According to 9NEWS Denver’s Broncos insider Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos are signing rookie cornerback Paul Manning. He attended the Broncos’ rookie minicamp this past weekend on a tryout basis and must have impressed the team because they signed him to their 91-man roster today.
To make room for Manning, [the Broncos waived rookie cornerback William Wright](https://x.com/bylucaevans/status/2053923947062952447?s=20), whom the team signed as an undrafted free agent after the draft.
Early today, it was reported that the Broncos had signed veteran wide receiver Mike Woods to their roster after he participated in the Broncos’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Now, Paul Manning, who was a rookie tryout, joins him on the Broncos’ 91-man roster. The team will need to make one more corresponding roster move to make room for these two signings.
Manning is a 6-1, 192-pound cornerback who attended D-II Henderson State and was named a Second Team All-GAC player in 2025. This past season, he totaled 24 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 7 PBU’s, and 2 forced fumbles. Now, he joins the Broncos and will compete for a spot on their practice squad this upcoming season.
The Broncos’ cornerback room is one of the better ones in the NFL. It’s led by 2024 AP Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, who is the best cornerback in the league. Then you have Riley Moss, slot corner specialist Ja’Quan McMillian, 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron, and Kris Abrams-Draine. Those five players are locked into a roster spot, while the rest of the corners on the roster are likely competing for a couple of spots on the Broncos’ practice squad.
Manning will join corners Reese Taylor, Jaden Robinson, Brent Austin, and Ahmari Harvey as the players competing for a spot or two on the Broncos’ practice squad. They will need to impress the Broncos coaches throughout the offseason, OTA and minicamp practices, and during training camp and the preseason. Making plays at corner, creating turnovers, and contributing on special teams will be key factors in making the Broncos practice squad.
While the jump from D-II football to the NFL is a big leap, he showed enough potential during the Broncos’ rookie minicamp to crack the 91-man roster and beat out a previously signed UDFA. So, it’ll be interesting to see how Manning does in the coming months and if he can crack the Broncos’ 16-man practice squad.
See More: