders, who started as an inside linebacker, bounced over to edge rusher and might find himself on the inside again after the Broncos added third-round edge rusher Jonah Elliss to a crowded room.

No draft pick, not even a seventh-rounder at the end of the draft, lacks for a vision — although in the case of that final pick, offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, it might be limited by what lies in front of him.

With that, Sean Payton was asked about his vision for the five draft picks the Broncos added Saturday:

WR TROY FRANKLIN, NO. 102 OVERALL

“We see him as an outside ‘Z’ (receiver),” Sean Payton said Saturday.

Last year, Jerry Jeudy was the primary ‘Z’ pass-catcher. Franklin’s build — 176 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame — means that the execution of that role might change, although Franklin admitted that he would like to add weight as he adjusts to the NFL.

“He has really good speed. He is a guy we were really impressed with at the line of scrimmage,” Payton said.

What is Sean Payton’s vision for fourth-round Broncos WR Troy Franklin?

“We see him as an outside ‘Z.’ He has really good speed. He is a guy we were really impressed with at the line of scrimmage.” pic.twitter.com/vkrG3vAf2r

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) April 28, 2024

CB KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE, NO. 145 OVERALL

“Abrams-Draine is someone we had a lot of exposure with in the offseason,” Payton said. “He has really good versatility. He is kind of an outside-in corner flex.”

This would give him the chance to get a look at being not only an outside corner, but someone who could potentially back up nickel cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. He joins a room that has a slew of first- and second-year players, including 2023 third-rounder Riley Moss, 2022 fourth-rounder Damarri Mathis and undrafted players like McMillian (2022) and Reece Taylor and Art Green (both 2023).

Abrams-Draine said he spoke to the Broncos “one or two times, but not that much — so, I’m really surprised.”

RB AUDRIC ESTIMÉ, NO. 147 OVERALL

It’s all about power for Estimé, who was one of the nation’s best red-zone running backs at Notre Dame last year.

“The first vision would be [him as] a first- and second-down runner. I’m always hesitant to say someone is third-down. We’ll kind of see how that unfolds, but he’s strong. I think he has really good vision, contact balance. He was one of the higher-graded backs after contact. He’s a physical player.”

Among 73 RBs last year with at least 150 rushing attempts, Broncos fifth-round pick Audric Estimé ranks 3rd in yards after contact per attempt (4.27 yards) and 15th in missed tackles forced per attempt (1 every 3.27 attempts), per @PFF.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) April 27, 2024

“… So, [he is a] first- and second-down, physical, real smart, tough, real good teammate,” Payton added. “They love him at the school, and he kind of grew on us as the process went.”

WR DEVAUGHN VELE, NO. 235 OVERALL

To the surprise of no one who observes closely, Sean Payton sees the 6-foot-4, 26-year-old Vele as a potential Tim Patrick clone.

“He is a guy that is an older player with experience. He is kind of a big slot,” Payton said. “His comparison might be a Tim Patrick-type player. He is strong and smart.”

Payton added a moment later that receivers like Vele “are going to play in traffic more and be contested-ball catchers.” How Vele develops will be intriguing to watch with Patrick returning from a torn Achilles tendon and Lil’Jordan Humphrey still in the mix.

“He was just too talented to pass up,” general manager George Paton said. “We had a clear vision for him fitting in with what we are doing.

“… He plays a mature game. He has all the traits. He is a prototype. He is big and fast. For a big guy, he can get in and out of his breaks. We just thought he was too talented to pass up.”

OL NICK GARGIULO, NO. 256 OVERALL

Payton said the draft was “a little thinner” at guard than in other spots, and noted that the team “really valued” adding an offensive lineman to the mix. Were he to work at his listed position of center, he would find himself in the mix behind recent draft picks Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth.

However, Paton struck another tone.

“I think that he is a guard who can swing inside. He’s played center,” Paton said. “Really smart, tough, physical. Kind of fits our mold. So we think it’s a good get for where we got him.”