Denver Broncos roster: Defensive end Vontarrius Dora

It's that time of the year again. Mile High Report begins our annual 90 players in 90 days roster breakdown. Last year went fairly well, but now through August, we'll break down every player on the Denver Broncos roster.

Defensive end Vontarrius Dora was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent soon after the conclusion of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was a 2015 Honorable Mention All-Conference USA having started all 13 games in 2015, leading the team with six sacks and two forced fumbles.

A disappointing pro day hurt his draft stock and the Broncos were able to pick him up off the street.

The good

Dora was a three-year starter at Louisiana Tech who possessed solid pass rushing skills and good change of direction. He was quite effective out of the three-point stance with solid hand usage. His heads-up, smart football play in college is likely one of the reasons he landed in Denver as that fits the kind of mold that Bill Kollier looks for in defensive linemen.

The bad

He lacks speed off the edge and minimal quickness, so his best fit is going to be as a 3-4 defensive end in the Wade Phillips scheme. The problem is that he is very undersized for this role at his current weight.

Quotable

Dora is no stranger to overcoming adversity or obstacles. His philosophy of competing will need to continue through this summer as he tries to secure a spot on the Broncos roster.

“I just think about everything I have overcome,” Dora said. “I listen to it to remind me that I pushed through everything. It reminds me of how great I can be in life and to stay on my grind, give it my all and keep going.”

Roster status

Dora is considered a bit undersized for the 3-4 end position and a bit slow for the 4-3 end position. He will need to get bigger and stronger to find a role in the NFL at the 3-4 defensive end position. Young, undersized players often make their weight goals through specific diet changes and workouts. NFL teams are very good at helping their transition from college to pro.

I would expect Dora to have the look of a true 3-4 defensive end by next year, but the big question is whether or not he’ll be able to show enough to snag a spot on the Broncos practice squad in the meantime. It’s going to be tough, but Dora seems like the kind of person who knows a thing or two about overcoming the odds.