Kary Vincent, Jr. & Nate Hairston Battling for Broncos' Final Cornerback Spot
The Denver Broncos are deep at cornerback — so much so that GM George Paton revealed publicly the number of trade calls he's fielded from teams interested in that depth. After the dearth of talent and all the Broncos' problems in their secondary last year, it was encouraging to hear Paton say that.
However, for rookie cornerback Kary Vincent, Jr., the Broncos having depth isn't an advantage. Drafted in the seventh round out of LSU, the former Tiger is fighting hard to make the roster, but the depth at the position is making it difficult for him to secure a spot.
It didn't help that Vincent got a late start to training camp due to going on the COVID/reserved list, putting him behind the eight-ball before he even got started. Playing catch-up at a deep position makes it all the harder to crack the roster, but Vincent has done an excellent job to make up ground.
The two players who are the main competition for Vincent are Parnell Motley and Nate Hairston; both of whom took the field before the rookie against Seattle. Motley is more of a boundary corner and his play on special teams has been solid. Hairston is more of a slot corner which is where Vincent best projects in the secondary.
There is a need to find answers at the nickel corner as starter Bryce Callahan has a long injury history and will be a free agent after this season. The fact that both Hairston and Vincent have been playing well could be a harbinger of sorts for Callahan.
Despite how well he played when healthy last season, of all the corners, Callahan would make the most sense to trade. Being younger and cheaper, Hairston and Vincent making a solid case for the roster could portend poorly for Callahan's prospects with the Broncos beyond the trade deadline.
However, a lot will likely ride on this final preseason game for all three of these corners. Vincent and Hairston both have to show up and play a good game to continue their push.
So, where does Vincent stand? The answer is tough to grasp because of the trade variables in play, but he seems on the cusp of making the roster at the very least.
It may be enough to land him onto the roster if he kills it in the final preseason game, especially on special teams.
Be sure to check out the video above for an in-depth look at Vincent and Hairston and their final competition set to play out on Saturday night vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
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