After Denver finished 19th among the NFL’s 32 teams in yards gained during the 2024 season, Broncos coach Sean Payton expressed a desire to add a “joker” to the team’s offense – an athletic running back or tight end whose abilities create a mismatch in the passing game and present a problem in space.

During his 15 seasons as the New Orleans Saints coach, Payton had players such as Alvin Kamara, Jimmy Graham and Jeremy Shockey in the role. Payton thinks Denver got a joker in free agency when it signed tight end Evan Engram in March.

“I would put him in that category, that family,” Payton said at the NFL’s annual meeting this week in Palm Beach, Florida. “I think that he is someone that has those skill sets. I think one of the things that helped us in the process of him making a decision was that role.”

The Broncos signed Engram to a two-year, $23 million contract in March after the Jacksonville Jaguars released him in a salary-cap decision.

Injuries caused Engram to miss eight games last season, when he had 47 receptions for 365 yards and one touchdown. In 2023, Engram went to the Pro Bowl after catching 114 passes for 963 passes and four touchdowns. The tight end also was a Pro Bowler in 2020.

“The interior triangle of your passing game — the tight end, the running back, the third receiver — when you’re seeing a lot of these coverage shell looks, those positions have to thrive,” Payton said. “The matchups inside — I just think, man, it’s hard to play that (quarterback) position if you’re not able to attack the interior triangle of some of the looks we’re getting defensively. This, I think, helps Bo (Nix).”

Denver reached the playoffs last season for the first time since 2015 in its first campaign with Nix at quarterback. The former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn standout joined the Broncos as the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and his 29 touchdown passes rank as the second-most by a first-year player in NFL history.

Having found its quarterback, Denver can concentrate on other areas this offseason as it builds its team in free agency and the draft, which will be held April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

“I appreciate not being in that quarterback market,” Payton said. “You know, that’s difficult. We were talking last night, (general manager) George (Paton) and (team owner) Greg (Penner), obviously, there’s a lot of pressure to get that right. And when you don’t have it right, it’s one of those positions where it can kind of consume you as an organization. And, fortunately, a year ago this time we were able to do that.”

Nix finished third in the voting for The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2024, when he threw for 3,775 yards, ran for 430 yards and four touchdowns and caught a TD pass.

“Going into Year 2, there’s a process you have to respect and understand and not assume,” Payton said, “so there’s a lot of little things still that Bo will want to be better at that we need to be better at coaching. Fortunately, he’s got that makeup, that grit, that toughness – all the things you’re looking for. And that’s already begun with him.”

Payton said he “felt good” about what the Broncos accomplished in free agency.

That included re-signing Jarrett Stidham, another former Auburn quarterback, to back up Nix. Last season, Denver had Stidham and Zach Wilson behind Nix, but the Broncos lost Wilson to the Miami Dolphins in free agency in March.

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“We’re excited Jarrett’s back,” Payton said. “He brings a veteran presence, but also a young presence about him. And I know how he feels about his own abilities. Man, we had a great room a year ago. You guys know that. So it was probably unrealistic to think that we were going to have both Zach and Jarrett back. …

“I think the experience from Jarrett is helpful to Bo.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.