Denver Broncos undrafted rookie spotlight: Defensive lineman PJ Mustipher

The Denver Broncos loaded up on free agents following the 2023 NFL Draft, signing 17 players that went undrafted.

To continue an annual series that I have done for years, we will look at each of these players individually, get to know their backgrounds and how they played at the college level and finally, assess their chances of making the final 53-man roster.

Typically, undrafted players face long odds of making the team but every team in the league usually has at least one undrafted player that makes it and the Denver Broncos have a rich history of undrafted players making the team and becoming big success stories.

Both Rod Smith and Chris Harris, two of the best players in Broncos history, went undrafted.

PJ Mustipher played on the defensive line at Penn State since 2018 and now he comes to a Broncos team that happens to have a lot of opportunity along the defensive line.

Mustipher was a two time Maryland state wrestling champion in the heavyweight division in high school. His brother, Sam, is also an NFL player and though currently a free agent, has spent the past four seasons with the Chicago Bears, making 40 starts at center.

Mustipher started for three seasons at Penn State and was a two-time team captain. He is a high-character guy and will look to create a role as a space-eater on the defensive line in Denver.

He is not the most athletic player and offers almost nothing as a pass-rusher. His strength is to eat up blocks and clog running lanes. In college, he posted 144 career tackles and three sacks.

Chances to make final roster (1-10 scale): 2

The Broncos absolutely have holes on the defensive line heading into this summer that are going to need to be addressed. D.J. Jones and Zach Allen will be starters but there will be a wide-open race for playing time behind them.

Still, it will be tough for Mustipher to work his way into that rotation as such a limited player who lacks ideal athleticism.

The Broncos have second-year guys Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen who will each be looking to break out and veteran Mike Purcell will have his chances too.

Mustipher will need to stand out in camp and preseason as a run-stuffer to have a chance to earn a backup position, but the Broncos may want more defensive linemen that are a threat to put pressure on the quarterback.

For Mustipher, landing a spot on the practice squad is probably his best-case scenario as a rookie but we will see if he can turn some heads once the team puts helmets and pads on later this year.