Lucas Krull

Career StatsC-

Year	Team	GP	Rec	Yards	TD
Career		23	29	262	1
2025		3	2	15	0
2024		13	19	152	0
2023		7

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Salary-cap math on Lucas Krull's contract works out to a C Contract Value Index given the dead-cap exposure and term. At $1.36M AAV, this is a league-minimum depth deal that aligns perfectly with his C- performance grade and limited role in Denver's tight end rotation. His 2025 season production of 15 receiving yards across 3 games reflects the tape: occasional functional moments—his recent 27-yard contested catch showed competent hands—but insufficient volume to justify a premium price tag. As a fourth-year player at 27 years old, Krull sits in the career-maintenance phase where depth contracts are the realistic market, and Denver's decision to re-sign him at this rate represents smart roster continuity without financial overcommitment. The mediaframing is clear: this is a low-risk camp body move designed to preserve system familiarity while the Broncos invest their offseason capital elsewhere at receiver, defensive back, and at the tight end position with the earlier signing of a primary option. The CVI grade reflects fair value for a reserve—neither a steal nor an albatross—and the one-year term provides clean exit optionality if Krull doesn't crack the 53-man roster.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Lucas's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Tape review and box-score baselines converge on a C- performance grade for Lucas Krull. The fourth-year tight end is operating as a below-average option at the position, lacking the consistent production or impact plays that separate starters from depth contributors. His 2025 season showing of 15 receiving yards across 3 games signals minimal counting stats and limited involvement in Denver's offensive gameplan, which aligns with his framing as a camp body competing for roster real estate rather than a featured pass-catcher. The contested 27-yard catch mentioned in recent headlines does showcase functional hands and the ability to win contested situations in tight spaces, but it's a bright spot in an otherwise quiet body of work. At 27 years old in his fourth year, Krull fits the profile of a familiarity-based depth re-signing — Denver brought him back on a 1-year deal to provide special teams value and continuity in the tight end room while competing for the TE3 slot, a decision that media consensus frames as low-risk roster management rather than a meaningful offensive upgrade. Unless he makes a significant production leap during camp and the preseason, expect him to hover on the roster bubble, contributing in backup minutes and situational packages.

How Lucas Compares at the Position

Lucas Krull ranks 97th of 164 graded tight ends by performance. That slots Lucas between Lawrence Cager (C-) just ahead and Qadir Ismail (C-) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Coverage volume around Lucas Krull produces a C+ sentiment grade in the current window. The narrative centers on Denver's low-risk depth re-signing as a practical roster move—media outlets have framed his retention as smart continuity management that keeps a familiar face in the tight end room without significant financial outlay, with one outlet's characterization of it as "bold" standing out as notably generous given the depth-piece nature of the deal. His 2025 season showing of 15 receiving yards across 3 games underscores why public perception lands at measured approval rather than enthusiasm; the recent 27-yard contested catch has given fans and analysts a functional reminder of his hands and red-zone utility, but minimal volume limits the upside narrative. The Broncos' offseason additions—head coach Sean Payton's arrival in June, signings at wide receiver and defensive back, and the acquisition of TE Dallen Bentley in early May—have contextualized Krull as a camp body competing for TE3 snaps rather than a featured contributor, tempering expectations appropriately. Fan sentiment reflects this positioning as practical management: Krull is viewed favorably as a known system fit and special teams asset, but there's no illusion about his ceiling. The narrative is fundamentally bullish on the decision-making, not on the player himself—a clean expression of what depth signings should be in public conversation.