In the days the Broncos have opened practice, rookie quarterback Bo Nix has rarely made a mistake. But during the final day of mandatory minicamp, the former Oregon standout’s pass during the 7-on-7 period proved costly.
Nix attempted to throw to rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin, but cornerback Levi Wallace, who had provided tight coverage, tipped the ball before securing an interception.
While Denver’s offense was inconsistent, the cornerbacks tried to state their case in a heated competition.
During 11-on-11 in the red zone, Nix’s pass attempt to wide receiver Brandon Johnson was broken up by cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. And when he couldn’t find anyone open in the end zone due to strong coverage from the secondary, Nix threw the ball out of bounds.
With Zach Wilson under center, his pass attempt to wideout Philip Dorsett was broken up by cornerback Riley Moss, who made a nice play on the ball during Tuesday’s practice.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called Moss an “exceptional athlete” that’s smart.
“He’s got great size and ball skills,” Joseph added. “When you watch him play, it looks really easy. He’s always in a comfortable position.”
Moss is in the midst of a position battle to determine who will be the Broncos’ starting outside cornerback, playing on the opposite side of All-Pro Pat Surtain II.
Joseph said the cornerbacks have had healthy competition. At the same time, it’s hard to gauge which player has the upper hand because the pads were not on during the offseason program.
“Spring ball is tough because there’s no consequences. That’s saved for training camp,” Joseph said. “But it’s a young group, so the energy is high every single day.”
While Joseph has high regard for Moss, he has also been impressed with Damarri Mathis’ technique. Mathis is looking to return to the starting role after getting benched during his sophomore campaign.
Joseph said Mathis had to improve his football IQ. And he believes the 25-year-old cornerback has done so.
“(Mathis has) power, quickness and size,” Joseph said. “It should be good competition in training camp, but we obviously need more than three corners…We need four or maybe five guys.”
Elsewhere at Broncos minicamp
• Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds had an excused absence from Wednesday’s practice. Payton said Reynolds had a good practice on Tuesday but had a minor injury so he thought it was best to have the former Lions wideout to sit out. “He’ll be fine,” Payton said. Meanwhile, wide receiver Courtland Sutton did not participate during the scrimmage period of practice but was involved during team drills.
• Broncos tight ends Greg Dulcich and Adam Trautman continued to work on the adjacent field. John Franklin-Myers was also on the side field, as he didn’t participate in practice.
• Joseph said Denver’s run defense — which ranked 30th in yards allowed (137.1 per game) in 2023 — was “spotty,” but the additions of defensive lineman Malcolm Roach and Franklin-Myers should lead to better results this fall.
“I think having those two guys inside to hold a point for us and to change the line of scrimmage is important,” Joseph said. “Both of those guys have a history of doing that.”
Joseph added that another component of improving against the run is tackling. He thought missed tackles and inconsistency in fitting gaps led to big run plays last season.
• Payton said he has been “encouraged” by what he has seen of the team’s rookie class during the offseason program. He still wants to see how the group looks during training camp, but they have made a good impression and have shown that they belong thus far.
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Originally Published: June 12, 2024 at 4:22 p.m.
