Broncos OTA observations: Sean Payton sees Bo Nix starting Year 2 in full control. “It’s entirely different” ...Middle East

A year ago, this kind of play would have been the subject of substantial hullabaloo.

Never mind that this is May, months from NFL games that matter actually being won or lost.

Bo Nix, operating behind a veteran offensive line, calmly surveyed the field and threw a dart to Courtland Sutton for probably 20 yards.

Then Denver’s No. 1 receiver made a contested catch along the sideline.

Then the pair linked up for a handful of other completions during Thursday’s organized team activity practice open to reporters.

This wouldn’t have even been possible last year, considering Sutton stayed away from all of Denver’s voluntary work to make it clear he wanted a new contract.

But it might not have happened for Nix in the first place, given he was in his first days with the whole group after getting drafted. He was still trying to figure out play calls and how to operate the huddle. He was trying to win the starting job over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, and he was shrugging off any notion that his status as a first-round pick ordained his eventual status atop the depth chart.

Now, the two are in a totally different world.

Rhythm, timing, big plays? That’s all old hat.

So, too, are the Broncos in a different spot as they set out as a team with real expectations for the first time in quite a while.

There are many reasons for the optimism: A loaded defense. A third year of roster building under head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton. Big jumps over the past year from several young players.

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But nothing is more central to what will be a hype-filled offseason than the promise Nix showed as a rookie and the room for growth he has going into Year 2.

The gap between a year ago and now is palpable even in shorts and helmets.

“It’s a lot different,” Payton said. “We don’t use that term ‘pick up where you left off,’ but just the processing, understanding of what we’re doing, in and out of the huddle. These three days, as you’re watching each decision, they’re where you want the ball to go. It’s entirely different.”

Nix thought so, too.

“It’s a lot better and a lot more enjoyable not thinking right now as opposed to what I was doing last year,” the quarterback said. “It’s fun. It’s fun to be in the know. It’s fun to have a little bit more of an understanding of what’s going on, so I can be a little bit more beneficial to others and kind of help them out along the way.

“I feel good. We’re in a good spot.”

One example: Nix said when he gets to the line of scrimmage now in practice, he’s not thinking about what his guys are about to do.

“When you go up to the line of scrimmage, you want to be only thinking about the defense. Only processing and reacting to the defense. Not maybe the footwork or the motion or the timing that I’m doing. That process, I feel like, is eliminated, and now I can focus a lot more on the defense.”

Other observations from Thursday:

• Inside linebacker Alex Singleton (knee) was out on the field 7.5 months after ACL surgery but was limited. Still, it’s good progress for the 31-year-old. With he and Dre Greenlaw (quad) still working back toward full health, there are a ton of reps to go around for Justin Strnad, Drew Sanders and a quartet of young undrafted players.

Payton said Sanders had impressed now that he’s settled back into playing in the middle of the field after shuffling back and forth around an Achilles injury over his first two pro seasons.

“The vision’s clear,” Payton said of Sanders’ role. “Inside linebacker. We think he’s a pressure player. So obviously there’s ways where you can pressure that guy from a stack position or to an outside position. He’s doing well handling it.”

• Payton predicted competition at receiver, not just for roster spots but among young players like Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Devaughn Vele and Pat Bryant to determine how they fit in the pecking order.

Mims, of course, had 434 of his 503 receiving yards and all six touchdowns in Denver’s final seven games last year.

“We saw him take a big step in the middle of the year,” Payton said. “I think you’re going to see those kind of ascensions with players like Troy.

“There’s a number of young players competing for, not so much spots, but competing for touches. (Mims) is one of them.”

• Not a few months into his Broncos tenure, tight end Evan Engram is already stirring up buzz on practice fields. The former Jaguars Pro Bowler displayed crisp footwork on a variety of routes Thursday, and drew yelps from the sideline after turning a wide-open cut into a clean toss from Nix.

The two have already built a solid foundation in an extremely important rapport for the Broncos’ 2025 hopes. Nix said Engram has been in Denver ever since officially signing his deal in March, and that the two “talk a lot.”

“He’s always asking me about certain things,” Nix said.

• The Broncos secondary is as cluttered as any position group on the roster after the first-round selection of cornerback Jahdae Barron. But don’t forget about cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, who impressed in a start against Indianapolis last year and continued to turn heads at OTAs Thursday, breaking on a pass for an impressive deflection during one team period.

At owner’s meetings, general manager George Paton said Abrams-Draine was the rookie Denver felt was “furthest behind” after OTAs last year. He’s completely flipped that script entering Year 2.

“He has unique cover skills, really good instincts, and he doesn’t get fazed,” Paton said in March. “We’re really encouraged with him.”

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