At the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos signed several undrafted free agents, including the speedy Northern Arizona wide receiver, Kolbe Katsis. He is a 6-1, 185-pound wide receiver/returner who will be competing for a spot on the Broncos’ 53-man roster and, more realistically, a spot on their practice squad.
During his career at Northern Arizona, Katsis appeared in 23 games and totaled 95 receptions for 1,566 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had 6 career rushing attempts for 78
yards and 1 touchdown. Katsis was also known for his return ability and had 17 kick returns for 521 yards, including a 100-yard return for a touchdown. This past year, Katsis had 60 receptions for 1,068 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as 64 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
During his Pro Day earlier this year, Katsis ran a 4.43 40-time, had a 10-8 broad jump, and jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical jump.
The Broncos’ wide receiver room, as of right now, looks pretty set. Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton are your starters, while Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant will compete for that WR3 job. All five, you would assume, are fairly locked into roster spots, and that would leave very little room for a player like Katsis. When you look at their practice squad candidates, veterans Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy will likely be tough to beat out. The team seems to love both players and trusts them to step in if needed. So, Katsis and the rest of the Broncos UDFA wide receivers will need to beat out one or both of LJH and Bandy if they want to make the team’s practice squad. Katsis does have some return upside, so that could help him stand out amongst the rest, but time will tell there.
Player Profile
Kolbe Katsis | Wide Receiver/Returner | Denver Broncos
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 185 pounds
- Arm Length: 31 1/8th inches
- Hand size: 9 inches
- Experience: Rookie
- 40-time: 4.43 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 36.5 inches
- Broad Jump: 10-8
- Short Shuttle: 4.17 seconds
- 3-Cone Drill: 6.9 seconds
- Bench Press: 13 reps
- 2025 stats: 60 receptions for 1,068 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as 64 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown. He also had a 100-yard kick return touchdown.
Kolbe Katsis’s 2026 outlook with the Denver Broncos
Barring a standout performance during training camp and the preseason, Katsis appears to be a practice squad candidate. The Broncos’ wide receiver room is five deep, and they like their depth in Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy. So it’ll be tough for Katsis and others to make the team.
What Katsis has going for him is his ability as a returner. Marvin Mims Jr. is an All-Pro caliber returner, but having someone else who can handle kick and potentially punt returns would be ideal for the team. This likely won’t amount to a spot on the 53-man roster, but it could get him a spot on their practice squad if he performs well.
We saw Michael Bandy handle return duties while Mims was down with an injury last season, so it is safe to assume that he will be competing with him, among others, for a spot on the practice squad.
As a receiver, Katsis will need to show he can separate against NFL-caliber corners and continue to make plays down the field as he did in college. If he can do that and show some YAC ability in the short game, he could make a name for himself this summer.
Final Thoughts
It’s the same story for all the undrafted wide receivers. There isn’t much, if any, room for them on the 53-man roster, and it will be tough to replace veterans Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy on the practice squad. While we may not view those two as tough players to beat out, the Broncos clearly trust them.
If Katsis can use his speed to make plays down the field while showing he can be a potential weapon in the return game, he could make some noise this summer. It’ll be a tough competition, but of the undrafted rookie wide receivers, I believe he has the best shot of sticking around.
