The Denver Broncos have completed their 2023 NFL Draft and have added five new rookies to the roster while also trading for a new tight end. The team also signed a host of players that went undrafted.
The Broncos will now start to examine their full 90-player roster as we head towards OTAs, mini-camps and then later this summer, training camp. There are some players on the roster who will now have to prove they still belong based on the players who were chosen in this draft.
Though the Broncos didn't necessarily address all of the positional needs that analysts and fans felt they needed to, they still have these players that were just drafted and those players are likely to take a roster spot from someone.
With that in mind, these five players are going to have a tough time sticking around Denver in 2023 and could be looking for work with one of the other 31 teams in the league.
K.J. Hamler, Wide Receiver
I discussed K.J. Hamler's shaky standing with the team following the draft and he is easily on this list.
Though he's not a bad player, his production has been incredibly limited because of the varierty of injuries he has suffered during his career with the team.
When he's been available, he has shown the ability to be a speedy receiver who can be a home run threat. This throw from Drew Lock to Hamler, though it came in a preseason game, was an illustration of that.
We just haven't seen enough of that and in the ever-changing world of NFL rosters, teams lose patience on players quickly, even if they were once a second-round pick.
The Broncos used a second-round pick in this draft to select Oklahoma's Marvin Mims, Jr. That puts Hamler at the No. 5 wide receiver spot on the depth chart right now, at best.
The team has talented young players behind him such as Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil so at this point, it would almost be a surprise if Hamler makes the team. The Broncos may shop him around as potential trade bait to see if they can get anything in return before the decision is made to just cut him.