4 Denver Broncos players who could get leapfrogged by rookies

2. CB K’Waun Williams could get leapfrogged by Damarri Mathis on Denver Broncos depth chart

Another veteran player that could get leapfrogged this offseason is veteran slot cornerback K’Waun Williams.

The Denver Broncos obviously brought Williams in as the presumptive replacement for Bryce Callahan in the slot, and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero got to see a lot of Williams playing the last handful of years on the opposing sideline when Evero was with the Rams and Williams was with the 49ers.

As solid as Williams has been in his time with the 49ers, Damarri Mathis is a freakish athlete who could prove to be difficult to keep off the field.

He ran under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day and had a huge 43.5-inch vertical jump.

Mathis was outstanding as an outside cornerback in Pitt’s defense and he’s going to likely have to transition to playing some inside the nickel at the NFL level to see the field early.

With his athletic traits and overall size, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Mathis is a physical player at the position and you have to be to play effectively in the slot.

The Broncos are going to face a ton of receivers this year that will test them with their abilities in the slot and Mathis, although only a fourth-round pick, should be up to the task.

He’s one of the most physically gifted rookies on this team and could find his way into the starting lineup (with the nickel, at least) quickly.