Broncos' Biggest Winners and Losers From Preseason Finale Rout of Vikings

The Denver Broncos punctuated their preseason with a convincing 34-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night.

Now comes the hard part. The Broncos have until 2 pm MDT on Sunday to trim their current 91-man roster down to the final 53 players. We'll be tracking those roster cuts here.

As we sift through the aftermath of the Broncos' preseason finale, perhaps we'll get some clues as to the roster destiny of some of these bubble players as we chronicle the biggest winners and losers from Friday night.

Winner: Sam Ehlinger | QB

Ehlinger started off on sour footing, throwing an ugly interception early, but he bounced back with aplomb. Ehlinger did well to avoid the rush, showcased his playmaking ability as an off-schedule passer, and finished the night 15-of-20 for 233 yards and three touchdowns, with the pick.

Sam Ehlinger finds a wide open Cody Schrader in the end zone ‼️

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Will it be enough to unseat Jarrett Stidham as the Broncos' QB2? I have my doubts, but it might have persuaded the Broncos to keep him on the 53. Maybe.

Loser: Jahdae Barron | CB

Man, after an encouraging start to the preseason, Barron turned in back-to-back stinkers to finish off the summer. Much has been made about him not missing a tackle in college, but his reliability in that department has been suspect this summer, to say the least, and that was no different against Minnesota.

The Broncos drafted Barron in the first round last year, which means he's making the roster. But I'm not sure he deserves it more than some of the other cornerbacks who've played far better than he this summer.

Winner: Cody Schrader | RB

Schrader was a dynamo on Friday night — an uncontainable ball of energy making one play after another. Despite being the last running back on the depth chart, he finished the night with 42 yards on 14 carries and 90 receiving yards on six receptions, including a touchdown.

Cody Schrader making the defense miss!

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Totaling north of 130 scrimmage yards in the finale has earned Schrader an NFL roster spot somewhere. The question is, will it be in Denver?

Loser: Marvin Mims Jr. | WR

After missing the first two preseason games and half of training camp with a soft-tissue injury, Mims played on Friday night. It was a bit of a surprise, considering that Denver knows full well what he is and what he's capable of.

The decision to play one of their best playmakers blew up in the Broncos' face, though, when Mims suffered a foot injury on an errant Stidham pass early in the game. Head coach Sean Payton said after the game that Mims will "be fine" and that it was just a bruise, so it seems that Denver averted disaster, but the player's snakebitten summer continues.

Let's hope that it doesn't follow Mims into the regular season.

Winner: Justin Joly | TE

Joly was his typically raw self when it came to his blocking assignments, but as a receiver, he made one of the biggest plays of the NFL preseason, though it came on a busted Vikings coverage. Still, Ehlinger was savvy enough to take what the defense gave him — which was a wide-open Joly 30 yards down the field — and the connection was made.

SAM EHLINGER TO JUSTIN JOLY FOR A 88-YARD TD 🔥

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Joly rumbled 88 yards to the house. He finished with two catches on two targets for 95 yards. That's how you secure a spot on the 53-man roster, rookie.

Loser: Cameron Ross | WR/R

Cam Ross — Denver Broncos wide receiver Cameron Ross (87) returns a kick against the Atlanta Falcons. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You hate to see it, but after an encouraging camp and preseason body of work, the undrafted rookie muffed a punt on Friday night. He was able to fall on the ball, fortunately, but it was the worst possible outcome for Ross in his final preseason game as a rookie.

Ross has shown great stuff this summer, including on offense, at times, but he really distinguished himself as a returner. Now that his reliability is in question, he's certain to be waived. But will he be re-signed to the practice squad?

Winner: Kolbe Katsis | WR/R

Speaking of returners, Katsis seized his opportunities this summer. He's been the Broncos' best returner with Mims missing so much time, and that trend continued in the preseason finale.

Katsis had one kick return of 48 yards and two punt returns, averaging 15.5 yards per attempt. It may have been enough to encourage the Broncos to keep him on the 53-man roster, especially with Mims now nursing another injury.

At worst, the Broncos will want Katsis on the practice squad, but I'm not certain he'd make it through waivers.

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