The Denver Broncos have a history of success when it comes to finding undrafted talent. The names range from Rod Smith to Chris Harris to C.J. Anderson – three players who didn’t hear their names called during the draft, but who went on to earn Pro Bowl nominations and Super Bowl rings.
Going undrafted is a major motivator for players entering the NFL as college free agents, and Denver has been one of the best destinations in the league for players to prove their worth on the field regardless of their draft status. For 11 consecutive years, ending in 2015, a college free agent made the Broncos initial 53-man roster. The team has another opportunity to add to their track record of success and start a new streak in 2017 after Kyle Peko made the roster in 2016.
That said, this is a team that is deep with veteran talent – much of which comprised the Super Bowl-winning roster in 2015. It’s never easy to make an NFL roster, even as a veteran. Here are the players from the latest batch of CFAs who currently have the toughest route to making the cut this year and becoming a part of Broncos history.
1: Orion Stewart, S, Baylor
Stewart, a safety from Baylor, is trying to make the team at a position in which the Broncos have depth. There’s almost no way he beats out starters T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart, and it’ll be difficult for him to position himself as a more reliable backup than Justin Simmons or Will Parks who both had stellar rookie seasons as backups and on special teams. Stewart will have to focus on special teams if he wants to make an impression, so he’d better channel his inner David Bruton.
With Stewart there’s also a character issue. There was an incident after a game against TCU in which Stewart confronted TCU head coach Gary Patterson to tell him that he didn’t appreciate Patterson’s comments on Stewart’s former teammate Ahmad Dixon the prior year. Patterson claimed that Stewart had “sort of threatened him,” which Stewart denied. Stewart will also need to prove to the coaching staff that he’s level-headed enough to handle the NFL.
2: Dymonte Thomas, S, Michigan
Thomas faces that same challenges as Stewart, yet he may have a better opportunity because he doesn’t carry the personal issues Stewart does. However, he does face another challenge. Thomas is a tweener in the NFL.
Being 6-foot-2 and just shy of 200 pounds, Thomas lacks the size to be a true combo NFL safety. In the age of giant safeties like Kam Chancellor, Thomas is incredibly skinny. Receivers the size of Julio Jones will run right over Thomas in the secondary, and he’ll need a whole lot of luck to defend a jump ball in the end zone against bigger players. Thomas’ size better equates to a cornerback at the NFL level, and with the likes of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby, Lorenzo Doss, Taurean Nixon and now Brendan Langley ahead of him, Thomas is going to have an uphill battle trying to make the roster.
3: Kyle Sloter, QB, Northern Colorado
The Broncos often bring in local undrafted players. Kapri Bibbs is a great recent example. Bibbs didn’t make the 53-man right away, but he eventually found a spot there after years of hard work on the practice squad. Still, Sloter’s chances of making the team are slim. The Broncos are already carrying three mostly inexperienced quarterbacks, and unless Mr. Irrelevant Chad Kelly has a major slip up, Sloter’s going to be out of work come late August. Even then, there will be plenty of capable QB3s (a la Austin Davis last year) available in late summer.
That’s not to say that Sloter didn’t have a successful college career. In fact, he set the Northern Colorado Division I school record for touchdown passes in a season last year with 29. However, before last season, Sloter spent three years at Southern Mississippi as a wide receiver.
So, if Sloter really wants to make the team, he may want to work as a receiver rather than a quarterback. Even then he’ll have a difficult time. The Broncos drafted two wide receivers in the draft in Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie, and both double as kick returners. Unless he has the versatility to again switch positions, Sloter’s chances are not good.
The college free agents who do not make the team will still be eligible to make the Broncos practice squad, a path that worked for Kalif Raymond last year. Raymond saw action in four games after spending the first three months of the season on the practice squad.
