3 Broncos Cornerback Fits in 2025 Free-Agent Class

After an incredible 10-win season culminating in a playoff berth, the Denver Broncos' future looks incredibly bright for the once directionless franchise. Bolstered with a strong coaching staff and a potential franchise quarterback for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 almost a decade ago, the time is nigh for the Broncos to build a team worthy of getting back into the mix as a perennial contender.

Denver’s roster exceeded expectations this past season, but there is still a lot of work to be done moving forward. NFL draft season is fully underway, but free agency is right around the corner as the calendar turns to March.

Armed with roughly $35 million in cap space and the vast majority of building blocks in place for the foreseeable future, the Broncos should be very active in free agency this offseason. Depth concerns will be a major focus, but there are some starting spots up for grabs as well.

Denver has a quality pair of starting cornerbacks on the boundary, but adding better depth, as well as possibly upgrading the unit in the slot, could be on the table in free agency because this year’s class at the position is somewhat lacking compared to recent seasons.

Players under contract for 2025: Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, Damarri Mathis, Kris Abrams-Draine, Tanner McCalister

Surtain was the best defender in all of football in 2024, winning the Broncos' first Defensive Player of the Year award since Randy Gradishar in 1978. Bringing home that award as a cornerback is incredibly difficult to do, as it is typically given out to pass rushers who can rack up game-changing statistics. Surtain’s impact on the defense as a whole cannot be overstated in any way, as his coverage makes quarterbacks hold on to the ball longer, allowing for more sacks in general.

Moss was a breakout player for the Broncos after missing the majority of the 2023 season due to injury. His ability to step in and start opposite of Surtain was remarkable. When Moss missed a handful of games late in the season, the Broncos' pass defense took a major step backward.

Mathis and Abrams-Draine are solid depth pieces on the boundary. Abrams-Draine has some upside as a potential starter down the road.

As a rookie fifth-rounder, 'KAD' had an incredible interception against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 and showed positively in his limited action. Mathis has had some ups and downs in his career, and maybe seeing a position switch to safety is in the cards for his future.

Free Agency Priority: Medium

Though technically not under contract with the team in 2025, Ja’Quan McMillian is an exclusive rights free agent and will almost certainly be brought back to the roster on a one-year tender. His 2024 salary cap hit was only $790,000, providing tremendous value to the team as its starting slot cornerback.

McMillian played 522 snaps in the slot last season, the most in the NFL. He allowed 76 receptions on 101 targets for 730 yards and two touchdowns while intercepting a pair of passes and allowing the ninth-lowest passer rating when targeted (minimum 261 coverage snaps).

Adding more depth to the room, in general, is a relatively minor need, but if Mathis is indeed moved to safety, the Broncos could look to add a pair of players this offseason. While McMillian has played really well over the past couple of seasons, Denver could upgrade its starter in the slot and make him one of the best backups in the league to round out a tremendous room as a whole.

This year’s free agency class has some big names in it, but I don’t necessarily believe the Broncos will be big spenders in the cornerback market. That said, let’s look at three players who fit what the Broncos could be looking for.

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Nate Hobbs | Las Vegas Raiders

Hobbs has been one of the better players for the Las Vegas Raiders defense over the past couple of seasons and could be looking to break the bank this offseason. He has inside-outside versatility that could open up a ton of possibilities for the back end of the Broncos defense.

Hobbs played 210 snaps in the slot last year with similar results to McMillian on a per-snap basis. Hobbs was only targeted 35 times on those snaps, allowing 24 receptions for 6.0 snaps per target and 8.8 snaps per reception.

Being able to line up and play outside gives Hobbs more value to the team as a whole and could dictate some matchup versatility for Surtain and Moss, which could boost the secondary as a whole. Moss has good enough range to be able to play safety if needed, and getting three high-quality coverage cornerbacks on the field at the same time should be very enticing for Vance Joseph.

Jourdan Lewis | Dallas Cowboys

Much like Hobbs, Lewis is a slot-versatile player who is an incredible tackler in run support. Lewis played 390 snaps in the slot, allowing 40 receptions on 56 targets.

His per-snap statistics are incredible, allowing the fourth-highest snap-per-target percentage as well as the fourth-highest snap-per-reception percentage of any cornerback with at least 210 snaps in the slot.

The downside with Lewis is that he turns 30 years old before the start of the season, and much like running back, there is a lot of evidence of a significant decline in productivity when cornerbacks hit the wrong side of that milestone. Lewis is one of the better slot cornerbacks in the league, though, and a short-term deal for a few million bucks per season isn’t off the table for a team that needs to add depth in general.

Paulson Adebo | New Orleans Saints

Adebo, who was drafted by Sean Payton back in 2021, makes sense as a veteran depth piece on the boundary who would raise the floor of the Broncos' cornerback room as a whole. The Broncos have tried adding veteran pieces in this mold in Fabian Moreau and Levi Wallace, to varying levels of success, and haven’t found a guy that could stick around for more than a season or two at most.

Though he missed half of the season after breaking his femur against the Broncos in Week 7, Adebo allowed the 28th-lowest reception percentage of the 107 players with at least 250 coverage snaps (59.6%) and the fifth-lowest passer rating when targeted (67.0). He allowed 34 receptions on 57 targets for 428 yards and one touchdown, but he also had seven pass breakups and three interceptions in 281 coverage snaps.

For a veteran depth piece with ties to Payton and some impressive ball productivity, Adebo would be a solid addition on a short-term, prove-it type of contract.

Nate Hobbs | Las Vegas Raiders

Jourdan Lewis | Dallas Cowboys

Paulson Adebo | New Orleans Saints

Recommended Articles