Two years ago, the Denver Broncos used a fourth-round pick to select cornerback Damarri Mathis. Last year, Denver used a third-round pick to select Riley Moss. So far, neither has proven to be a reliable option to start across from Pat Surtain.
Mathis began last season as a starter before being benched. Moss had core muscle surgery last offseason and only played 23 snaps on defense as a rookie. The Broncos will need at least one of the two cornerbacks to take a big step forward in 2024.
“With Riley, he is an exceptional athlete,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on June 12. “He makes it look easy. He’s really smooth, he’s mature, he’s smart, he has great size and great ball skills. When you watch him play, it looks really easy and he’s always in a comfortable position.
“Damarri, I’ve been impressed with his technique and eye placement. He has physical traits that most corners don’t have. He has power, he has quickness, he has size. So his thing was just upping his football I.Q., and he’s done that.”
Denver signed veteran Levi Wallace just before the draft, presumably to have an experienced fallback option in case Moss and Mathis don’t show improvement this summer. The Broncos also used a fifth-round pick to select Kris Abrams-Draine during April’s draft.
“[I]t should be a good competition in the fall, in training camp,” Joseph said. “But obviously we need more than three corners — you need four, maybe five guys. So it’s good to see both young guys grow.”
Surtain and Ja’Quan McMillian are the team’s best cornerbacks, but McMillian plays in the slot. Moss and Mathis appear set to compete with Wallace and Abrams-Draine for the No. 2 outside cornerback role this summer.
The competition will kick off when training camp begins next week.
