The Denver Broncos have a lot of youth and talent at the wide receiver position.

Courtland Sutton is the elder statesman of the room and was the team’s top receiver in 2024. The trio of Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin showed flashes last season, and the team believes they are poised to take a big step forward in 2025. The Broncos also picked Illinois prospect Pat Bryant in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

That’s a lot of potential, but that didn’t stop Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager George Paton from adding a handful of undrafted free agents to compete for a spot over the course of the summer. One of those is Arkansas State wide receiver Courtney Jackson—an under the radar player who boasts top-tier speed and premier punt return ability.

Jackson spent his first four seasons of college football with Syracuse. Playing mostly as a reserve player, he posted 63 catches for 662 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, he transferred to Arkansas State and had a breakout fifth-year campaign with 39 catches for 686 yards and 7 touchdowns. As a sixth-year senior, he posted 42 catches for 494 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He was also an impact player on special teams in his two years with the Red Wolves. Jackson totaled 438 yards on 31 returns—three of those being touchdowns. But will those traits be enough to earn a spot on the roster? Let’s discuss!

Player Profile

Age: 24 | Experience: Rookie | College: Arkansas State | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 185 pounds

Arm Length: 30-3/4” | Hand Size: 9-1/2” | Broad: 10’8” | Vertical: 33-1/2” | Bench: 14 reps

40-yard dash: 4.38 seconds | 3-Cone: 4.07 seconds | 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.27 seconds

Courtney Jackson’s 2025 outlook with the Broncos

Having a special trait can make all the difference for an undrafted player trying to earn a spot on a team’s final roster. Jackson has two of them—sub 4.40 speed and plus return ability on special teams.

While he didn’t receive an invite to the NFL Combine, Jackson posted a 4.38 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. That would rank in the Top 10 of receivers from this past draft in that respect. That’s a trait you can’t teach. On top of that, his 18.5-yard punt return average in 2024 was tops in the Sun Belt Conference, and his two punt return touchdowns was the most in college football.

In both the Orange and Red Wolves’ offense, Jackson operated a lot out of the slot and showed good success on routes attacking the middle of the field. His speed was also an asset putting pressure on opposing defensive secondaries. On certain occasions, he was also placed in motion and given quick looks behind the line of scrimmage to utilize his athleticism to make plays in space.

I don’t have any inside knowledge of what Payton’s vision might be for Jackson. However, I do see parallels to how Mims was deployed in the Broncos offense last season. Perhaps he will have an apprenticeship role to Mims and shadow him throughout the summer.

Final Thoughts

I expect the Broncos to carry six receivers on their final roster like they did last season. With the five players mentioned earlier in the article being locks, that would leave only one spot left for the taking.

Outside Jackson, there are over a half dozen receivers competing for the sixth slot on the final 52. Veteran Trent Sherfield, who the Broncos signed in free agency, just might have the upper hand early on due to his experience and standout ability on coverage units. All things considered, I would say it’s a long shot for Jackson to make the final 53-man roster.

Though I do believe his special teams’ ability and skills merit consideration for a spot on the 16-man practice squad.