Denver Broncos undrafted rookie spotlight: DL Brandon Matterson

Travis Wakeman

Denver Broncos undrafted rookie spotlight: DL Brandon Matterson image

Heading into the offseason, the defensive line was probably the spot where the Denver Broncos needed the most help. In addition to signing free agents Malcolm Roach and Angelo Blackson, the team also acquired John Franklin-Myers via trade during the NFL draft. 

Following the draft, the team signed two more defensive linemen as undrafted free agents, one of which was Brandon Matterson

Matterson will try to catch on as a back-end depth piece on this roster. 

Denver Broncos undrafted rookie spotlight

Player: Brandon Matterson
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 295
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
School: University Texas-San Antonio

Matterson was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and chose to stay around home, choosing to play with the Roadrunners. He played in over 60 games for UTSA after becoming part of the team in 2018. He finished his college career with 101 tackles and 7.5 sacks. 

Matterson was an overachiever in school and was named to the All-American Athletic Conference third team last season. While in school, he earned a Bachelor's degree in cyber security and began work on his Master's in management of technology. 

It seems he could have plans for life after football, but what are the chances of his career continuing at the pro level?

Chances of making 53-man roster (1-10 scale): 2

The chances are not very high, even if there is an opportunity within this position group due to depth concerns. 

The Broncos have Franklin-Myers, Roach, Zach Allen, and D.J. Jones who will all likely be part of the final roster. Blackson and Matt Henningsen will have a good shot of being added as well. 

Matterson would have to show things that we didn't see in college to make this team. He doesn't offer enough as a pass-rusher and may get muscled around by NFL offensive linemen. 

 

He played on a good UTSA team last season, one that ended up in the Frisco Bowl and won it, but the school is not necessarily a football factory, so he will have some things to overcome. Can he be effective as a run-stopper and steal one of the last spots on the roster?

It's not impossible, but it's also not likely. His best-case scenario will likely be one of the additions to the team's practice squad where he can continue to develop into a player who could be elevated onto a gameday roster at some point in his career. 

Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman Photo

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.