3 Denver Broncos roster sleepers for 2023 season that deserve more hype

Despite the Denver Broncos roster appearing solidified in a few areas on the team, numerous competitions will be taking place at different position groups for the remainder of the offseason during training camp and even in the preseason.

With needed depth in the secondary, needed speed at the WR position, and an ongoing competition at RB for the team's third-string spot, George Paton and the Broncos' front office did a great job of filling holes to ensure injuries will not significantly hold back this team from success as it has in prior years. Here are three Denver Broncos roster sleepers that have gone completely under the radar and will have a much bigger impact on the field than most fans anticipate:

Denver Broncos CB Tremon Smith

With the encouraging emergence of CB Damarri Mathis in his rookie campaign and the Broncos' faith shown in rookie CB Riley Moss by sacrificing hefty trade value in order to trade up for the 23-year-old, CB Tremon Smith is a name that simply has not been talked about enough.

Smith, 26, is in the prime of his career yet, still has not had a breakout season due to a lack of playing time in the secondary. Starting just five games total in his five-year career, Smith has 56 combined tackles, two interceptions (both of which came against Dallas in 2022), five passes defended, and three forced fumbles. In 2022, he was targeted just 16 times in 202 defensive snaps and allowed a mere 54.4 passer rating and 56.3% completion while surrendering a touchdown in pass coverage.

Smith has shown the versatility to move between nickel and outside corner when asked to and will ultimately be an underrated component of Denver's secondary if DC Vance Joseph chooses to utilize him in that manner. Not to mention, Smith also provides elite special teams value to a team that has ranked nearly dead last in that category over the last few seasons. He will step in right away and immediately compete for the team's starting punt returner and kick returner positions as he did very effectively during his time in Houston where he returned 40 kicks (one for a touchdown) and four punts.

Considering, former Texans defensive play-caller, Lovie Smith's frequent tendencies of running a Tampa 2 based formation in 2022, it speaks to how Tremon Smith is well capable of 'holding his own' on an island if need be. The Tampa 2 concept consists of only two cornerbacks isolated on the field with the obvious safety help in the back end of the secondary. When asked to execute his assignments, Smith did a very exceptional job, all things considered.

Given his NFL experience and Denver's need for additional CB depth and a starting returner, Smith is an excellent addition to the Broncos and instantly raises the floor of the team's secondary and special teams. Don't be surprised if Tremon Smith earns himself a special teams captain patch after the preseason as well.

WR Marvin Mims Jr.

Hear me out. With all the chatter around WRs Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, it feels a bit unfair to leave Marvin Mims Jr. out of that conversation, no? While Jeudy and the other top receivers deserve all the hype around them, Denver's top draft pick has not generated much hype this offseason at all.

In the 2023 NFL draft, the Broncos sent their 2023 third and fifth-round picks to the Detroit Lions in exchange for 2023 second and sixth-round picks thus leading to their selection of WR Marvin Mims Jr. Given the aggression to go up and get 'one of their guys', Sean Payton made it pretty evident and clear that the organization has a plan for the young receiver, even in his rookie season. WR Tim Patrick even recently stated in a minicamp press conference that "he [Mims Jr.] is going to have a big role this year."

With the Broncos not having a solidified starting slot WR just yet, it makes sense to give extensive playing time to the 21-year-old receiver that projects best at the position given his frame and play style. Mims has elite speed to take the top off the defense along with incredible playmaking ability in open space -- something Sean Payton highly values.

Averaging north of 20 yards per reception in his final two seasons at Oklahoma, Mims Jr. is a massive mismatch downfield for defenses and especially on play-action. While the Broncos tried to insert WR KJ Hamler into the slot role and 'big play' archetype in the offense, it simply has not worked out due to his lack of availability and Mims Jr. will fill those shoes to perfection, especially given the fact he was able to remain healthy all throughout college.

Despite having a limited route tree in college, his expansion of routes are only going to drastically improve in 2023 learning under new Broncos WRs coach Keary Colbert and one the league's very best route runners in Jerry Jeudy. When Sean Payton establishes the run, defenses better be prepared because Marvin Mims Jr. is going to cook defenders downfield with his elite match of pure speed and jump ball ability.

RB Tyler Badie

With the Broncos' recent rumors of being interested in free agent Pro Bowl RBs Dalvin Cook and Kareem Hunt, those may appear to be pipe dreams after all, at least for now. Therefore, this opens the window for any 'bottom of the roster' candidates to earn themselves a final roster spot come September.

RB Tyler Badie who is entering his second NFL season, was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft and was a member of the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad virtually the entire season before being picked up by the Denver Broncos for the season finale. In week 18, Badie appeared in his first NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers where his first very touch as a pro turned into a 24-yard touchdown reception. Talk about living your dreams.

Badie is now competing for the third-string RB spot on Denver's depth behind Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine and has reportedly looked impressive during the team's OTAs and minicamp. And given his outstanding pass-catching ability and his violent run style dating back to his days at the University of Missouri, he is an extremely underrated RB in between the tackles.

During his final season at Missouri, Badie rushed for 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns on six yards per attempt in easily the toughest conference in college football -- the SEC. To pair with his rushing total, Badie caught 54 passes for 330 receiving yards and four touchdowns out of the backfield. All around, this is outrageous production, especially considering the level of competition he was up against. Being able to take on a workload of that difficulty on a poor offense was very exciting film for NFL scouts and GMs to dissect.

One player I enjoy comparing his play style and skillset to is the likes of former Saints and Eagles legend, RB Darren Sproles. Sproles, who played for Sean Payton in New Orleans from 2011-2013, was approximately 5 foot 6 and 190 pounds during his prime. Tyler Badie? 5 foot 8 and 196 pounds. It is a very early and stark comparison to make, considering Badie only has two career touches in the pros however, with Badie's tape at Missouri and the very similar frames between Sproles and himself, it appears very fitting.

Knowing how Sean Payton is practically a genius with his utilization of pass-catching RBs a bit on the smaller side, Badie can potentially be an incredible fit for how Payton plans to use his RBs on third down.

Another interesting factoid: Tyler Badie was actually born in the city of New Orleans but was forced to move in 2006 due to Hurricane Katrina -- the same exact year the New Orleans Saints hired Sean Payton. According to Ryan Mink, editorial director for the Baltimore Ravens, Badie has fond memories of Saints QB Drew Brees and HC Sean Payton visiting his neighborhood at the time to offer assistance following the natural disaster that took place. While Badie was just five years old at the time, this is still a very interesting connection and heartwarming story that brings together both Sean Payton and Tyler Badie on a personal level.

Overall, considering his underrated speed and receiving ability out of the backfield, you have to imagine Badie has a very solid chance of making the team's final roster. And I'm sure his love for Sean Payton through all these years will mean a little extra for him as looks to impress the offensive staff and put people on notice for the remainder of the offseason.