ORLANDO, Fla. — Courtland Sutton knew he belonged in this kind of company.

His numbers from an outstanding second season — 1,112 receiving yards and six touchdowns — showed as much, but Sutton was overlooked when the Pro Bowl's initial roster was announced. Only after DeAndre Hopkins dropped out of the game did Sutton get the call-up to the Pro Bowl.

Throughout the week of Pro Bowl practices in Orlando, though, his teammates have validated his perception of his standing in the league and have recognized that he's as deserving of this honor as anyone.

"He kind of reminds me of [Bengals receiver] A.J. Green," Steelers cornerback Joe Haden said. "They're kinda very similar in size [and] build. He can go deep, he can jump and catch the ball in the red zone. I think he's a very, very special player."

In three practices, Sutton has not seen many passes thrown his way, but in the few targets he's gotten, he's shown his talent. On the first day, he made a pair of one-handed touchdown catches in the end zone. On the final day, he caught two deep passes to finish strong.

Though no one is going full speed in these practices, Sutton's hands have been reliable and drawn praise from AFC defenders.

"He's a good player," Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said. "He's a big body. He's fast. He has great hands. And he's here for a reason just like everybody else. Courtland, you know, he's in my [draft] class. I've seen a whole lot of him in college and in the NFL. He's a great player and like I said, a big body, fast, can do it all."

Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White already knew these things from his preparation to face Sutton during a Week 12 matchup between Buffalo and Denver.

"He's a guy that I stayed up late [for] and I had to prepare well for, just watching on film and seeing how he attacks the ball and seeing how he goes [and] gets the ball in the air, his body control and the way he gets off press [coverage]," White said. "And he can run, too. He's on his way. He can be that complete receiver. He's big, fast, physical, so he definitely was a tough match for me."

They also said they believe Sutton hasn't even scratched the surface of the kind of player he can become.

"No, not yet," Haden said. "He's just warming up. I think he's just coming into his own. He has nowhere to go but up."

Fitzpatrick agreed, adding, "He's a great player like I said, but he still has a whole bunch more of potential."

To receive so much respect over the course of the week and to realize his place next to so many of the NFL's top players has been a humbling and heartening experience for the Broncos' rising star receiver.

"[T]he guys who study this game and play it at a high level, they respect what we do week in and week out, the same way we watch film on each other, somebody on another team watches film on us," Sutton said. "It's cool to know that our peers recognize the work that we put in week in and week out.