3 undrafted rookies with best shot at making Broncos roster

The Denver Broncos have one of the league's best traditions when it comes to undrafted rookies cracking the final 53-man roster. One of the most famous undrafted players in Denver Broncos franchise history is obviously legendary wide receiver Rod Smith, a Ring of Famer who should be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Other guys have been discovered as UDFAs like Chris Harris Jr., Shaquil Barrett, CJ Anderson, Phillip Lindsay, and many others. Last year, it was wide receiver Jalen Virgil who made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie. Not only do the Denver Broncos have a rich history of finding great UDFAs, though, Sean Payton also has an elite track record in this regard. He found many UDFAs in New Orleans but also was largely responsible for arguably the best UDFA signing in NFL history when the Cowboys brought in Tony Romo.

Here's a look at his personal philosophy on undrafted guys:

"We just talk about—fortunately, in my history in New Orleans, [we had] a number of [college] free agents on opening day rosters in 15 years, we were [ranked] first. Number of undrafted free agents that played the most amount of snaps in their first year, we were first. When you're on the phone after the draft and you’re recruiting, having 16 years of that [and having] to convince a player to come because once they get here, there's tape on their helmet with their name and now we just go by what we see. How they got here at this point is of no importance to us. Oftentimes in our league, mistakes are made maybe in a draft pick."

- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)

So which undrafted rookies should you be watching for with the Denver Broncos in 2023 as we press toward the start of the preseason and as training camp rolls along? Let's look at three UDFAs that may have the best shots at making the roster.

3 Denver Broncos UDFAs with the best shot at making the final 53-man roster

1. Thomas Incoom, EDGE

The Denver Broncos know as well as anyone -- you can never have too many good pass rushers. The Broncos have struggled in the area of having enough pass rushers for the last handful of years as players like Malik Reed, Anthony Chickillo, Jeremiah Attaochu, Jonathan Kongbo, and other random players have been given significant snaps for this team. You look at the Broncos down the stretch just last season, this is a team that had three sacks in the final three games of the season.

That's not going to play when you're going up against guys like Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes. So the Broncos have invested in the EDGE position and they may have a gem on their hands in Thomas Incoom as an undrafted rookie.

Incoom was a twitchy player in this year's rookie class and will be worth watching throughout the preseason. With Baron Browning on the PUP due to a knee procedure, there could be an opening for a player like Incoom to crack the roster.