The Denver Broncos will kick off their 2022 preseason schedule on Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Broncos have been in training camp for over two weeks now and fans are ready to see them take the field, even if it is in an exhibition game that doesn’t count.
The first preseason game is generally reserved for backup players and those fringe guys looking to make the roster, so it will be important to many guys looking to advance their professional careers.
Broncos fans likely won’t see much of the starters in this one but there are still going to be several players to follow on the night. Here are five guys who will have a lot to prove in this preseason game.
Broncos with the most to prove against Cowboys: Tyrie Cleveland, Wide receiver
All of the wide receivers will be worth keeping tabs on in this game, but third-year player Tyrie Cleveland could have a big opportunity in front of him as he was listed higher than some may have thought he would be on the team’s first preseason depth chart.
The Broncos have a big opportunity open following the season-ending injury to Tim Patrick and wide receivers who were further down the depth chart now have a chance to shine.
Cleveland can also offer something to the team in the way of special teams so if he can have some strong performances in the preseason, he could easily claim one of the team’s wide receiver spots on the 53-man roster.
Broncos with the most to prove against Cowboys: Eric Saubert, Tight end
For Broncos tight end Eric Saubert, training camp has been hot and cold. During the first few practices, he was standing out and looked to be clearing a space on the 53-man roster for himself. So why did the team list him at No. 5 on the first depth chart?
Saubert has flashed in camp and many in attendance have noted how good he looks. All of them had to be scratching their heads as to why he would be behind guys like Andrew Beck and Eric Tomlinson in the pecking order.
So it will be interesting to see how Saubert is used, and how many snaps he plays, in Saturday’s game. If he can make some plays in the passing game, which he has done a number of times in camp thus far, it is going to be huge for him.
The Broncos are expected to be led at tight end by Albert Okwuegbunam and Greg Dulcich this season but one of them is a rookie and the other is inexperienced, particularly as a primary target.
Saubert could easily be a guy that comes out of nowhere and contributes for the team this year and with Russell Wilson, who turned guys like Luke Willson, Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister into formidable tight ends, he could be highly useful for the team.
Broncos with the most to prove against Cowboys: Jamar Johnson, Safety
Despite appearing to be a promising young player when the Broncos chose him in the fifth round last year, Jamar Johnson could easily be one-and-done with the team.
Johnson needs to step up in a big way in the preseason, whether it be on the defensive side of the ball or on special teams.
The Broncos have clear starters at the safety position in Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. But behind them, Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke and even rookie Delarrin Turner-Yell appear to be way ahead of Johnson.
Johnson may well be in too deep of a hole to dig out of with all of that talent in front of him but he is going to have to show something so that at the very least, he has a shot to stick around on the practice squad.
Johnson had a very quiet rookie season while Sterns, another rookie drafted just 12 picks ahead of him, flourished. Was Johnson just a guy who found himself in Vic Fangio’s doghouse and never got out? Or is he just that far off in terms of being ready to play on a weekly basis at this level?
Broncos with the most to prove against Cowboys: McTelvin Agim, Defensive lineman
McTelvin Agim may be one of the biggest unknowns on the roster. He was drafted in the third round in 2020, but in two seasons, he has yet to show any reason why he should have been drafted that high.
But Agim is on the second level on the team’s first depth chart which shows that the new coaching hasn’t completely soured on him yet. But he needs to step up and do something as he should not hold down a roster spot simply because he was a high pick.
Dre’Mont Jones, D.J. Jones and DeShawn Williams are listed as the starters on the defensive line on the first depth chart, meaning Agim still has to compete with Mike Purcell, Marquiss Spencer and rookies Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen for a roster spot.
He should get his opportunities in this game against backups and fringe players for the Cowboys, giving him a chance to make a standout play or two in this game. That would greatly help his cause.
In two seasons, Agim has a total of 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Broncos with the most to prove against Cowboys: Brett Rypien, Quarterback
Saturday night could mark an important date for Brett Rypien, who is sitting behind Josh Johnson in the quest to become the team’s backup. Johnson has played in four professional leagues and for nearly half of the teams in the NFL, but Rypien has been around the organization for awhile now and that says something too.
Johnson is clearly the more experienced guy and because of that, might be the best choice to actually aid Russell Wilson in prepping for games. But Rypien may be the player with more of an upside at this stage of his career.
The knock on Rypien has always been his arm strength and though he has had to learn a new offense with Nathaniel Hackett taking over as head coach, he is the kind of guy who could be a textbook backup quarterback or the kind of guy who comes in and holds the fort down for the starter.
Rypien should see plenty of work in this game and he absolutely needs to make the most of it to keep the pressure on the well-traveled Johnson.