Denver Broncos: Players facing tough road to 53-man roster

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 15: Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie #84 of the Denver Broncos drops a pass and injure his ankle while being defended by free safety Darian Thompson #27 of the New York Giants and B.J. Goodson #93 during the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 15, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Giants defeated the Broncos 23-10. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 15: Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie #84 of the Denver Broncos drops a pass and injure his ankle while being defended by free safety Darian Thompson #27 of the New York Giants and B.J. Goodson #93 during the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 15, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Giants defeated the Broncos 23-10. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
7 of 7

C.J. Smith, CB

In case you haven’t noticed, the Broncos have a really interesting battle going on at the cornerback position.

One player posturing for a spot is a player the Broncos claimed off of waivers, C.J. Smith.

Smith was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 and was impressive enough in training camp and the preseason that he made their team.

After his year with the Eagles, he ended up with the Cleveland Browns in 2017 and was actually traded to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason but failed his physical, and ended up getting waived.

The Broncos didn’t hesitate and picked Smith up before the Seahawks had the chance.

Preseason play again will be critical for Smith, as the Broncos could certainly use some depth at that position.

As with every other defensive position, roster spots will be hard to come by so he’s really going to have to stand out if he is going to make the team and contribute to the No Fly Zone.

Schedule