When Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos When the team reluctantly released its first unofficial roster of the season last week, the coaching staff used “or” at a few different positions to indicate that some starting spots were still up for grabs.
Jonas Griffith and Cody Barton were listed as starters at inside linebacker alongside Alex Singleton. Incumbent Riley Dixon was listed at punter alongside Trenton Gill. For Broncos Country, however, the battle for cornerback No. 2 – a hotly contested competition between free agent rookie Levi Wallace, Riley Moss and Demarri Mathis – was the most exciting.
Analytics giant Focus on professional football agrees. At home against Green BayPFF’s Mason Cameron calls the Packers’ wide receivers versus Denver’s cornerbacks – Moss and Mathis – the matchup to watch on Sunday.
“Granted, this matchup was originally scheduled to feature Dontayvion Wicks after he scored a 65-yard touchdown on a single route in last week’s opener. But with the news that we most likely won’t see Wicks this week, wide receivers Bo Melton and Grant DuBose have a chance to get some good shots.
“The Broncos’ secondary has raised some question marks so far in camp, particularly who will start at cornerback opposite Pat Surtain II. That battle has been between Moss and Mathis, and neither has taken the lead so far in camp,” Cameron wrote.
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Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix received a cliff note from PFF. Cameron emphasized how impressed he was with the first-round pick’s NFL debut last week, but with the Packers’ starters not expected to play, he highlighted Denver’s secondary instead.
Both Mathis and Moss showed in the first warm-up game against the Indianapolis ColtsNeither was perfect, but both showed enough good things to keep the battle for the cornerback spot opposite Patrick Surtain II going.
It’s perhaps a little interesting that Wallace, the veteran cornerback, didn’t even seem to be in the conversation at this point. He battled a hamstring injury in the offseason, but by all accounts he’s more of a safety for the room than a likely candidate over Mathis and Moss.
Mathis earned the start against Indianapolis, but as the season approaches, there is more excitement surrounding Moss. By Broncos Insider Benjamin Allbright The team is reportedly close to naming Moss as starter To Kay Adams interesting quotes from Sean Payton and Surtain about TAs a former third-round pick from Iowa, he appears to be the favorite at the moment.
Moss missed much of last season after undergoing core muscle surgery. That injury and the surgery set him back early and prevented him from making much of an impact as a rookie outside of his special teams appearances and some sporadic dimebacker appearances in six-DB roles.
Again, Green Bay is not expected to use its regulars in Denver, but the Packers have interesting and talented wide receivers that should put Moss and Mathis in interesting situations in coverage (and in run defense).
The Broncos’ battle for the second cornerback will have a big impact on how well the defense is positioned in 2024 and whether the position will still be needed after next season.
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