NFL: 10 receivers who took it to the house most often
By Miles Wray
7. Julius Thomas, TE, Denver Broncos
65 catches, 788 yards, 12.1 YPC, 12 TDs – 18.4% TD Rate
A fourth-round pick by the Broncos in 2011, Thomas saw his first two seasons in the league get overwhelmed by injury. He managed to appear in only nine games between 2011 and 2012, catching just a single pass in the meantime. Finally healthy for all of 2013 (or, at least, for 14 games), Thomas bolstered the Broncos’ offense like an elite free agent pickup. If Thomas was able to mind-meld so successfully with Peyton Manning in what was effectively his rookie year, look out in 2014, once the tandem has a full year of practice under their belt.
Next season, Manning will be another year older — but all that seems to do is make Manning another year wiser. With the Broncos front office pushing in all their chips during spring’s free agency season, Thomas should once again be an important contributor to a historically great offense.