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.
UTSA DL Brandon Matterson talks about the depth of the d-line and the Everybody Eats mentality pic.twitter.com/BkmxS2eR5R
— JJ Perez (@theJJPerez) August 20, 2023
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.
