TE Caleb Lohner is a potential breakout candidate for the Broncos
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 16: Caleb Lohner #84 of the Denver Broncos warms up before the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on August 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Denver Broncos selected Utah tight end Caleb Lohner with their 241st overall selection in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, this was not your ordinary 7th-round pick. Lohner is a former basketball player transitioning to football, and he played just one year of college football at Utah. He would be entering the NFL with limited snaps and only four career catches, all of which were for touchdowns. So, he was viewed as a long-term project for Sean Payton and the Broncos.
As expected, Lohner did not make much noise throughout the summer and would eventually land on the Broncos' practice squad, where he would stay for the entire year. However, he was elevated to the active roster for the Divisional Round game vs. the Buffalo Bills, but he would be among their inactives. We would later learn from Head Coach Sean Payton that they did this as a thank you to Lohner, who had an opportunity to play for another team last season, but decided to stick with the Broncos.
9NEWS Denver's Mike Klis wrote that late last season, he had a chance to play for another team (signed to an opposing team's 53-man roster), but decided to stay in Denversimply because he did not want to leave.
It was in the works but I told them don't even bother. Jack(his agent) was the one who started it all (the decision to stay). I want to be here. You've got a veteran coach here (in Sean Payton). I was in his offensive system for almost a full year. Plus, I didn't want to leave a team that was going for the Super Bowl and is going for the Super Bowl. Everyone in here all have the same goal. Win the Super Bowl. That's what you play for. I didn't want to leave that."
Now, Lohner enters an important year two for him, where he will need to start showing some development if he wants a future with the Broncos. I say this because the Broncos drafted two tight ends, Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley, in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the competition in the tight end room figures to be tough.
As of this writing, the Broncos have not begun their offseason program, but Lohner did participate in the team's rookie minicamp in early May and impressed Payton with his performance. He told reporters thatLohner looks entirely different in this camp. Now he was here in this camp a year ago as a draft pick, but he stood out."
Sean Payton out of nowhere today after rookie minicamp: I'll tell you who stood out - Caleb (Lohner)."
- Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) May 9, 2026
Usually doesn't single guys out unprompted, but here's two mins of Payton raving on #Broncos second-year TE Lohner.
He's in great shape. You see his athleticism." pic.twitter.com/EswOk20o9X
Payton was then asked what Lohner is doing better this year compared to last year. He simply said everything".
Everything. In fairness to him, remember [he] was a basketball prospect that had limited snaps of a year. So one year into the program, and how he's moving, what he's doing, everything looks entirely different. That learning curve and growth curve was greater for someone who had far less experience maybe than others, if that makes sense. It's entirely noticeable, and he's in great shape. You see his athleticism. I would say the one thing that you don't know is... [Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach] Bill [Parcells] used to say, If they don't bite when they're puppies, they're probably never going to bite.' There's a physical aspect to the way he plays. Even on look team last season, he'd play an outside linebacker rushing our tackles. He's 6'7", 265 pounds and he's not afraid of the contact. So it's been good to see him in Year 2. You knew there was going to be a developmental upside, but that was encouraging."
Payton wasn't done hyping up Lohner. He was later asked about Lohner's learning curve and where he stands compared to the rest of the young tight ends in the NFL. He added that Lohner is a very physical player" and then told the media, You will see him in June," and ended with Yes, he has been impressive".
That's a great question. You just start with total reps in the bank in football, and there was just a lot less. You're drafting traits at that point in the draft. We've done that before, and sometimes you're drafting traits [and] you see a receiving tight end. The one thing I know watching him is he'll be plenty and very physical. The blocking part is a little bit easier to develop than the other part, but you guys will see him this June. Yes, he's been impressive."
With OTAs and minicamp beginning soon, Lohner will look to continue this hype, and hopefully, he can carry it into training camp and the preseason and become a breakout player for the Broncos. He's the x-factor in the Broncos tight end room, and a breakout year for him would be huge for the team.
Player ProfileCaleb Lohner | Tight End | Denver Broncos
- Height: 6-7
- Weight: 250 pounds
- Arm Length: 32.5 inches
- Hand Size: 9.5 inches
- Age: 24 years old
- Experience: 1st year
- 40-time: 4.69 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 37 inches
- Broad Jump: 10-6
- Bench Press: 19 reps
- 2025 stats: Spent the entire year on the Broncos' practice squad
He will be competing for a spot on the Broncos' 53-man roster and is a potential breakout candidate to watch during the offseason and into training camp and the preseason. I would say he's a lock for the practice squad at the very least, but he had interest from teams last season, so it's not a guarantee that he will make it through waivers.
I said this already, but Lohner is the x-factor in the Broncos tight end room. You don't know what you're getting in him in year two, and a lot depends on his development. We do know that the Broncos' tight end room is suddenly crowded. Veteran Evan Engram is returning for year two with the team, and Adam Trautman re-signed on a multi-year deal with the Broncos this offseason. On top of that, the Broncos drafted two tight ends, Justin Joly in the 5th round, and Dallen Bentley in the 7th round. They also have blocking specialist Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull returning as well. So, Lohner faces some competition for a spot on the 53-man roster and potentially even on the practice squad.
At 6-7 and 250+ pounds with a basketball background, Lohner will need to show he can make some plays as a receiver. He's a big body who can use his basketball background and size to go up and get the ball and potentially be a red zone weapon for the Broncos. Payton already praised his blocking ability, but if he can develop into a solid blocker, that would be huge for him.
Being a standout player at a rookie minicamp is one thing, but if he can continue to stand out during OTAs and minicamp moving forward, that hype train could be a fun one as we head into training camp.
Final ThoughtsI am a sucker for high-upside projects like Caleb Lohner. If Payton and the Broncos can develop him into a productive tight end, that would be huge for this team and offense this upcoming season. As we know, their tight end production has been abysmal the past few seasons, but if they can develop Lohner (as well as Joly and Bentley), the Broncos could have an exciting and productive tight end room.
I will be paying close attention to the updates coming out of the Broncos OTAs and minicamp practices for updates on Lohner. After Payton's comments about him earlier this month, I believe the media will have their eyes on him, so hopefully, he continues to stand out and continue to impress the Broncos coaches, and we'll have some exciting updates to talk about moving forward.