Roster battles: Revealing the winners from Broncos' preseason Game 1

Position battles are being fought all along the Broncos roster. Coming out of Game 1, who emerged as the leaders?

Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos won the Hall of Fame Game 14-10, the first of what will be five preseason contests. That game means a lot for players fighting for a roster spot. 

It was an extra game for these players to prove themselves to the coaching staff and to prove that they belong in the NFL. With each preseason game there will be battles to watch, some will be different while others will be ongoing throughout August. 

The following battles are the ones I kept an eye on during the Hall of Fame Game.
A lot of these players are low on the depth chart and may not make it to the 53-man roster. 

Other battles are guys who most likely will make the roster, but their positioning on it remains up in the air. Of course, these are not the only Bronco battles going on. 

The preseason is about competition, with a lot of these guys destined for the practice squad. These 10 I'm going to cover today are just the higher-profile battles to watch given the matchup in the game. 

So why was I watching these battles, and who exactly won them? 

DeMarcus Walker vs. DeShawn Williams

It is expected that the Broncos keep only six defensive linemen, and with Adam Gotsis, Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris, Dre’Mont Jones and Zach Kerr taking the first five, that leaves one spot open. 

Both Walker and Williams have made plays during camp, but one has been talked about as looking better a lot more consistently than the other. That one would be Williams, with there being a lot of talk of Walker saying he makes plays here and there but many mistakes between them.

Also, it is worth noting that from day one of camp, Williams was getting reps with the first unit, while Walker took a few days to get a few reps with the ones. That's just practice, and the games are where roster decisions will largely be based on. 

If Walker can be great in games, and much better than Williams, he can get that spot. Williams was dominant in last year's preseason only to get cut so that Denver could keep the former second-round pick. It's round two for these guys.

There is a chance that if both of them stand out they can beat out Zach Kerr for the fifth and sixth spot on the defensive line.

Winner: DeMarcus Walker

Walker had a solid game. There were issues multiple times of him getting washed out of plays, but he was able to get solid pressure. His sack wasn’t overly impressive, but he assisted on another player's sack that really stood out in a positive way. 

Williams was solid as well, but Walker made a few more impact plays that you want to see from your D-line depth.

Alexander Johnson vs. Keishawn Bierria

With Todd Davis out, these two have a chance to make the most of the opportunity. Johnson and Bierria are in line to get a lot of playing time if they can grasp their opportunity. 

Right now, things seem neck-and-neck between these two, so the games will play a huge part in the pecking order going forward. The LBs need to play fast and smart and not make the mistakes they were making during last year's preseason.

While I didn’t include him, undrafted rookie Josh Watson is one to keep an eye on, as he is coming up behind these two pushing for a spot with Joe Dineen not far behind him.

Winner: Neither of them.

Both players were okay, but didn’t do enough to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, or each other. Both looked better than last year, but they still look a ways away from being ready for the NFL game in a regular role during the season.

Su’a Cravens vs. Jamal Carter

The “backup” strong safety job is up for grabs with Will Parks looking to be the starter. Kareem Jackson will also get playing time there as the starter. That leads one to think that both of these players may not make it the final 53.

Carter was a stud his rookie year, but missed all of 2018 with a severe hamstring injury. Things seem to be coming together for Cravens and he has looked great this training camp.

Cravens will need to carry that over into games and show what he can do, otherwise he will be gone. While Cravens has to do that, Carter has to show he is healthy and good to go, while showing improvements from his rookie year. 

It is a battle for positioning on the roster, but with Jackson involved, they could be battling for a roster spot as well.

Winner: Su’a Cravens

This battle wasn’t close. Cravens had a good impact on the field, when he was out there. He looked quicker and more in the game than he ever did a year ago. 

As for Carter, he looked lost, slow and made multiple mistakes that had a negative impact.

De'Vante Bausby vs. Isaac Yiadom

The battles for the fourth and fifth corner spot is being waged by these two. This is one battle where both are expected to make the roster, but where do they sit in positioning on the depth chart? 

As it stands now, Yiadom has a hold on the fourth spot, but Bausby is right there with him so it's more like 4a and 4b. The games will decide who sits where in this battle.

Winner: Wash

Both players had a really good game and stood out in a positive manner. Each had a few mistakes, but they look like solid depth that can step in and not be a complete liability during the season.

Don Barclay vs. Sam Jones

Barclay is looking like the backup swing guard, but Jones has gotten some love. Right now, the battle isn’t close with Barclay having a clear edge, but Jones is pushing for it. 

Both guys are expected to make the roster, but who will be the primary backup and who will be the backup to the backup? The games could offer an opportunity for a huge boost for Jones as he tries to catch up with Barclay.

Winner: Don Barclay

Barclay wasn’t great and he gave up pressures and got beat in the run game a few times. However, he had a huge block on a touchdown run and other big blocks to help the running game. 

As for Jones, he struggled a lot of time on the field and at times saw action at left tackle. The left tackle experiment should be over, because that was a complete and utter mess.

Drew Lock vs. Kevin Hogan

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

We come to the battle for the backup QB spot. Of course this competition was going to make this list. This battle has an impact on the roster as a whole. 

Can Drew Lock do enough to be that No. 2 quarterback and not have the Broncos keep a third QB? Fans should hope he can as that would open a roster spot for someone else. If not, that is one less roster spot that Denver could use to otherwise keep a talent on the defensive line, or a wide receiver or any other position.

Kevin Hogan got the first shot, but in camp he hasn’t done anything to show he is worth keeping around with Nathan Peterman-like play. 

Winner: Kevin Hogan

This isn’t one that should scare anyone. Hogan didn’t exactly light it up out there. 

Hogan did manage to look slightly better than Lock and not throw an interception. Lock had his struggles, which were expected. There were a couple nice deep shots from Lock, but he was very inconsistent and seemed to be battling nerves.

Trinity Benson vs. Kelvin McKnight vs. Brendan Langley

Here we have a fight for a potential sixth receiver spot and returner. These three receivers have a chance, but they have to really show it in games. 

Benson and Langley have speed to stretch the field and be a dangerous deep threat. As for McKnight, he is shifty and quick, but doesn’t have the speed to really stretch the field.

McKnight and Benson have an edge over Langley, who still has a lot of work to do in honing the finer nuances of playing receiver. Outside of speed, Langley hasn’t shown the route running, or playmaking ability after the catch.

 McKnight and Benson are good route runners, and have received a lot of praise for it. They also are dangerous with the ball in their hands.

It is a battle of styles, and it all depends on Denver keeping six receivers. The best way for any of these three to do win that roster spot would be to stand out as a returner first and foremost.

Winner: Kelvin McKnight

Langley is the clear loser coming out of Game 1. He had one impact play, and it was an extreme negative with a muffed punt. 

Benson was targeted once and didn’t get a shot as a returner. So by process of elimination, that leaves McKnight. He had one catch for six yards and a punt return for 18 yards. Two positive plays are better than none.

Austin Fort vs. Jake Butt

Butt being held out of Game 1 was a huge win for Fort, who is set to take over the fourth and final tight end spot. Butt's only chance to fight his way back into this competition is to see the field sooner than later. It all comes down to his health.

The onus is on Fort to turn his great camp performance into great game play, while Butt has to soon show he hasn’t fallen behind and can be impactful. Butt has to do enough to make up a lot of ground quickly.

Winner: Austin Fort

Butt did not play on Thursday night. Fort didn’t exactly light it up, but he was out there for the Broncos. 

Bottom line; the best ability is availability. If Butt can’t be out there on the field, anyone who can be is an upgrade.

Jeff Holland vs. Malik Reed vs/ Aaron Wallace

The battle for backup edges has heated up. Jeff Holland has looked good in camp, Malik Reed has been dominant in practice and Wallace has had a strong summer as well. Getting to the games, Holland has the edge as the incumbent, but the others are not far behind. 

Playing a role is the question of how many edges do the Broncos keep? Do they keep four or five? This is another position carrying a third quarterback can hurt.

If the Broncos keep four, only one of these guys can make it with Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Justin Hollins taking three of them. If Denver keeps five, two of them make it. 

Either way, it is a battle that had Holland in the lead entering Game 1, but Reed was right there behind him. The undrafted rookie from Nevada has truly been dominant so far in camp, and more consistent than the other two in this battle.

Winner: Malik Reed

This was a battle that I was hoping would see more of an actual competition in-game. It didn't shake out that way, and Reed kind of ran away with it. 

He had a huge game and constantly made an impact on the field. Reed tallied multiple pressures, a good sack and positive play after positive play. There were even a few run defense plays where he looked solid. 

Holland had a couple moments, but they were few and far between. Entering his second year, more was expected and Wallace didn’t stand out, outside of three plays and they were just solid. 

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.