Broncos Confident if CB Kris Abrams-Draine Shifts Into Return Role

Denver is prepared for life without Marvin Mims in Week 2.

Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (31) runs the ball after an interception in the end zone in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With Marvin Mims sidelined due to a foot injury, it'll be all hands on deck for the Denver Broncos as they look to replace the All-Pro returnman in Sunday's home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

One of those hands is likely to be reserve cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, who slid into the role after Mims briefly left Denver's Week 1 loss to Kansas City. Abrams-Draine did not field a punt in that game -- but the team is confident if the situation called.

“He does a lot of things well," head coach Sean Payton said Friday. "We have a handful of guys that we’ve repped at that position, so a lot of it depends on where they’re punting from, if that’s the case.”

A 2024 fifth-round pick, Abrams-Draine had extensive kick-return experience at Missouri, totaling 32 runbacks for 670 yards and one touchdown. However, he only returned six punts for 12 yards during his time with the Tigers.

The Broncos deployed running backs RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman as the primary kick-returners against the Chiefs, but Harvey enters Week 2 questionable with a hamstring injury, further muddying the proverbial third side of the ball.

Harvey (if active) and Coleman could reprise their roles versus Jacksonville, while Abrams-Draine handles punts. It's also possible that Denver promotes a qualifed player from the practice squad, such as wide receivers Kolbe Katsis or Michael Bandy.

Aug 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (31) breaks up a pass for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Isaiah Neyor (80) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rizzi Discusses Potential Tweaks to Special Teams

While "solid" in Week 1, with neither the kicking, punting, nor return units causing any major gaffes, Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi acknowledged it's his "job" to roll with the punches as they come.

This punch being a relative haymaker, losing Mims for a crucial showdown with an AFC contender. Though hardly ideal, the Broncos are confident in their ability to recover, to mask the wounds and find a way to succeed in spite of the disadvantage.

"Adjust, adapt and improvise," Rizzi affirmed to reporters on Friday. "Our phase always has the most moving parts as you guys know with injuries and whatnot. So I think we talked about a little bit about this in training camp, having a lot of options. I felt like last year we had limited options in the return game specifically. I thought we’ve done a great job overhauling that part of the roster this year with some more options. So the conversations are who’s going. Every week, ‘Who are the two guys back on kick return? Who’s going to be the punt returner?’ Last year there wasn’t a lot of guys in that conversation. I think this year, having more options there is a big deal. There are always going to be moving parts with injuries and whatnot, and that’s our job to make sure that obviously we handle that part.”

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