Broncos Seventh-Round TE Draws Jimmy Graham Comparisons

Switching positions within the same sport is one thing, but transitioning to a new sport entirely is another. Denver Broncos rookie tight end Caleb Lohner is looking to accomplish the latter feat and become the next former college basketball player to have a successful professional football career.

In fact, Lohner is already drawing comparisons to someone whose athletics career closely mirrors his own: Jimmy Graham, who was a five-time Pro Bowler during his 13 years in the NFL. 

Graham, after playing four years of college basketball at Miami, stuck around for another fall to take graduate-level classes and play one season of college football. Lohner followed a somewhat similar pathway. He focused exclusively on basketball at BYU and Baylor before deciding to play both football and basketball at Utah during the 2024-25 academic year.

The two players' similarities do not end there. Broncos head coach Sean Payton also coached Graham when he first entered the league with the New Orleans Saints, which makes Lohner-Graham comparisons even more fitting.

Shortly after the Broncos selected Lohner with a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Payton addressed these comparisons, as well as how the rookie would need to refine some areas of his game in the professional ranks.

"People bring up Jimmy. Now, Jimmy was a third-round pick. I get it, but there were some similarities in that. He only played a year, 80-something snaps. I think he had 18 catches," Payton said. "So, yes, we have to coach and develop [Caleb]."

Payton also discussed the difficulty of evaluating Lohner's football skill set with limited game film. Lohner played 57 snaps during the Utes' 2025 season and caught just four passes, all of which were touchdowns.

But Payton said, in a matter of weeks, he has already seen the potential Lohner possesses.

"There are two or three clips where I’m like, ‘Play it again. Play it again.’ Then, when you watch him, and you watch him move," Payton said. "You guys see him, and shake his hand and stand next to him, like, ‘Holy cow.’ There are traits there that excite me... I’m excited to watch it.”