As the 2023 NFL Draft drew to a close last week, new head coach Sean Payton shared a piece of trivia from the Broncos’ proud championship past.
The last running back to start for Denver in the Super Bowl, he said, dialing the time machine back to 2015, had joined the league as an undrafted free agent. That was C.J. Anderson, who came into the NFL out of California in 2013, made Denver’s roster that season and even played in the blowout Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. Two years later, Anderson was a key cog in the Broncos’ offense. And not only did he start for Denver in Super Bowl 50. Anderson ran for 90 yards and a touchdown, an offensive bright spot in a 24-10 victory that was largely led by the Broncos’ defense.
Advertisement
Payton’s point was clear: The Broncos may have only drafted five players last week — and added a sixth with a trade for veteran tight end Adam Trautman — but they are bringing in more than a dozen others by way of undrafted free agency, where Denver has historically found valuable contributors. The same was true for Payton during his career in New Orleans.
Still, some undrafted free agents have a better path to the roster than others. What follows is my ranking of Denver’s rookie free-agent class, from most to least likely to make the team’s final roster. Surviving that initial cut, of course, is not the only path for an undrafted rookie to eventually make an impact. Practice squad spots can often be placeholders for players who get pressed onto the active roster because of injuries at some point in the season. But making the roster in Week 1 means there is a specific role for the player from the start of the season. To make the list, I pored over scouting reports, including those from The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler, examined college production and considered the depth chart battle each player faces at his respective position.
(Editor’s note: Three more players — Sione Asi, Jaleel McLaughlin and Marcus Haynes — have been added to this list since it was first published.)
OLB Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan
Not only is Incoom entering a pass-rusher group that doesn’t have much in the way of an established pecking order, but he is also Brugler’s highest-ranked prospect among the undrafted free agents the Broncos signed.
Here is how Brugler assesses Incoom, who was ranked as the No. 152 prospect overall heading into the draft: “Incoom isn’t known for his crafty counter measures, but he has the upfield athleticism and edge-setting presence to provide an NFL team value as both a pass rusher and run defender. His game is reminiscent of Dorance Armstrong, a useful edge rusher in an NFL rotation.”
Advertisement
During his last two seasons at Central Michigan, Incoom (6-foot-2, 262) had 84 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 15 ½ sacks. He had 11 ½ of those sacks in 2022 and was an honorable mention All-American.
Incoom, who was born in Ghana and moved to the United States when he was 11 years old, didn’t begin playing defense full-time until his freshman year of college at Division II Valdosta State. He needs to develop better instincts and countermoves, but he might just be scratching the surface of his ability.
DL PJ Mustipher, Penn State
The numbers on the defensive line point to a real opportunity for Mustipher to crack the initial 53-man roster with a strong training camp. The Broncos have D.J. Jones, one of their top free-agent signings in 2022, at nose tackle and veteran Mike Purcell slotted behind him. But might the Broncos ultimately view Purcell’s $3.8 million cap figure as too rich for a rotational nose tackle?
Mustipher, listed at 6-3, 320 pounds, finished with 38 tackles as a senior in 2022 and was a two-time captain at Penn State. As a high schooler in Maryland, Mustipher was the state’s top-ranked heavyweight wrestler.
More from Brugler’s scouting report: “Mustipher is stout at the point of attack with the upper-body strength to work his way under blocks. He was a two-time team captain and ‘coach on the field,’ according to defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. However, he is a heavy-footed plugger and lacks explosiveness in his hands and lower body to easily unwind and detach. Mustipher can fight for a spot in a rotation, but his labored movements and limited athleticism put a cap on what he can provide an NFL defense.”
CB Art Green, Houston
Green was timed at 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his college pro day in March. Had he been invited to the combine, that time would have been tied for fifth among all cornerback participants.
Advertisement
Green had his best college season at Houston in 2022, intercepting two passes and deflecting a team-high 10 while being named a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection. The Broncos have an All-Pro cornerback in Pat Surtain, but the depth chart behind him is composed primarily of young players, including Riley Moss, whom the Broncos traded up to select in the third round of last week’s draft out of Iowa, and second-year player Damarri Mathis, a 12-game starter as a rookie in 2022.
GO DEEPER
Broncos depth chart: Who's on roster bubble following 2023 NFL Draft?
From Brugler’s scouting report: “Green (6-1, 198) has press-man size, but has also shown considerable growth understanding zone concepts and route recognition to better know when to stay patient and when to swoop in for plays on the ball. His footwork lacks desired fluidity and technical grace, which hurts his ability to stay connected. His look-and-lean and ball skills flashed during East-West Shrine Bowl practices.”
OT Alex Palczewski, Illinois
The first things that stick out about Palczewski: size and experience.
The 6-6, 303-pound Palczewski, a four-sport high school athlete who also participated in track, water polo and wrestling, set a Big Ten record with 65 starts during his career, and those came across three different positions. His best season came in 2022, when Palczewski (pronounced Pal-CHESS-key) started 13 games at right tackle and earned second-team All-American honors. For the sixth straight year, the Broncos did not select an offensive tackle in the draft, another plus working in Palczewski’s favor from a numbers standpoint as he prepares to battle for a reserve spot.
Still, Palczewski has some concerning weaknesses in his evaluation that he’ll have to overcome to make the roster. From Brugler’s scouting report: “He has physical, insistent hands at the point of attack and stays after his blocks to spring runs. Although he plays with quickness, his footwork gets sloppy in his pass sets and he finds himself out of control at the second level. His wide hands invite rushers to bully him. Palczewski has played a lot of football with experience at both tackle and guard, but he can too easily be knocked off balance and struggles to sustain.”
OL Henry Byrd, Princeton
Byrd was only 260 pounds when arrived on Princeton’s campus as a freshman in 2018, but he grew considerably during his college career and entered the NFL listed at nearly 6-5 and 310 pounds. Byrd was a high school lacrosse player who grew up in Nashville, which might help explain this line from Brugler’s scouting report: “Byrd is quick out of his stance with the agility and body control to answer edge speed and adjust to moving targets.”
“His Ivy League education translates to the field in his ability to quickly process and sort everything,” Brugler writes of Byrd. “He is strong but not always stout, and he needs to make some technical fixes. Overall, Byrd is viewed as a guard/center prospect, but regardless of where he plays, he has the intelligence and athletic tools worth developing.”
GO DEEPER
NFL team needs: What holes remain for all 32 teams after the draft?
The Broncos will have Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz starting at guard. Lloyd Cushenberry, entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract, is probably the early favorite to start at center, though seventh-round rookie Alex Forsyth out of Oregon could be in the mix. There is no significant depth behind those four players, though. Veteran Kyle Fuller, who played with Russell Wilson in Seattle for two seasons, was signed by the Broncos this offseason and could provide interior depth at multiple spots. Luke Wattenberg, a 2022 fifth-round pick who saw the field sparingly as a rookie, could also be in the mix. But the numbers suggest there’s no reason Byrd can’t make a push for a roster spot.
Advertisement
RB Emanuel Wilson, Fort Valley State
Wilson was one of the more productive Division II running backs in the country last season. The bruising, 5-10, 226-pound ball carrier rushed for 1,252 yards in just nine games, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He also caught 20 passes for 187 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns.
Wilson does not have blazing speed (4.55 40-yard dash time) but he’s a physical runner who hits holes quickly, and his size could help him on special teams, a must if he’s going to make the team. Wilson will have to navigate a major jump in competition, but the Broncos’ situation at running back offers an opportunity for someone to seize a roster spot with a strong training camp.
Plus, aren’t we all here for this radio call from play-by-play man Dave Logan: “First and goal for the Broncos, Wilson lines up under center, takes the snap, hands to Wilson, TOUCHDOWN!”
RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State
During a college career that included a stop at Notre Dame College before he arrived at Youngstown State, McLaughlin set an NCAA record with 8,166 yards rushing and 79 touchdowns. The 5-8, 194-pound running back did it with blazing speed — he’s a state track champion and owner of a 4.44-second 40-yard dash — and an ability to exploit the smallest creases and turn them into big gains.
McLaughlin’s college production alone makes him an intriguing camp prospect for the Broncos, who have spots up for grabs in the running back room. The biggest question may be whether he can make a substantial impact on special teams in order to solidify his spot.
LB Seth Benson, Iowa
Benson did not produce to the same level in college as Josey Jewell, another former Iowa linebacker who now starts for the Broncos, but Benson did turn himself into a pro prospect during his final two seasons. The 6-1, 229-pound linebacker had 196 tackles (10 for loss) and three sacks during that stretch, and he also intercepted two passes.
Benson was a well-respected team leader at Iowa, which has been known under head coach Kirk Ferentz for consistently producing pro-ready linebackers. Jack Campbell, a former Iowa linebacker who was selected 18th overall by the Lions in last week’s draft, spent a portion of his various visits with NFL teams pitching them on Benson.
Advertisement
“He’s one of the most underrated Hawkeyes to ever put on the uniform,” Campbell told the Quad City Times last month. “At times, unfortunately, people don’t notice. People thought I was pretty decent but I think Seth was above and beyond anything I was.”
DB Devon Matthews, Indiana
>Matthews was a five-year college player who saw action in 52 games across his career. He finished with four total interceptions and 20 passes defensed. He was deployed more aggressively near the line of scrimmage last season and finished with a career-best 65 tackles, including three for loss.
Matthews is a big defensive back at 6-foot, 203 pounds, and he ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at his pro day in March. He primarily played safety for the Hoosiers, and that figures to be where he’ll get his first look with the Broncos this offseason. The Broncos have deep numbers at the position and drafted Boise State’s JL Skinner in the sixth round, but outside of Justin Simmons, there aren’t any firmly established players at the position on Denver’s roster, so Matthews has an opportunity.
WR Dallas Daniels, Jackson State
Daniels played one season at Jackson State under Deion Sanders, transferring there after spending the previous two seasons at Western Illinois. He began his career in the junior college ranks.
Daniels, who is listed at 5-10 and 184 pounds, isn’t a blazer. His pro day 40-yard dash time was 4.62 seconds. But he has a knack for getting open in the middle of the field and has strong hands. In his one season at Jackson State, Daniels caught 63 passes for 692 yards and six touchdowns, all of which ranked second on the team.
GO DEEPER
2023 NFL Draft class rankings: Which teams had the best and worst performances?
The Broncos have had several undrafted wide receivers see the field in recent years, including two last season in Jalen Virgil and Brandon Johnson — each of whom caught a touchdown pass. But Denver’s room appears much deeper from a depth perspective heading into this offseason, so it will likely take an exceptional camp from Daniels to crack the group out of training camp.
TE Nate Adkins, South Carolina
At 6-2, 252 pounds, Adkins was used primarily as an in-line blocker during his one season at South Carolina, but he flashed his receiving potential late in the season. That included a season-high five catches for 78 yards in South Carolina’s narrow loss to Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl.
Advertisement
Adkins, the son of a football coach, began his college career at East Tennessee State, where he was a three-time All-Southern Conference tight end. He gravitated to the position in college after playing offensive tackle during high school in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Broncos did not select a tight end in last week’s draft, but they did add an experienced player to the room when they acquired Trautman in a trade with the Saints.
CB Darrious Gaines, Western Colorado
At 6-1, 193 pounds, Gaines was the No. 63-ranked cornerback among the 230 draft-eligible ones Brugler ranked. He had his best season as a senior at Western Colorado in 2022 — just his third season of action after redshirting in 2017 and having his 2020 season canceled due to the pandemic — intercepting three passes and deflecting a team-high 11.
Gaines has had an interesting path since arriving in Gunnison, Colo., back in 2017. He began his career as a tight end and later played linebacker before making the move to corner. He also saw brief action at Western Colorado as a punt and kick returner.
Gaines is trying to follow the career path of Austin Ekeler, the Chargers running back who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Western Colorado in 2017, made the roster as a rookie and has since turned himself into one of the league’s most productive running backs.
WR Taylor Grimes, Incarnate Word
Grimes (5-10, 186) is trying to become just the second player from Incarnate Word to ever play a game in the NFL. The first was tight end Cole Wick, who joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and played in 11 total games across three NFL seasons.
Then again, not too many players at the school have ever put up numbers like Grimes. In his two seasons at the FCS school (2020-21) after transferring from Illinois State, he caught 170 passes for 2,366 yards and 30 touchdowns. As a junior in 2021, he caught four touchdown passes in a single game against Nicholls State.
Advertisement
Grimes will be facing a huge jump up in competition and his lack of top-end speed won’t make it easy to separate, but his knack for finding the ball should give him a chance to be noticed in camp.
GO DEEPER
NFL Power Rankings post-draft: Ravens get boost with Lamar Jackson's return
DL Sione Asi, Oklahoma State
The 6-foot, 303-pound defensive tackle played in 40 games during his four seasons at Oklahoma State, finishing with 50 total tackles and 11 ½ tackles for loss. He was a full-time starter for the first time in 2022 and finished with 29 tackles and one sack in 13 games.
Asi, who grew up in Reno, Nevada, played at Snow Junior College in Utah before transferring to Oklahoma State.
TE Kris Leach, Kent State
Leach (6-5, 252 pounds) was essentially a sixth member of Kent State’s offensive line, largely used as a road grader in the running game. He never had more than two catches in a game during his three years at the school and his eight catches for 94 yards in 2022 were both the best marks of his career.
Leach will have to show physicality during training camp practices to make himself noticed and will also have to make plays on special teams during whatever preseason time he sees.
OLB Marcus Haynes, Old Dominion
Haynes (6-4, 240 pounds) started 12 games at defensive end as a senior in 2022, had a career-best 47 tackles and was tied with the team lead with four sacks. In 49 total games at Old Dominion, Haynes had 15 sacks and forced four fumbles.
He’ll be more suited for a stand-up edge role at the next level, and he’ll have to add size and strength to succeed in that position.
(Top photo of PJ Mustipher: Jeff Hanisch / USA Today)
