After selecting five players in the 2023 NFL draft (and adding a sixth player through a draft-day trade), the Denver Broncos have filled their 90-man offseason roster by signing undrafted free agents.
The Broncos signed 15 UDFAs after the draft, including two running backs and two defensive linemen. Those are two notable positions given that Denver did not select a running back or a defensive lineman during the draft.
The Broncos also brought in tight ends, wide receivers, offensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs. Undrafted players often face long odds to make the 53-man roster, but Denver has a strong history of uncovering UDFA gems.
Here’s a look at the 15 UDFA signings the Broncos made in 2023.
1
RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State
McLaughlin (5-7, 187 pounds) was unofficially clocked running a 40-yard dash in 4.42 and 4.44 seconds at Youngstown State’s pro day earlier this year. That kind of speed will always catch the attention of NFL teams. McLaughlin’s numbers also jump off the page. After two years at Ohio’s Notre Dame College (DII) and three years at Youngstown State (FCS), McLaughlin finished his college career with more than 8,000 rushing yards, setting an NCAA record. He rushed for 1,588 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon recently wrote that McLaughlin was “widely expected to be drafted.” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein predicted McLaughlin would be a sixth-round pick before the draft. He could be a sleeper to watch this summer.
2
RB Emanuel Wilson, Fort Valley State
Wilson (5-10, 229 pounds) rushed 184 times for 1,252 yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games with the Wildcats last fall, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He also totaled 20 receptions for 187 receiving yards and two scores in 2022. Wilson will likely be competing for a spot on the practice squad.
3
TE Kris Leach, Kent State
Leach (6-6, 249 pounds) had one redshirt season at Western Kentucky before transferring to Kent State. He was seemingly used primarily as a blocking tight end with the Golden Flashes, catching eight passes for 94 yards in 2022. Before that, he hauled in seven receptions for 93 yards and two scores in 2021.
4
TE/FB Nate Adkins, South Carolina
Adkins (6-3, 252 pounds) earned All-Southern Conference recognition three times in four years at East Tennessee State before a graduate transfer to South Carolina ahead of the 2022 season. Used primarily as a blocker, he caught 13 passes for 168 yards in 13 games last fall. In 56 college games, Adkins totaled 86 receptions for 917 yards and four touchdowns. He was a key special teams player for the Gamecocks and he got reps as a long snapper at South Carolina’s pro day. A versatile player, Adkins might be a candidate to fill a tight end/fullback hybrid position similar to the old Andrew Beck role.
5
WR Taylor Grimes, Incarnate Word
Grimes (5-11, 188 pounds) spent three years at Illinois State, catching 21 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games from 2018-2020. He then transferred to Incarnate Word ahead of the 2021 season and led the school in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,145) and touchdowns (16) that fall. Grimes earned first-team SLC All-Conference recognition in 2022 after totaling 83 catches for 1,221 yards and 15 touchdowns.
6
WR Dallas Daniels, Jackson State
Daniels (6-1, 180 pounds) started his college career at Arizona Community College before transferring to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and later to Western Illinois University before ultimately landing at Jackson State as a graduate transfer. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl after totaling 61 receptions for 657 yards and five touchdowns last fall.
7
OL Henry Byrd, Princeton
Byrd (6-5, 310 pounds) earned FCS All-American recognition from Stats Perform in 2022. After earning All-Ivy honors three times at Princeton, Byrd joins the Broncos with experience both as a guard and as a tackle. In a recent interview with Ross Tucker, Byrd said he will be a guard in Denver who can swing across the line.
8
OL Alex Palczewski, Illinois
Palczewski (6-6, 314 pounds) earned third-team All-American honors in 2022 after starting 13 games at right tackle. The team captain did not allow a single sack last fall and tied the FBS record with his 65th college start in the ReliaQuest Bowl in January. He started 49 games at tackle and 16 games at guard with the Fighting Illini. The Broncos gave Palczewski a $20,000 signing bonus, the highest amount paid to the team’s UDFAs this year.
9
OL Demontrey Jacobs, USF
Jacobs (6-6, 315 pounds) spent three years at Grambling before transferring to UCF, where he started 25 games in three years. He was a 12-game starter last fall. Jacobs spent time both as a right tackle and left tackle in college. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter ranked Jacobs 32nd among undrafted tackles, below Palczewski, who was ranked 11th.
10
DL PJ Mustipher, Penn State
Mustipher (6-4, 320 pounds) might be one of the favorites among the team’s UDFAs to make the 53-man roster given his contract and Denver’s roster construction. The Broncos did not draft any defensive linemen and then they gave Mustipher $45,000 in guaranteed salary, the fourth-highest salary among the team’s UDFA signings. He ran a 40-yard dash in 5.41 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 19 times at the combine. Coaches voted Mustipher to the All-Big Ten second-team after he totaled 38 tackles (19 solo) as a team captain in 13 games last fall.
11
LB Seth Benson, Iowa
Benson (6-0, 231 pounds) earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 after totaling 95 tackles (4.5 behind the line), one sack and one interception in 13 games. Before that, he recorded 105 tackles (5.5 behind the line) two sacks and one interception in 14 games in 2021. He seems like a longshot to make the active roster, but Benson did receive a $15,000 signing bonus, second-highest among the team’s UDFAs.
12
OLB Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan
Incoom (6-2, 262 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 23 times at the combine. He spent four years at Valdosta State before transferring to Central Michigan in 2021. Incoom had a breakout season in 2022, totaling 56 tackles (18.5 behind the line) and 11.5 sacks in 12 games. After earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference recognition last fall, he played in the Senior Bowl earlier this year. Incoom played defensive end in college but will likely transition to playing outside linebacker in Denver’s 3-4 defense.
13
OLB Marcus Haynes, Old Dominion
Haynes (6-4, 240 pounds) totaled 47 tackles (7.5 behind the line) and four sacks in 2022. Before that, he recorded 27 tackles (6 behind the line) and 5.5 sacks in 2021. Similar to Incoom, Haynes played defensive end in college but will likely be asked to switch to outside linebacker in the NFL.
14
CB Art Green, Houston
Green (6-1, 201 pounds) is one of the team’s highest-profile UDFA signings. NFL.com predicted he would be a late-round pick before the draft and the Broncos gave him $170,000 in guaranteed salary, more than any other UDFA. Green spent two years at the JUCO level playing for Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Houston in 2020. He earned second-team All-American Athletic Conference recognition last fall and was named the Defensive MVP of the Independence Bowl after totaling nine tackles in a 23-16 win. Green totaled 49 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions in 12 games (11 starts) last fall. After running a 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds at his pro day, Green is a sleeper to watch this summer.
15
CB Darrious Gaines, Western Colorado
Gaines (6-2, 200 pounds) earned honorable-mention RMAC honors in 2021 after leading the Mountaineers with eight pass breakups. As a fifth-year senior last fall, he totaled 38 tackles, 11 pass breakups and three interceptions.
16
Bonus: DL Sione Asi, Oklahoma State
Bonus: Oklahoma announced on May 1 that Sione Asi had signed with the Broncos, but the team did not include him in Thursday’s announcement. It’s unclear if the deal fell through, if Asi was instead invited on a tryout basis or if it’s just not official yet. In case he does join, we’re including him in this list.
Asi (6-1, 303 pounds) enters the NFL as a 26-year-old rookie who will turn 27 during the 2023 season. After high school, he spent two years on a Mormon mission in Canada before attending Snow College, a junior college. After one year at the JUCO level, Asi transferred to OSU. He went on to play 40 games (17 starts) in fours with college football’s Cowboys, including 13 starts in 2022. Asi totaled 29 tackles (seven behind the line) and one sack last fall.
17
Bonus: DB Devon Matthews, Indiana
Bonus: Matthews was expected to sign as a UDFA in April, but KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported Thursday that Denver is “undergoing roster gymnastics,” so Matthews won’t be at rookie minicamp. In case he does join the team after camp, we are including him on this list.
Matthews (6-0, 203 pounds) played cornerback in high school before transitioning to safety at Indiana. He was named IU’s Defensive MVP in 2021 after totaling 55 tackles, four pass breakups, one sack and one interception in nine games that season. Last year, as a graduate student, Matthews recorded 65 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception.
