Former Saints Coach Predicts How Broncos Will Use 3rd-Round WR Pat Bryant

Mike Neu spent a couple of seasons coaching the New Orleans Saints quarterbacks for Sean Payton. In each of the two seasons Neu spent as the quarterbacks coach in New Orleans (2014-15), Drew Brees passed for north of 4,800 yards and at least 32 touchdowns.

By that point, Brees had become a thing unto himself. Still, Neu slapped that on his resume, and marched ahead as the head coach at Ball State.

Earlier this year, Neu accepted a job with the Illinois Fighting Illini as a senior offensive assistant, so while he wasn't around during wide receiver Pat Bryant's tenure at the school, he was able to spend some time around the Denver Broncos' third-round pick during his pre-draft preparation.

As a coach who knows Payton's system intimately, and what Denver's head man looks for in skill-position players, Neu sees Bryant as a weapon to be moved around the formation to devastating effect.

“He’s one of those guys that I can envision — when Sean gets him in there, gets to work with him every day — moving him all over that field,” Neu said of Bryant via The Denver Post's Luca Evans. “And when you’re playing in the NFL and you’re only dressing four or five or maybe six wideouts, that’s important.”

Neu, who was also a scout in New Orleans, described Bryant as "a football guy" and a "dog." Two traits that Payton covets in any of his players.

“He’s one of those guys — you can tell, when you meet somebody, you’re like, ‘Oh, he’s a football guy,'” Neu said via Evans. “‘He’s a dog.’”

The Bryant pick was initially panned as a 'reach,' because he sported a 4.61-second 40 time, but the rookie has already begun to make his mark. The early returns on Bryant at Broncos rookie minicamp have fans dismissing the negative press blowback Payton garnered post-draft for taking him on Day 2.

At 6-foot-2, Bryant has the body type that Payton gravitates toward. And while he's not the fastest guy in a straight line, his football speed is — let's say — good enough. It's everything else that Bryant brings to the table that made the Broncos pull the trigger on him in Round 3.

Bryant had arguably the most reliable hands of the 2025 wide receiver class. He doesn't drop the ball. His route tree is highly developed, and his ability to execute in crunch time was key in the Broncos' evaluation of him.

The cherry on top? Bryant is not only a willing blocker on the perimeter — he's more than able. Cultivating the right mindset is crucial for any blocker, let alone a wideout. Bryant famously takes the 'no block, no rock' maxim very seriously.

Payton himself has compared Bryant to former New Orleans Pro Bowler Michael Thomas — aka the 'Slant God.' On a depth chart headlined by Courtland Sutton, and featuring young up-and-comers like Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin, Bryant doesn't necessarily need to specialize in a single position within Payton's offense.

Bryant can be moved around the formation. Whether as an X, Z, or a slot, the Broncos have a new weapon to deploy on game day for Bo Nix.