Courtland Sutton Makes Leap in Sophomore Year to Pro Bowl

ORLANDO, FL – For the third straight year the Denver Broncos (7-9) finished with a losing record, but this year felt a little different as the season came to a close. The Broncos called on rookie quarterback Drew Lock in Week 13 to jumpstart the offense that had been floundering for the first three quarters of the season and he delivered by leading the team to wins in four of the last five games.

The former second round pick Lock established a rapport with second year wide receiver Courtland Sutton over the final stretch while completing 22 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

Sutton, who was selected to his first NFL Pro Bowl this season, expressed great confidence that Lock would be ‘the guy’ next season under center.

“Being able to see him grow and develop since the moment he got into the OTAs to what he did to finish the season, it’s amazing,” Sutton said in an interview with Patch.com after practice at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon. “Seeing that growth it’s only encouraging to know that he’s going to continue to develop into the guy that this organization knows he can be and into that franchise quarterback for us.”

The 24-year-old wide receiver nearly doubled his reception total from his rookie season to 72 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns as he made great strides to become one of the game’s elite young stars. That earned him the right to play alongside some of the league’s greats this Sunday at the Pro Bowl in Orlando.

During practice this week, Sutton was all smiles on the field.

“It’s been a blessing for sure – it’s cool to be able to be amongst the top tier players in this league,” suggested Sutton. “I’m just embracing it and enjoying it so much.”

He’s learned a lot since entering the league in 2018, but one of the biggest concepts he underestimated was the importance of games in the division.

“One of the things that I didn’t fully understand coming into the league was how important rivalry games in the division are,” Sutton explained. “I always thought that a game is a game and you prepare for it the same way you do every game. There’s a different energy that goes into those games.”

As for work in the coming months, Sutton has a plan in place to hone his craft.

“I’m going to continue to develop my route running this offseason,” suggested Sutton. “God blessed me with the athletic ability that I have, but there are some fine tune things that playing in this position you can always work on. Being able to become the best receiver that I can become that’s my ultimate goal.”

The Broncos are among the teams in the league with the youngest core of position players. From Lock and Sutton to the team’s dual threat at running back with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, the Broncos figure to make some noise on the offensive side of the ball next season. The AFC West is shaping up to be a competitive division in 2020 and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Broncos shook up the division next season.

* Photo credits for the lead photo in the article: Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos