When the Denver Broncos signed veteran wide receiver Trent Sherfield this spring, the expectation was that Sherfield would have a key role in the kicking game and a limited role on offense this fall.

Sherfield still figures to be a key special teams player, but he has also unexpectedly emerged as a reliable receiver at training camp. Sherfield is also an excellent pass blocker, making him a prime candidate to fill the role that Lil’Jordan Humphrey previously held in coach Sean Payton’s offense.

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“He’s tough, and he can run,” Payton said. “The other thing he can do is block, and so we’ve always had a handful of receivers that can run and stretch the field and when you get one that can do that and then block also, you can set up play action, marries well to the run game. He’s pretty competitive.”

The 29-year-old receiver is proving at camp that he’s more than just a blocker, though.

“We’ve added Sherfield Sr. and he’s been… I think we all know he’s a great blocker, but the ball keeps finding him in practice,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. “He’s making a lot of catches out here.”

So we might see the veteran more involved on offense than initially expected. Make no mistake, though, Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi plans to lean on Sherfield in the kicking game this fall.

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“It’s funny, every time he has been a free agent, I’ve evaluated him and tried to get him on my side,” Rizzi said. “I joked around with him when he got here that finally we’re together. I’ve been sick of kind of playing against him. Listen, those offensive core skill players are very, very valuable. There’s not a lot of them in the league. You look at some of the skill guys, offensively, receiver, running back, a lot of those guys don’t play special teams in college, so they’re kind of diamonds in the rough coming out. He’s a guy who’s a proven commodity. He’s excellent, excellent last year in the coverage aspect. He’s always been a good blocker on offense, and in the return game, he brings an added toughness. He adds an element.

“He’s kind of exactly what you’re looking for [in] that receiver, whatever number you want to put on it. Some people call it three, four, five, whatever number you want to put. As long as he’s at the game, I don’t care what number he’s got. His veteran presence has also been great. We have a number of young receivers, not only receivers, but also the defensive backs, all the skill guys. They’re kind of watching guys like him and Sam Franklin Jr. and guys that have been around the league and have had production in this phase. That’s fun to watch. That leadership is hard to come by, so I’m really happy we got him.”

Sherfield last played for the Minnesota Vikings, hauling in eight receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown in 17 games last fall. Those numbers might not excite fans in Denver, but judging from the praise of the coaching staff, it seems fair to say Sherfield will have a key role with the Broncos in 2025.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: WR Trent Sherfield turns heads at training camp