After letting Bryce Callahan and Kyle Fuller walk in free agency earlier this year, the Denver Broncos needed to add more depth at cornerback.
Denver found a Callahan replacement during free agency, signing veteran K’Waun Williams. Then the Broncos added more cornerback depth during the draft, selecting Damarri Mathis and Faion Hicks in the fourth and seventh-rounds, respectively.
Mathis and Hicks made their NFL debuts against the Dallas Cowboys in Denver’s preseason opener last week. Hicks got 48 snaps on defense and totaled two tackles. Mathis played 37 snaps on defense and recorded three tackles.
“Both those guys have exceeded my expectations,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wednesday. “Any time you have rookies coming in, you always have second guesses as a coach on how much they’re going to be able to contribute to your team.
“I think both those guys, both on special teams and defense, have shown that it’s not too big for them and they can compete at the highest level.”
Mathis was always likely to make the 53-man roster as a fourth-round pick, but Hicks was considered a bubble player going into training camp. If he continues playing well in preseason, Hicks might be able to win a spot on the active roster for the regular season.
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