Sean Payton Endorsement Adds Complexity to Broncos' TE Room

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton delivered strong praise for tight end Caleb Lohner during this weekend's rookie minicamp, highlighting his development and adding another wrinkle to the team’s crowded corps.

Lohner, a 2025 seventh-round pick from Utah, entered the league as a former basketball player with minimal football experience. Payton made clear that the difference in Lohner’s game after one year in the program has been obvious.

“And in fairness to him, remember that was a basketball prospect that had limited snaps last year,” Payton told reporters . “One year into the program and how he’s moving, what he’s doing — everything looks entirely different. That learning curve is greater for someone who had far less experience. It’s entirely noticeable, and he is in great shape. You see his athleticism.”

In his only college football season at Utah in 2024, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound Lohner appeared in all 12 games and caught four passes for 54 yards — all for touchdowns. Upon being drafted, and later released at final cuts, he spent most of the 2025 campaign on Denver's practice squad as he focused on learning the professional trade.

Payton also pointed to Lohner’s physical edge, even in last year’s scout-team work.

“The one thing you don’t know… when (former NFL coach Bill Parcells) used to say if they don’t bite when they’re puppies, they’re probably never going to fight,” Payton said. “But there is a physical aspect, the way he plays. He’s not afraid of the contact.”

What This Means

The reality for Lohner is that he still faces an uphill climb to avoid a pink slip for a second consecutive summer. As of this writing, he's buried on the depth chart behind veterans Evan Engram and Adam Trautman, and will face competition from the likes of Lucas Krull and rookies Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley.

However, Lohner offers upside that Engram and Trautman can't provide and has a year in the system over Joly and Bentley. This is not insigificant, and Payton's endorsement should give him another leg-up as he attempts to seperate from the pack.

“People bring up Jimmy (Graham). Now, Jimmy was a third-round pick. I get it, but there were some similarities in that," Payton said of Lohner in 2025. "He only played a year, 80-something snaps. I think he had 18 catches. So yes, we have to coach and develop. In other words, if it was already present when you watch him, and you guys see him, and shake his hand and stand next to him, like, ‘Holy cow.’ There are traits there that excite me. Then just visiting with him, and his intentionality and his excitement about it. I’m excited to watch it.”

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