Broncos Elevate DB Alijah Holder to Active Roster in Place of Shelby Harris
The Denver Broncos are having to scrape the bottom of the roster barrel just nine weeks in the NFL season due to the ravages of the injury bug and the pandemic. On Saturday, we learned that the only remaining day-one starter on the Broncos' defensive line did not travel with the team due to not making it out of the COVID-19 protocol.
Shelby Harris hasn't tested positive for the virus but he was exposed to an infected person outside of Broncos' HQ, which has relegated him to the self-isolation protocol. There simply wasn't enough time, despite him testing negative each day since, to pass through the protocol.
Harris' absence has opened up a spot on the active gameday roster. To fill it, the Broncos have 'elevated' defensive back Alijah Holder from the practice squad to the gameday roster, it was announced on Saturday.
Holder rocks the No. 33 jersey and is a 6-foot-2, 188-pound second-year DB. Going undrafted out of Stanford University, last year, he appeared in two games as a rookie with Denver in 2019. He has spent the entire season on the practice squad after competing with the team in training camp.
The cornerback-turned-safety might not be able to help the Broncos' run defense upfront but Holder can contribute on special teams covering punts and kicks, while providing depth at safety.
The NFL's 2020 COVID-19 rules allow teams to 'elevate' players from the practice squad in order to replace a player currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list, in addition to the two weekly practice squad elevations each team receives on gameday.
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