A small-school wide receiver is rightfully on the Broncos radar

The Denver Broncos are looking deep in this draft class. They don’t have a first or second-round pick at this time, so general manager George Paton will need to hit on mid and late-round picks. During the next month, the Broncos will be hosting up to 30 players at UC Health Training Center.

We learned on Thursday that a favorite sleeper in the scouting community is firmly on the Broncos’ radar with one of those limited visits. West Florida wide receiver David Durden visited with the Broncos last week according to 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis.

Broncos held top 30 visit last week w/West Fla. WR David Durden per source. He also has top 30 visits set up w/Ravens. Chargers, two others.
6-2, 200, can run. 54 catches, 1,128 yds, 13 TDs as senior. Played a summer in minors w/Red Sox before deciding on football. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) March 30, 2023

So, why are the Broncos considering a small-school wideout like Durden? Let’s take a look.

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Instant Production

Some players take time to ramp up their game, while others contribute immediately when they start playing college football. Durden began his college career at Mercer, and he was making plays as soon as he stepped onto the football field. He started all 10 games as a freshman, compiling seven touchdowns (five receiving, one passing, one return). This performance earned Durden SoCon All-Freshman Team honors. His sophomore season saw more of the same.

In 2020, Durden transferred to West Florida, but their program did not play that season due to the COVID-19 outbreak. When he did get on the field for West Florida, Durden made an immediate impact just like he did with Mercer. The jump to the NFL is incredibly large, but all Durden has done is produce any time he’s gottn an opportunity.

Over the last two seasons with the Argonauts, Durden has shown his speed to take the top off the defense. However, it’s his nose for the end zone (23 receiving touchdowns during that time) which continues to impress me. Some fast guys aren’t good when a team is near pay dirt. Durden is a fast player who is comfortable playing in tight spaces, and that’s one of the reasons why he’s so good as a red zone threat.

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More Than Montrell

There is no doubt I could not have disagreed more with the decision to draft WR/KR Montrell Washington out of Samford last year. If you’re going to take a chance on a small-school player, you must make sure that he can help out in more than one way. While Washington is interesting as a return man, he did not flash the necessary skill to thrive as a receiver.

Durden is a better prospect than Washington was coming out of college – primarily because of his skill as a receiver. Even though Durden was limited in his route tree during his college career, he shows the ability to sharpen that skill in the pros. He’s clean off the line of scrimmage, and Durden can change direction without losing much (if any) of his trademark speed.

With a nice size/speed combination, Durden is more than fast but he’s also tough. I’ve seen him take some hits that would flatten other players. He’s able to catch the ball, take a big hit, and hang onto the rock to move the chains or score a touchdown. Durden is fearless when running routes over the middle, and he should earn the trust of whatever quarterback in the NFL is throwing him the ball. The Broncos tried to get Washington involved on offense last year, but any attempt failed miserably. Add in the fact he was not good as a return man, and you can see how they missed when they picked Washington.

Small-school prospect to watch: @UWFFootball WR David Durden

In 12 games since 2021
🔵 46 RECs
🔵 1,035 yards (22.5 YPR)
🔵 13 TDspic.twitter.com/jyyiCWSVw8

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 21, 2022

Not many teams were considering Washington in the draft last year, and he certainly didn’t garner the same amount of buzz from the scouting community as Durden does. I did not hear Washington’s name much leading up to the draft in 2022, but Durden has been a player who has been on scout’s radar for at least two seasons – with plenty of talk about him behind the scenes.

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Multi-Sport, Multi-Talented

Some in the scouting community question Durden’s dedication to football because he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2017 MLB Draft. It’s an opinion held by older scouts as teams are looking for players who eat, breathe, and sleep only football.

I think that’s a bunch of bollocks.

The more well-rounded a player is, the better a player is (usually). I see Durden’s baseball ability as a positive for him from an athletic and professionalism standpoint. He played professional baseball in the minor leagues for the Red Sox, and Durden knows how to prepare himself as an athlete. He also knows the seriousness and focus necessary when trying to make it in the big leagues. It’s just that his big league is now the NFL.

Durden is a good day three prospect, and I’m glad the Broncos have him on their radar. He’s the type of player who can be trusted as a receiver and make an instant impact on special teams. Durden would be a fine pick for the Broncos as they continue to look for help at the receiver position and an upgrade for the return game.

Follow @CecilLammey