Getty

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos are near their limit in terms of veterans for rookie minicamp.

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos’ group for their rookie minicamp continues to take shape, with Brandon Hill, Isaiah Thomas, and Michael Woods II joining the fray.

Denver has garnered attention with their moves to bring in a pair of quarterbacks in rookie free agent E.J. Warner and veteran Nathan Peterman. But they can use veterans at virtually every position to show the incoming rookies the ways of the NFL.

Moreover, all three players are intriguing in their own right.

Broncos Add Former Browns, Texans Draft Picks for Rookie Minicamp

Payton and the Broncos have to add veterans who are not under contract, like Hill, Peterman, Thomas, and Woods. Those are the only ones eligible to participate, per NFL rules.

The Broncos can add one more vetearn (up to five) for the minicamp.

“Two Cleveland Browns 2022 draft picks out of Oklahoma – WR Michael Woods II, DE Isaiah Thomas – are getting vet tryouts at Broncos rookie minicamp this weekend,” 9News’ Mike Klis reported on X on May 6, noting that Thomas “once sacked Joe Burrow.”

“Woods had 3 catches, 43 yards in Jameis Winston–Bo Nix shootout in 2024 at Empower Field won by Broncos, 41-32.”

Klis later followed up, reporting that Hill was also participating.

The Browns selected Woods first, taking the wide receiver 202nd overall. Thomas, an edge defender, was the 223rd selection of the class. The Houston Texans selected Hill with the 248th overall pick of the 2023 draft cycle.

Woods, 26, has 12 receptions for 110 yards in his career, with two starts in 15 games. Thomas has 12 total tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1.0 sacks.

Hill has played in two regular-season games during his brief career.

Pre-Draft Profiles on Broncos Tryout Participants

“Woods is at his best running vertical routes,” ESPN’s Steve Muench wrote in his pre-draft analysis on the wideout. “He doesn’t have elite top-end speed, but he tracks the deep ball well and has the length to compete for 50-50 balls. He is not as much of a threat after the catch.”

In their evaluation of Thomas in September 2021, PFSN wrote, “First of all, he’s highly versatile. The 6’5″, 267-pound defensive lineman has aligned at both tackle and end for Oklahoma. It’s not simply a case of him aligning there, however. Thomas has shown he can excel from any alignment on the defensive line.

“It’s immediately apparent on his tape that Thomas possesses incredible explosion at the line of scrimmage.”

CBS Sports noted that “Hill is a fast, aggressive, downhill attacking safety.”

“He played a fair amount of slot corner. He has a clear hitch before changing directions. He’s more linear than side to side, but once he realizes where he needs to go, he can get there in a hurry. His zone instincts are average at best. And he’s best when he can man up and drive on the football, particularly in-breakers,” the CBS Sports staff wrote in April 2023.

“More of a hard-hitter than someone who can be relied upon to wrap-up consistently. Overall play recognition skills are a tick slow, but he does have quality range to the football on outside rushes because of his speed.”

Broncos Secure 2 Rookie Draft Picks

In addition to the news on Thomas and Woods attending the Broncos’ rookie minicamp, Denver has also reached contract agreements with two of their 2025 draft class members.

Seventh-round picks Dallen Bentley and Red Murdock both signed their deals.

The Broncos selected Bentley 256th overall, with Murdock coming off the board one pick later on Day 3. They are the first two prospects from the Broncos’ seven-player class–their fourth under Payton–to agree to their contracts.

The process has changed for NFL teams in recent years, with the contract values being slotted and removing much of the uncertainty.

Hiccups typically occur around guaranteed money in the current structure.