The Broncos head into Sunday’s trip to SoFi Stadium with a cornerback room stretched thin to the point of strain, and the roster moves tell the story plainly.
With Patrick Surtain II (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs) both ruled out against the Chargers, Denver was left with only three cover corners on the active roster. To patch the gap, the team is elevating practice-squad corners Brent Austin and Sean Fresch Jr. for the game, while also adding veteran defensive back Ugo Amadi to the practice squad on Friday.
Amadi brings plenty of NFL mileage. The former Seahawks fourth-round pick has been in the league since 2019 and has appeared in 85 games, but two days wasn’t enough time to get him ready for a game-day elevation against Los Angeles.
Austin and Fresch should both be active, though their roles are expected to be limited. Outside of special teams work, they likely won’t see defensive snaps unless something happens to Jahdae Barron, Ja’Quan McMillian, or Kris Abrams-Draine. There’s also the possibility of a dime look from Vance Joseph that would require a fourth corner, but that remains to be seen.
Austin, an undrafted rookie from Cal, stood out in training camp even if his preseason work wasn’t especially sharp. Denver liked enough of what it saw to keep the 5-foot-11, 180-pound corner on the practice squad. He’s a feisty defender with sticky coverage ability and a mindset that leans toward taking the ball away.
Fresch’s path to this point has been a little different. Signed in June after the UFL season ended, he went undrafted out of Rice in 2025 and got a look from the Chiefs at rookie minicamp, but never landed a contract there.
With no NFL opportunity coming, he essentially sat out his rookie year before joining the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas. That team later folded, and he was drafted by the St.
Louis Battlehawks.
The 5-foot-8, 181-pound Fresch produced 41 tackles, including 29 solo stops, along with two sacks and five passes defensed in 12 games. He also earned All-UFL honors as a punt returner, which was a major part of what drew Denver to him this summer. The Broncos liked him as a return man, but his work at cornerback may have been the more surprising part of the package.
He didn’t flash much at corner in preseason games, though he did show up on the “Winners” list on multiple days in camp. Denver waived him at final cutdowns, then brought him right back onto the practice squad.
The challenge now is obvious. This isn’t just a matter of missing depth - Denver is without its two best corners, and Surtain and Moss form one of the NFL’s top duos at the position. That makes Justin Herbert’s presence all the more dangerous for a battered secondary.
The Broncos will need Barron and Abrams-Draine to carry more of the load. Herbert is expected to test both of them, but there is at least some help on the other side of the matchup: the Chargers are dealing with their own wide receiver issues.
Quentin Johnston (chest) and Brenen Thompson (quad) are out, while Ladd McConkey is questionable after not practicing this week. Even with the questionable tag, it would be a mild surprise if he plays. Tre’ Harris is healthy and remains the Chargers’ leading receiver this season.
Los Angeles also has Derius Davis and Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the active roster, plus Gary Jennings and Theo Wease Jr. on the practice squad, though neither of those two was elevated for Sunday’s game. That leaves the Chargers with three healthy receivers and tight end Oronde Gadsden II against McMillian and Denver’s backup corners.
Barron comes in off an impressive fill-in performance for Surtain, and Abrams-Draine has a little momentum of his own after picking off Herbert for the first interception of his career. Those are encouraging signs, even if they’re only signs.
Herbert is still Herbert, but his offensive line is missing three starters. If there’s ever a time for Denver’s pass rush to take over, this should be it.
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