Broncos Elevate 2 Practice Squad Players for Week 1 Tilt vs. Raiders

The Denver Broncos are less than 24 hours away from kicking off the 2023 season. The Las Vegas Raiders are in town, hoping to extend their current winning streak over the Broncos to seven games.

Sean Payton is doing all he can to ensure that doesn't happen and that the Broncos snap the Raiders' streak. To that end, the Broncos announced on Saturday that two wide receivers from the practice squad have been 'elevated' to the gameday roster for Week 1.

Phillip Dorsett and Lil'Jordan Humphrey will suit up on Sunday vs. the Raiders. The practice squad duo joins active roster wideouts Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, rookie Marvin Mims Jr., and Brandon Johnson.

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Each week, the Broncos can 'elevate' two practice-squad players to the gameday roster. The next day, the players can be placed back on the practice squad without being exposed to waivers.

The Broncos can do that with each player twice without having to expose them to waivers. On a player's third 'elevation,' the Broncos either have to sign him to the active roster or actually waive them the next day, exposing them to the waiver wire.

If an outside team puts a waiver claim in on said player, they're gone. Thus, teams have to be strategic with how they exploit the NFL's new(ish) 'elevation' rule for the practice squad.

Does Payton's strategy this week hint toward Jeudy's outlook for Week 1? Listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, the expectation is that Jeudy will be a game-time decision. Obviously, the player and the team hope that he can play, but it's a long 17-game season, and the Broncos have to be smart.

Dorsett and Humphrey hitting the roster in no way guarantees that Jeudy won't play, but it could be a foreshadowing of the Broncos' expectation for their No. 1 receiver's ability to suit up and play in Week 1.

Dorsett is a newcomer to the Broncos, having been signed to the practice squad on the doorstep of the final roster cut-downs. He's a former first-round pick who's failed to live up to his draft pedigree, bouncing around entering the league with Indianapolis back in 2015.

Dorsett is a burner, though, and will give the Broncos some vertical speed whether Jeudy's available or not. Plus, he spent March-August with the Raiders competing on their offseason roster, so he's likely been able to provide Payton's staff with a nice debriefing.

Humphrey joined the Broncos this past offseason after having spent three seasons with Payton in New Orleans (2019-21). He had a productive preseason finale, edging out all other Broncos receivers who'd competed that summer for the practice squad.

The Broncos are ensuring Russell Wilson's arsenal is as fully stocked as it can be for the season opener. Broncos-Raiders kicks at 2:25 pm MDT on Sunday, September 10.

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