© Brianna Paciorka / USA TODAY NETWORK
Finding Broncos: 3 CBs to Add Competition for Starting Job
The Denver Broncos still need an answer opposite Patrick Surtain II.
When you have a player like Patrick Surtain II, you are off to a good start in the secondary, but the Denver Broncos need someone to step up opposite him. Damarri Mathis faltered in his second year, and Riley Moss hardly saw the field and never as a boundary corner.
With Ja’Quan McMillian handling the slot and Surtain on one boundary, the Broncos have to find that second boundary corner, especially with their concerns about the safety position after moving on from Justin Simmons. While the Levi Wallace signing might help, this is a good cornerback class with talent throughout, and one of these three mid-round options could add competition for that other starting boundary spot.
Kamal Hadden | Tennessee
Tennessee defensive back Kamal Hadden (5) warming up before the start of the NCAA college football
Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 196 pounds
- Arm Length: 30-7/8 inches
- Hands: 8-1/2 inches
- Relative Athletic Score: 7.48
Pros
There is a good build and good size with Hadden to work as a boundary corner. He has enough tools and traits to work in any coverage scheme.
Hadden's footwork is clean, he has enough strength to jam at the line, and he stays physical throughout the route. When pressing at the line, he can stay in front of shifty receivers through their release to make life even more difficult.
Hadden has enough speed to stay in position when he has to carry receivers vertically, but his overall technique is well-developed to match all kinds of routes. He showed the necessary improvements to mirror in man coverage for the 2023 season and was clear he put in the work to improve. When playing in zone or off coverage, his awareness and instincts meet the requirements to handle it in the NFL.
Hadden's ability to track the ball and attack the catch point is evident. He has a natural feel in coverage with his back to the ball and does well to read the receiver as they adjust to make the catch. The ball skills are good enough for the NFL, and he worked to cut down penalties from 2022 (9) to 2023 (2).
Cons
Haddern lacks great long speed, and against faster receivers, he requires help over the top. He can be late opening up his hips and running with receivers, putting him behind and needing to recover early. The transitions often include an extra step or wasted motion, as he doesn’t have the smoothest change of direction.
While Hadden's physicality is there in coverage, it doesn’t show consistently as a run defender, and the effort is sometimes questionable. He isn’t far removed from being a walking penalty, as he was called for penalties nine times in 2022. The medicals at the combine were vital as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
Fit With Broncos
Hadden is a great fit for the Broncos coverage scheme. He would be an ideal fit if they can correct the effort and technique as a run defender. All of this depends on how the medical checks went with his shoulder injury.
Big Board Position: No. 61 overall.
Renardo Green | Florida State
Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Renardo Green (8) breaks up
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
- Height: 6-foot
- Weight: 186 pounds
- Arm Length: 31-¼ inches
- Hands: 9-1/8 inches
- Relative Athletic Score: 8.21
Pros
Green has a lot of experience — five years on the field under his belt. He has some excellent press technique, which made life difficult for the two LSU receivers in their game against each other. His consistent stepping up against tough matchups adds a lot to his evaluation.
Green is a fluid mover and doesn’t waste movement or need extra steps when changing direction. It helps keep him in phase when working against quick and shifty receivers through many moves into their route. His body control is excellent and helps him be fluid with his movements.
Green has good football IQ, and he sorts through plays quickly and is quick to adjust to match and mirror. While better in press-man coverage, he shows the instincts and awareness to work in off-coverage and zone. The physicality is there as a run defender, and he is reliable against the run on the boundary.
Cons
Green was called for 11 penalties in the last two seasons, and his play style could lead to a lot more with NFL rules. His game has a boom-or-bust element, and you want more consistency. He can attack the catch point and has broken up 21 passes in his career, but needs to make game-changing plays, with only one career interception.
The speed is there, but Green can fall behind when working vertically. His positioning on specific routes needs consistency, as he can leave an open window for the quarterback to drop the ball into the basket. If he can improve his burst out of breaks, it would cut down on the immediate separation he allows and cut down on throwing windows.
Fit With Broncos
If the Broncos will use more press-man coverage in 2023, which best suits Surtain, then Green would be an outstanding fit. The physicality is there in all phases, and he is a reliable run defender on the boundary.
Green would pair so well with Surtain and McMillian and could lead to a tremendous secondary if the safety position can be figured out.
Big Board Position: No. 91 overall.
Andru Phillips | Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Andru Phillips (23) runs into Missouri Tigers wide receiver Theo
Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal /
- Height: 5-foot-11
- Weight: 190 pounds
- Arm Length: 31-1/4 inches
- Hands: 8-3/4 inches
- Relative Athletic Score: 8.13
Pros
Phillips is a ferocious slot corner who can play some on the boundary in the right scheme. His experience at Kentucky came in zone coverage, but he might be better suited to a scheme that uses more man coverage.
Phillips has good technique already. He's shown promising development in areas that grow with experience despite having only two years under his belt.
Phillips has excellent change-of-direction skills and is quick to close on routes underneath when working in zone coverage. The ability to mirror in coverage is there with clean footwork and can sink into breaks better than some receivers. His hips don’t open up too early, but he can open them up and flip without hiccups.
The physicality is there in coverage, and Phillips will work through blockers as a run defender. His technique as a tackler is clean, and he has good length to wrap up and will drive through with his attempts. There are flashes of ball skills when attacking the catch point.
Cons
Phillips' instincts and awareness are still developing, and he needs more experience to succeed. The ball skills flash, but he doesn’t have consistency there, with 10 passes broken up and no interceptions in the last two years. While he is of decent size and physicality, he gets bullied by bigger and more physical receivers.
There is more projection to his evaluation because Phillips didn’t play in a scheme that best suits his skill set, so you must project those tools and traits into a man scheme. That transition could slow his transition to the NFL. As a tackler, he needs to clean up his base to make the tackle and cut back on some failed attempts.
Fit With Broncos
While Phillips can fit the Broncos scheme, he isn’t a fit with the personnel. He has a chance of being the first slot corner drafted, and with the Broncos having McMillian there, the draft slot for Phillips outweighs the need.
The Broncos need competition for McMillian, but they can find that later in the draft without investing a Day-2 pick on Phillips.
Big Board Position: No. 96 overall.
Better Fit for Broncos
When talking about the cornerback position, it's tough to pick the best fit for the Broncos. So much depends on the scheme, and the system Vance Joseph prefers to run may be different from what we've seen the Broncos deploy, much like the start of last season.
With that uncertainty, Hadden is the best fit, but if the Broncos do what Joseph prefers, Green would be the better fit. Either of those could work, while Phillips should only be an option for where he is projected if they don’t believe in McMillian.
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