The Denver Broncos selected former Iowa tight end Noah Fant with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. It was a pick that many fans thought would be a steal. Looking ahead to the upcoming 2020 NFL season, Fant is about to prove those thoughts right.

Even though he struggled a bit with consistency throughout his rookie season, Fant showed flashes of big-time potential. He ended the season with 40 receptions for 562 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers aren't bad for a rookie tight end who was dealing with fairly poor quarterback play until fellow rookie Drew Lock took over late in the season.

Standing in at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Fant is extremely fast for a tight end. He runs like a wide receiver and has the athleticism to make big-time plays down the field. Fant is also a very capable possession tight end, which will come in handy this season with a full year with Lock as the starting quarterback.

John Elway has done an excellent job of building the Denver offense around young talent. Heading into this season, Lock will have a plethora of weapons to work with. In addition to Fant, he will have wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and K.J. Hamler.

Not only will the Broncos have a lethal aerial attack, they also have two top-notch running backs on the roster. Phillip Lindsay has been the starter for Denver over the last couple of years, but the Broncos went out and made a blockbuster move in free agency to sign star running back Melvin Gordon.

All of that being said, Fant's development is something to keep a close eye on this season and there are quite a few reasons for excitement surrounding him.

Why the Broncos Should Be Excited About Noah Fant

Quite simply, there are very few tight ends in the NFL with better physical ability than Fant. As previously mentioned, Fant is very fast. He actually ran a faster 40-yard dash time than Green Bay Packers star wide receiver Davante Adams during the draft process last year.

Many of the great offenses in the NFL have had athletic tight ends at their disposal. Think about the New England Patriots with Rob Gronkowski, the Kansas City Chiefs with Travis Kelce, and the San Francisco 49ers with George Kittle. Fant may not be in that tier just yet, but he has the potential and athletic ability to get there.

Creating mismatches is something that great tight ends are able to do week in and week out. Very few opposing defenses have linebackers capable of locking down athletic tight ends. When they put a defensive back on them, the bigger tight end can make plays due to sheer size.

With a young quarterback like Lock, who has shown that he has big-time potential himself, the Broncos are in good hands. They have been searching for a legitimate franchise quarterback since Peyton Manning retired. Now that they have that piece, a guy like Fant is even more valuable.

Denver has a legitimate star in the making with their young tight end. ESPN sees an improved season coming for Fant in their league-wide 2020 projections. They have him catching 54 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns.

All of those projections are improvements from what Fant recorded last season. The projections may be a bit low as well. It would be reasonable to expect Fant to rack up over 60 receptions for over 700 yards and six or seven touchdowns.

If the 22-year-old tight end can take that leap, the Broncos' offense is going to be very fun to watch. They have all of the pieces put together and defenses will have to focus on shutting down two extremely dangerous wide receivers. That attention on the wideouts will result in Fant being free to make big plays himself.

Expect to see a big second season from Fant. He may not join the elite tight end group yet, but he is well on his way.