After filling in as the Broncos' emergency quarterback in last year's 31-3 blowout loss to New Orleans, Kendall Hinton knew his performance — 1-of-9 passing for 13 yards and two interceptions — wasn't going to warrant another shot throwing the ball.

But that experience of getting thrown into the fire as an undrafted rookie only emboldened his NFL goals. After converting from QB to wideout at Wake Forest, and then spending 2020 as a wideout on the Broncos' practice squad, Hinton has earned expanded playing time in the wake of injuries to Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.

"I knew that (New Orleans game) would probably be my last game as a quarterback," Hinton said Wednesday. "But I also knew there was a lot of work to do at wideout… I knew I had potential and that if I continued to develop, you never know where you're going to be."

That long-term tunnel vision is already paying dividends. After a strong training camp and preseason, the Broncos signed the second-year undrafted pro to their practice squad; he was then promoted to the active roster Sept. 14, two days after Jeudy sustained a high ankle sprain in the season opener.

Hinton recorded his first NFL catch that week, a 15-yard reception in the win over Jacksonville. He added another catch in Week 4 against Baltimore and two more last Sunday in Pittsburgh, both of which came as the Broncos rallied in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater found Hinton for the wideout's first NFL score on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, cutting the Steelers' lead to 24-13. Hinton came up with a 23-yard catch on third-and-5 late in the quarter, setting the Broncos up in the red zone on their final drive. The catch came on a play Hinton didn't get to rep in practice.

"I was the quarterback's first read anyway, and I just popped open," Hinton said. "I caught it and (it felt like) I went in slow motion, so I could get my head down to see where my feet were at. I saw I had enough space to get the second foot in."

Though Denver didn't end up scoring as the rally came up short in the 27-19 defeat, Hinton's catch on that final drive — which came near the left sideline, with Hinton having to tap dance to stay in bounds — is evidence of the "steady progress" coach Vic Fangio's seen in the wideout.

"Since he wasn't a receiver (for most of the time) in college, he's gotten the benefit of being on the practice squad last year and learning," Fangio said. "Now, he can actually call himself an NFL wide receiver, not someone who's an ex-quarterback trying to play receiver."

Hinton said he started to truly believe in his ability to excel as a wideout during OTAs this year. Last year, he faced a huge learning curve.

"I had no idea what I was coming into (last year)," Hinton said. "The receiver role was fairly new and I wasn't sure what I needed to come in and excel at. But this past offseason, I knew the points I had to get better at, I knew my weak spots and I took that time to grind and emphasize those points."

Better route-running and a deeper understanding of the offense were at the top of the offseason to-do list for Hinton, whose jersey and cleats from last year's Week 12 game against New Orleans ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That fact has added to the craziness of the past 11 months for Hinton, someone whom Bridgewater describes as a selfless teammate.

"He's quiet, he doesn't say much, but he comes to work every day and does everything that we ask of him," Bridgewater said. "He might have to go in and run five go-routes in a row (to get other guys open), and he won't complain."

For his part, Hinton is grateful for his unconventional route to the pros.

Originally a part-time starter at quarterback for Wake Forest as a freshman, Hinton got hurt as a sophomore (ankle injury) and then converted to wideout after losing the QB battle as a junior. In his final collegiate season, he had 73 catches for 1,001 yards in 11 games.

Hinton believes his production this year (four catches for 53 yards) is just the start of what he can do if given a chance. His snap counts increased dramatically since Hamler's injury in Week 3 against the Jets. He played 43% of the snaps against the Ravens and 65% against Pittsburgh (compared to 7% of snaps in Week 2).

He'll figure to be a fourth option for Bridgewater come Sunday against Las Vegas, behind wideouts Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick as well as tight end Noah Fant.

"Every day I wake up and (think) it's crazy to be playing in the NFL," Hinton said. "And every day it's wild and this journey continues. Through all the bumps in the road, I'm so appreciative of where I'm at now. It's good to sit back and enjoy those moments, but also preparing myself for what's next."