Step 1 as an NFL rookie? Prove you’re not lost in space.
Consider that box checked for Broncos rookie cornerbacks Damarri Mathis and Faion Hicks, both of whom have seen considerable action on defense and special teams during training camp and the first preseason game.
“Both those guys have exceeded my expectations,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said after practice Wednesday. “Anytime you’ve got rookies coming in, you always have second-guesses as a coach as to how much they’re going to be able to contribute to your team. And I think for both those guys, both on special teams and defense, they have shown that the (the stage) is not too big for them.”
The Broncos drafted the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Mathis in the fourth round at No. 115 overall out of Pittsburgh, and selected Hicks three rounds later, at No. 232, out of Wisconsin. Mathis played about half the defensive snaps in the preseason opener against Dallas, and had three solo tackles, while Hicks had two tackles in 64% of the snaps.
With veteran cornerback Ronald Darby sidelined for a week with a chest injury (he returned to practice Wednesday), Mathis and Hicks both got more reps at cornerback in practice. Both are trying to capitalize on those increased opportunities to prove they deserve a spot on the initial 53-man roster. They’ll have two more preseason games worth of chances — Saturday at Buffalo and Aug. 27 vs. Minnesota — because Hackett is unlikely to play the starters.
Amid the learning curve of adjusting to the NFL, the Florida natives have become close in the position room. The 23-year-old Mathis attended Lakeland near Tampa, and the 24-year-old Hicks attended Flanagan in the Miami area.
“We talk football and life every day and we spend a lot of time together,” Hicks said. “We talk about where we are as rookies and where we envision ourselves down the road, and what we need to do to get there.”
While Hicks projects as a possible back-of-the-roster/practice squad player to start the season, Mathis could play himself into a more significant role. With Darby and Pat Surtain II as the team’s starting outside corners in the base defense, and K’Waun Williams at nickel back, both Mathis and Hicks are in competition with Michael Ojemudia, Essang Bassey, Bless Austin, Donnie Lewis Jr. and undrafted rookie Ja’Quan McMillan for a roster spot.
If the Broncos keep six corners, with Darby, Surtain and Williams as shoo-ins, that leaves seven corners fighting for the last three spots.
For Mathis to truly cement his place on the team, he’ll need more of the instinctive, game-changing plays such as he flashed in a training camp practice Aug. 4. In what Mathis recalled as “a perfect play,” he was in tight coverage and then made a snap read on a pass thrown near the sideline, which the corner cut in front of and intercepted.
Mathis is hoping his continued acclimation into defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s scheme will lead to more big plays as No. 27, a number that carries prominence in Broncos history considering it was worn by Hall of Fame safety Steve Atwater and the late Darrent Williams.
“Since training camp started (the game is) slowing down, my technique has improved and I’m trusting my leverage,” Mathis said. “I feel like I had a couple plays on Saturday (against Dallas) where I could’ve trusted it more. But that’s just about getting out there, getting more experience, that’s going to prepare me to make those big plays later on.”
