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Denver Broncos top 5 roster longshots ahead of 2022 training camp

By Sayre Bedinger

Jun 13, 2022; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive lineman Jonathan Harris (92) during mini camp drills at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2022; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive lineman Jonathan Harris (92) during mini camp drills at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Which longshots on the Denver Broncos roster have a chance to really make some noise at training camp in just a handful of weeks?

Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, don’t they?

Some of the best storylines to follow during the offseason and throughout training camp and preseason games are the players that might comprise the back end of your favorite team’s roster.

For the Denver Broncos, those roster battles are going to be intense in 2022.

The Broncos enter the month of July with plenty of stability at the top of the roster, but also with plenty of intriguing competition on the back end.

Which players could be considered “longshots” to make the roster now that might make some noise in the coming weeks? Here are our top five candidates.

Denver Broncos
Sep 9, 2020; Englewood, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Essang Bassey (34) stretches during practice at UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Denver Broncos roster longshot no. 5: Essang Bassey, CB

As an undrafted rookie in 2020, Essang Bassey actually ended up playing a significant role on the defense with Bryce Callahan and AJ Bouye both dealing with injuries that season.

Bassey himself suffered an injury late in the season after proving he had some chops as an NFL nickel cornerback but after finally getting healthy, there was no room for him in the Broncos’ secondary.

He ended up getting waived and then picked up by the Los Angeles Chargers where he had connections with Brandon Staley and Renaldo Hill, of course.

Despite his connections in Los Angeles, the Chargers ended up waiving Bassey and the Broncos claimed him once again.

Obviously, it wasn’t just Vic Fangio and his staff making the call to keep Bassey. The Broncos definitely have someone in the front office/scouting department that liked a lot of Wake Forest guys in 2019 since the team picked up:

  • LB Justin Strnad
  • WR Kendall Hinton
  • CB Essang Bassey

Bassey now has a chance to emerge once again as a backup option for the secondary with rookies Damarri Mathis and Faion Hicks coming in through the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Broncos should be keeping at least 11 defensive backs on the roster and Bassey, now presumably fully healthy, will be a player to watch as he enters his third NFL season.

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