The fork-in-the-road moment for young players often comes in the third training camp.
But for these Denver Broncos, it’s the fourth summer out from their initial draft class that could prove to be the one that truly defines their long-term future. For these three players, the next two months could represent a last stand — at least with this team.
None of them were drafted during the Sean Payton era, which adds another layer of intrigue, although Payton has shown plenty of openness toward keeping holdover players; he didn’t clear-cut the roster when he arrived in 2023.
Nevertheless, for these three players, each finds themselves caught in the squeeze created in part by newcomers who joined the Broncos within the last three-and-a-half months.
1. CB DAMARRI MATHIS
Three years ago, Mathis was one of the most pleasant surprises on the roster, a fourth-round rookie thrust into the starting lineup six games into the season who held his own and overcame a penalty-strewn performance in his first start.
In fact, he has fewer pass-interference penalties in all of the games he’s played since that initial start — two — than he did in that game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 17, 2022, when he was flagged four times.
But while he cleaned up his play, other areas sagged. Per SportRadar, Mathis allowed a 90.2 rating when targeted as a rookie; in his second year, that spiked to 128.4. He yielded one touchdown on 81 targets as a rookie; in 2023, he allowed three on 39 — all in the first two games.
Because of that, Mathis lost his grip on his job to Fabian Moreau. By 2024, he was passed over as Riley Moss worked his way into the starting lineup, while Ja’Quan McMillian consolidated his role as slot corner. When the Broncos needed an extra cornerback down the stretch, Kris Abrans-Draine got the call more often, although Mathis did start at Los Angeles in Week 16.
Now, Jahdae Barron enters the mix. The addition of UFL cornerback Mario Goodrich doesn’t help his cause, either.
2. S DELARRIN TURNER-YELL
Turner-Yell’s entire 2024 campaign was waylaid by the torn ACL he suffered in Week 17 of the 2023 season, an injury tht dealt a haymaker to what had been a breakthrough season as he emerged as a core-four special teamer and a leader on that unit.
Now, Turner-Yell returns to an altered landscape in that phase. All of the coaches there are gone; he must start anew with Darren Rizzi. Special teams will likely determine the backup safety spots beyond putative starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones, but that’s where it gets dicey.
P.J. Locke has plenty of experience in that phase, and his starting experience at safety makes him an ideal security blanket if the team wants to have the most experience possible behind Hufanga and Jones. In Turner-Yell’s absence, Devon Key and JL Skinner emerged as key players on that unit, with Skinner in particular becoming a standout.
To that the Broncos added free-agent pickup Sam Franklin Jr., a potential core-four special teamer. There isn’t room on the roster for all of Locke, Key, Skinner, Franklin and Turner-Yell. There may not be room for more than three of them.
Like Mathis, Turner-Yell is in a contract year, but his future is on the line right now.
3. DL ENYI UWAZURIKE
After serving a one-year suspension, Uwazurike returned last season but saw only spot duty, playing 63 snaps over four games as Air Force product Jordan Jackson nudged past him in the rotation. In 12 games played so far in his career, Uwazurike has a half-sack and 28 total tackles.
All five D-linemen ahead of him last year — Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach and Jackson — return. To that, the Broncos added Sai’Vion Jones — who flashed during OTAs — in the draft’s third round. With the team most likely keeping six defensive linemen, someone is going to be the odd man out.
Thus, Uwazurike likely must beat out Jackson in order to make the Broncos roster — no easy task given how dependable Jackson turned out to be last year.
OTHER BRONCOS WITH MUCH ON THE LINE IN TRAINING CAMP
RB Tyler Badie: The arrival of J.K. Dobbins alters the roster calculus for Badie, but he could still factor in the room as someone who could likely pass through to the practice squad, where he could provide experienced depth.
RB Audric Estimé: It might not be “now or never” per se for Estimé, but at the very least he needs to show that his rookie fumbling problems are behind him in order to stick as one of the running backs on the 53-player roster.
DL Matt Henningsen: In a similar spot to Badie, Henningsen passed through to the practice squad last year and seems likely to do so again this year if he doesn’t crack the 53-player roster, but would the 2022 draft choice try to cast his lot elsewhere rather than stick around the Broncos’ locker room to provide experienced depth as a potential game-day elevation candiate?
TE Lucas Krull: Given a decent amount of opportunities last year, Krull produced 152 yards on 19 receptions, which was not enough to prevent the Broncos from fishing for Evan Engram in free agency. A practice-squad spot could be in the cards, but even that may be on the bubble if raw seventh-round rookie Caleb Lohner shows enough progress to be deemed worthy of regular-season snaps in a pinch if needed.
Safety JL Skinner: He came into the NFL one year later than Turner-Yell, but faces a similar scenario with a potential roster squeeze at his position group. He was one of the Broncos’ better special teamers last season, but there’s only room for but so many players at the position group.
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