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 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.
Denver Broncos roster longshot no. 4: Aaron Patrick, EDGE
As if the Denver Broncos didn’t already have a loaded enough EDGE position group, you’ve got Aaron Patrick to be thinking about.
Look at how loaded this group is heading into training camp:
- Randy Gregory
- Bradley Chubb
- Baron Browning
- Nik Bonitto
- Jonathon Cooper
- Malik Reed
How many EDGE players can the Denver Broncos actually keep?
Aaron Patrick was name-dropped specifically by special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes as a “core” player on that unit.
We all know the Denver Broncos’ special teams have been dismal the past few seasons, especially in the coverage department, so perhaps the new coaching staff isn’t going to want to part with a player like Aaron Patrick who can make an impact in that phase.
Could that drive other guys like Malik Reed and maybe even Jonathon Cooper off the roster?
I think that’s a tall order for any player on this roster but Patrick might be a guy to watch out for, wearing that no. 94 and coming off the edge.
If he can show some things defensively during training camp and preseason games, he will certainly push some guys off the roster.
Denver Broncos roster longshot no. 3: Jonathan Harris, DL
One area that will be fascinating to watch on this Denver Broncos roster as we approach training camp and the preseason is the defensive line.
Bill Kollar will merely be a consultant this year, but there’s a new position coach up front on that side of the ball with Marcus Dixon coming over from the Los Angeles Rams.
Dixon will have plenty of young, intriguing players to work with including higher draft picks and big-money free agent signings like Dre’Mont Jones, DJ Jones, and McTelvin Agim.
He’ll also have a guy who has been scratching and clawing his way onto the roster the last couple of years — Jonathan Harris.
Harris has been one of the least talked about Denver Broncos players since 2020 even though he’s clearly been a player that has found favor with the previous coaching staff as well as the front office.
Harris was initially added to the practice squad last year but flashed late in the regular season and got a promotion to the active roster.
Harris has a chance to parlay the impressive showing he had late in the 2021 regular season into a roster spot in 2022 with some question marks regarding the depth up front.
Denver Broncos roster longshot no. 2: Damarea Crockett, RB
I think everybody pretty much agrees that the Denver Broncos have arguably the best running back duo in the NFL in Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon.
Those two players will get the bulk of the touches, of course, but the Broncos have experienced pretty unprecedented good health at the running back position over the last couple of seasons.
At least as it pertains to the top two guys at that position.
Because of that, we don’t have much to worry about regarding who is the RB3 on the roster, but you never know when a running back is going to go down or when you’re going to need a change of pace at the position.
One player who had a substantial special teams role in 2021 that could make some noise in 2022 as a backup running back is Damarea Crockett.
Crockett spent some time with this current Denver Broncos coaching staff when they were in Green Bay back in the 2019 offseason.
Crockett has the type of build and skill set reminiscent of so many of the great backs to play in this wide zone offense.
He’s a thick back with outstanding explosiveness and deceptively good long speed, perfect for planting his foot in the ground and getting upfield in a hurry.
Ideally, a player like Crockett will make it impossible for the Broncos to cut him with a strong preseason performance, but the team also has Mike Boone coming back healthy and providing them with maybe the best change of pace from Williams and Gordon on the roster, in terms of speed.
Crockett is a back-end player to watch going forward.
Denver Broncos roster longshot no. 1: Travis Fulgham, WR
Every offseason, the wide receiver position is one worth monitoring closely.
Maybe it’s just because it’s the position group typically with the most players going into training camp, but it seems like every year, a wide receiver in the “longshot” category makes a huge impression.
I think there are a lot of players that could fit this category for the Broncos, even among guys that are not undrafted rookies.
Players like Trey Quinn, Tyrie Cleveland, and Seth Williams are all very talented and excel in different areas, and could make a huge impression on this coaching staff.
Travis Fulgham is lumped in with that group as well and apparently caught the eye of those in attendance at Denver Broncos OTAs.
Everybody remembers Fulgham’s impressive stretch of games in the 2020 season for the Philadelphia Eagles which included a dominant performance against the Dallas Cowboys.
If that’s the type of ceiling you’re getting from Fulgham, he should undoubtedly be on a regular season roster.
Unfortunately, the NFL is a tough business and Fulgham went from breakthrough stud to not even making the Eagles last year.
The Broncos brought him in late in the season and we never really got to see anything from him, but the team clearly thinks highly of him and he made an impression over the course of OTAs.
The question is — where would he fit on this roster? Would the Broncos have to keep seven guys?
If he plays well, is he playing as an audition to be traded to another team?
Denver Broncos 3 biggest undrafted rookie steals in 2022
The Denver Broncos got themselves some big-time undrafted free agent steals in the 2022 rookie class. We take a look at the top three.
One way or another, Fulgham is a guy to watch whether he brings the Denver Broncos value on the field or off the field in terms of trade compensation.