Sean Payton hopes tight end Greg Dulcich can be Broncos’ “Joker”

It was hard to miss Greg Dulcich at Broncos OTAs on Thursday.

During 11-on-11s, quarterback Russell Wilson rolled to his right, escaping defenders before connecting with the tight end on a short reception. Moments later, he arguably had one of the best plays of the afternoon.

With backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham under center, Dulcich sped down the middle of the field, slipping past the secondary before making an impressive over-the-shoulder catch.

Thursday was one of Dulcich’s best practices, according to head coach Sean Payton. As the first-year Broncos coach works on installing a new offense, he hopes the second-year player can use his unique skill-set to become the team’s “Joker” — a player who creates mismatches and provides versatility on the field.

“Man, he can run and has good ball skills,” Payton said. “I think his menu is going to be lengthy in the passing game, and there’s enough stuff we can do in the run game.”

Joker is the widely used the nickname of Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic, who can do virtually anything on the basketball court. In a Payton-led offense, the Joker is typically a running back or tight end with exceptional ball skills. He called former running back Reggie Bush, who played for him in New Orleans from 2006-2010, and five-time Pro Bowl selection Alvin Kamara as previous Jokers in his system.

Payton also brought up former Saints tight ends Jimmy Graham and Jeremy Shockey. Although Payton didn’t want to put Dulcich on that level just yet, he said the former UCLA standout has exciting traits that the Broncos can leverage.

“Today was one of those days where you begin to have a vision,” Payton said. “Reggie Bush, (former running back) Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara were all unique players, not just in the running game, but they had passing game skill-sets that allowed you to do multiple things. I think Greg does, too.”

Dulcich showed flashes of his potential in 2022, catching 33 passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns despite missing eight games due to injury. Veteran safety Justin Simmons said he’s looking forward to seeing what a healthy Dulcich can do.

“Greg is an extremely talented tight end,” Simmons said. “He’s done a great job.”

Simmons said Dulcich does many things well, especially route running. He noticed that his routes start with the same motion, which is challenging for defenders.

“Especially if you are not bringing pressure and relying on playing with certain leverages,” Simmons added. “I can’t wait to see the success that (Dulcich) brings (to) the team. Having him makes us a better football team.”

Dulcich’s performance at Broncos OTAs highlighted a strong outing for the passing game. Wilson looked sharp, making nice throws in tight coverage. During 7-on-7s, wide receiver Courtland Sutton caught a pass from Wilson where he escaped a defender before corralling the ball down the field. Later in the day, Wilson found Sutton up the middle, as the wideout made a catch despite being double-covered.