Broncos had a formal interview with Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo at the Combine

The Broncos held a formal interview with explosive Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo.

Elijah Arroyo is arguably the most explosive tight end in the draft and profiles perfectly as Sean Payton’s ‘Joker’. However, he comes with some medical red flags and will not be working out at the Combine, so teams will need to do their homework on him. The Broncos are doing just that as Arroyo confirmed that he has met with them while at the Combine.

Arroyo is one of my favorite players in the draft simply due to the receiving upside. He is a smooth and explosive athlete who does remind me a bit of Jimmy Graham while he was with the Saints. He profiles as a “Big Slot” or move tight end in an offense, which is exactly what Sean Payton is looking for.

As for the medical concerns, I am not that worried about them as others. He did suffer an ACL injury that sidelined him for a good part of two seasons, but sometimes those things take time. He bounced back this past season for Miami and looked like an explosive athlete that was not held back from his previous knee injury. He’s sitting out the Combine drills due to a knee bruise he suffered at the Senior Bowl but will participate at the Miami Pro Day later next month. That doesn’t concern me as more and more prospects are choosing to do the drills at their Pro Day instead of the Combine.

Draft analyst Kyle Crabbs of the 33rd Team says Arroyo projects as a dangerous receiving weapon in the NFL and that he showcased his ability this past season at Miami.

Miami Hurricanes flex tight end Elijah Arroyo projects as a dangerous receiving weapon at the NFL level. He’s a player who has struggled through injury for the heart of his career with the Hurricanes program but illustrated the full scope of his ability in 2024.

Arroyo has a massive wingspan, plucky hands, and explosive athleticism at his disposal — the Canes used that in many of their RPO, play pass, and screen game work this season. That level of receiving versatility is admirable and should be considered a template for what a role could look like in an NFL offense.

Arroyo just seems like the type of player Sean Payton is looking for at the tight end position. He is a big target with long arms, elite athleticism, the ability to create after the catch, and a potential chess piece for him to utilize on offense. The medicals will be key, but he did not look bothered by them this past season, and hopefully, he can continue to put that injury behind him moving forward.

I fully anticipate him running in the 4.5 range at his Pro Day and testing rather well which should help boost his stock ahead of the draft. Personally, he is one of my favorite prospects in the draft and is a player I think Sean Payton will want on his offense moving forward. Medicals will be key so we’ll have to see how things go in the coming days and weeks as progress through the draft process.