The roar came immediately, a rising ooooOOOO reverberating throughout CU’s weight room Friday as Will Sheppard’s hand slapped dangerously close to the top of a vertical test-stick.
This, for Sheppard, was nothing new. This was his element. He was a leaper in high school, once soaring for a 6-8 high jump back in his early days in Louisiana. And he needed something this Friday, after a slump at the Big 12’s pro day in late March, the CU receiver already snubbed of an invite to the NFL combine in February.
So he bent and exploded, feet eventually floating back to Earth with a vertical that sent shockwaves through both his Colorado teammates and ranks of NFL evaluators: 40.5 inches.
“Just go out, and get paid,” Sheppard told The Denver Post later Friday. “That’s really been the mentality, coming out here today.”
He might’ve done just that. That vertical would’ve ranked third among all receivers at the combine; his broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches would’ve tied for fourth. A 40-yard-dash of 4.54 seconds didn’t seem quite as impressive until factoring in Sheppard’s 6-foot-3 frame.
And after he ran routes for CU QB Shedeur Sanders’ throwing session, Broncos head coach Sean Payton — making his rounds at CU on Friday — pulled Sheppard aside for a lengthy talk.
“There’s that Louisiana connection … so we had that in common, just talking about how well the workout went today, and just building from there,” Sheppard reflected, noting Payton’s background with the New Orleans Saints.
It could’ve simply been due diligence. But it’s no secret the Broncos are searching for skill-position talent in April’s NFL draft to arm Bo Nix with more weapons. And an entire Denver contingent, from Payton to general manager George Paton to receivers coach Keary Colbert, was on hand for that receiving session Friday.
There’s a near-zero chance the Broncos could land Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, whom Payton also chatted with Friday. But CU fielded one of the deepest receiver rooms in the country in 2024, and there are several late-round options for the Broncos to look at in their own backyard in April — starting with Sheppard.
Payton’s offenses, historically, have thrived on big-body outside threats. Sheppard is somewhat lighter but profiles similarly to former Saints legend Marques Colston (6-foot-4) and current Broncos top option Courtland Sutton (also 6-foot-4). His stats didn’t pop off the page in 2024, with 48 catches for 620 yards in an offense with several mouths to feed. But Sheppard is a consistent red-zone threat, with 23 touchdowns across his last three collegiate seasons, and could be a jump-ball weapon for Payton.
Payton’s offenses, historically, have also thrived on smaller, hard-nosed slot threats; think 5-foot-9 Lance Moore, back in the New Orleans heyday. And there are multiple options down at CU. Jimmy Horn Jr. is a burner, timing at 4.40 in his best 40-yard-dash attempt Friday and hitting a backflip after a diving grab from Sanders in the highlight of the day. LaJohntay Wester is a steadier slot threat, not nearly as quick and notably slim at a listed 167 pounds, but carrying the most extensive record of production of any of them.
“I don’t go out there and look at a guy like, ‘Oh, he’s 6-5, he’s going to be able to stop me,’” Wester said when asked about his size translating to the NFL. “Nah, he’s 6-5, he’s gotta figure out a way to stop me.”
Horn and Wester are more likely to be undrafted free-agent looks, and both expressed they’re open to playing on special-teams units in the NFL. If the Broncos want Sheppard, though, they’ll likely have a fair amount of competition after Friday’s performance. Sheppard’s agent, William Felix, said the Los Angeles Chargers told him they’d come to CU’s pro day primarily to see Sheppard, and the receiver met for over an hour with Giants receivers coach Mike Groh Thursday night — with the possibility of pairing him with Sanders in New York.
“I think today is kind of a pinnacle of his career,” Felix said of Sheppard. “And we’ll see what happens from here.”
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