Finding Broncos: 5 Cornerbacks for Additional Depth

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of cornerbacks that can bring additional depth.

Erick Trickel | Apr 24, 2023

The Denver Broncos have improved their roster, but they still can use help on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the secondary. Their depth at cornerback is lacking, and it is a position you don't want to lack depth.

Art Green | CB | Houston

Pros

There is good size and build.
He has good burst and long speed.
He is a good athlete overall.
There was good development with his awareness in zone coverage.
He is disciplined with his play and does well to avoid injuries.
There have been flashes of good ball skills.

Cons

He doesn't have fluid movements.
There are consistent lapses in his technique.
The footwork is a mess, and he struggles to stick with receivers.
He needs a lot of development and will be a 23-year-old rookie, so the time required could be too much for his age.

Fit with Broncos

Art Green fits a mold NFL teams love. He is tall, long, and athletic. The football side of things can be developed, but you can't teach size and athleticism. Those traits could interest the Broncos to attempt to develop the rest.

Tre Hawkins III | CB | Old Dominion

Pros

He has good length for the NFL.
He has good athleticism with long speed, burst, explosion, and agility.
There have been flashes of great ball skills, with two interceptions and 14 passes broken up.
He was a consistent starter over the last two seasons, starting all 25 games.
He is quick with his start-and-stop, helping him mirror receivers.

Cons

He could do with a little more mass on his frame.
His hands can be a little overactive in coverage.
His play recognition is still developing.
He isn't the smoothest with his change of direction and has to slow down, giving separation.

Fit with Broncos

Hawkins is another corner that fits the mold NFL teams look for, with length and athleticism. You can take the time to develop the football side of it. He fits what the Broncos are looking for and would be worth the look as an undrafted free agent.

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Steven Gilmore | CB | Marshall

Pros

He is a solid athlete with great speed.
He has exceptional experience, playing over 3,000 snaps in his career.
He cleaned up his issue with missed tackles from 2021 to 2022.
There are excellent ball skills with nine interceptions and 23 passes broken up.
He changes direction well and has good instincts and anticipation in coverage.

Cons

There isn't ideal size for the NFL, which will limit him to the slot.
He is easy to bait with the quarterbacks' eyes or double moves.
His ball tracking isn't great, and he can be late to react when reading the receiver.
There are issues when reading passing concepts.
He won't be reliable as a run defender when working through the boundary.

Fit with Broncos

Gilmore would be a developmental slot corner, and he will unlikely get drafted. His size will be tough to overcome, and his athleticism isn't ideal for overlooking the size. Nevertheless, the Broncos could look his way as someone to try and develop for after the 2023 season.

Starling Thomas V | CB | UAB

Pros

There is good size for the NFL as a slot corner.
There is great long speed and explosion.
He has played nearly 2,400 snaps over four seasons.
He is a twitchy athlete and can easily change direction.
There is good experience on special teams and can be dangerous as a returner.
He does well to stay in phase, with strong positioning to attack the catch point.

Cons

He will likely be limited as a slot-only corner.
There is a serious issue with penalties; picking up 25 in his career, with 23 over the last three seasons.
He gets his hands on many passes but struggles to turn them into interceptions (23 passes broken up to three interceptions).
He has torn his ACL in the same knee twice, once in 2016 and again in 2020.
He lacks discipline with his play style.

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos can be looking for a developmental slot corner, as K'Waun Williams is in the final year of his deal. Thomas has the athleticism but needs to refine his discipline and technique, which a year of development could help.

Tiawan Mullen | CB | Indiana

Pros

There is good strength and plenty of long speed.
He has shown good aggression with jumping routes and attacking the catch point.
His movement is loose and smooth, helping his ability to mirror in coverage.
He isn't afraid of dealing with bigger, more physical receivers in coverage.

Cons

He is undersized for the NFL and will likely be limited to the slot.
He is easy to box out from the catch point and doesn't always give full effort working through receivers.
While the effort is there, he struggled to hold up against the run.
He can be overly aggressive in coverage and will bite on pump fakes or baits with double moves.

Fit with Broncos

Mullen lacks size, and his aggressive demeanor does get him into trouble. However, most of his issues revolve around his size, which you can't coach out. The Broncos can take a risk on him as an undrafted free agent to develop, but the focus will be toning down the aggression.

This is a strong cornerback class, which could see some good prospects fall. The Broncos can benefit from how strong the class is, and it wouldn't be surprising if they aim to.

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Published Apr 24, 2023

ERICK TRICKEL

Erick Trickel is the Senior Draft Analyst for Mile High Huddle, has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft for the site since 2014.