clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Broncos reportedly invited 15 players for tryouts at minicamp; including 3 XFL players

As the Denver Broncos prepare for their rookie minicamp, they invited a lot of players to attend for a try out. Here is who they invited.

XFL: St. Louis Battlehawks at Seattle Sea Dragons Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos brought in a reported 17 undrafted free agents after drafting five players during the 2023 NFL Draft. However, new head coach Sean Payton has a lot of work to do to turn this franchise around, so he also added another 15 plus players he invited to the Broncos’ rookie minicamp that is slated to take place from May 12-14. Those invites included three XFL players also.

Looking over the list of tryouts below, it looks like the big focus is around the front seven on both sides of the ball. The point here looks like getting a full team out there for the three day minicamp for the rookie class.

The most interesting attendees might be the three XFL players that were invited. Former Broncos defensive coordinator and current Houston Roughnecks defensive coordinator Wade Phillips gave a strong statement of support for XFL’s sack leader, Trent Harris.

“I think he can come in and rush the passer and play special teams if nothing else,’’ Wade Phillips told 9News last week. “He can run. He’s athletic. He’s better than a lot of guys I had (in the NFL).”

He averages over a sack a game in the XFL, but Phillips did note that he could contribute heavily on special teams as a smart, athletic guy.

The other two XFL players invited were on the offensive side of the ball. San Antonio Brahmas running back Jacques Patrick finished with almost 700 total yards last season. The Broncos need running backs right now too. At least until they know for sure when Javonte Williams will be back 100% from his injury.

The last XFL player invited was quarterback Ben DiNucci from the Seattle Sea Dragons (Such a better name than the Seattle Seahawks too by the way). The 6-3, 210 pound quarterback led the XFL in most passing categories. He finished with 2,671 yards and 23 touchdowns to go with 13 interceptions in ten games.

I’m not sure how often tryout guys come back to compete in training camp with a 90-man roster spot, but I would guess these XFL guys could have the best shot of the group. Here are the rest of the reported tryout invites for Broncos minicamp.

Broncos rookie minicamp invites

Player Position School
Player Position School
Chris Whittaker LB Incarnate Word
Judd Erickson QB San Diego
Warren Ericson IOL Georgia
Gray Davis OL Colorado State
Christian Mejia IDL Washington State
Jack Landherr LS UCLA
Josh Johnston WR Colorado School of Mines
Jacques Patrick RB XFL - San Antonio Brahmas
Stephan Blaylock S UCLA
Nick Williams WR UNLV
Bo Calvert LB UCLA
Isaac Cochran OL Air Force
Trent Harris EDGE XFL - Houston Roughnecks
Ben DiNucci QB XFL - Seattle Sea Dragons
Marquel Broughton S Army

Note: Keep in mind everything you see here is not official until the Broncos officially announce it.

What do you think of the rookie minicamp invitees? Let’s discuss in the comments section below!