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CBS4 Broncos Position Breakdowns: Cornerbacks

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - With the Denver Broncos training camp underway soon, let's take a look at how the Broncos line up at the cornerback position.

In the Hunt:
De'Vante Bausby, 4th season
A.J. Bouye, 8th season
Bryce Callahan, 6th season
Duke Dawson Jr., 3rd season
Davontae Harris, 3rd season
Michael Ojemudia, rookie
Shakial Taylor, 2nd season
Isaac Yiadom, 3rd season
Essang Bassey, rookie

Jacksonville Jaguars v Denver Broncos
Royce Freeman of the Denver Broncos is tackled by A.J. Bouye of the Jacksonville Jaguars at Empower Field at Mile High on Sept. 29. (credit: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Top Offseason Moves: Acquiring A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Losing Chris Harris Jr. in Free Agency (Los Angeles Chargers).

Bryce Callahan
Bryce Callahan (credit: CBS)

Projected Starters: A.J. Bouye, Bryce Callahan, Isaac Yiadom
With Chris Harris Jr. gone, a position that used to be a strength is now filled with several question marks. Denver traded for A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bouye had 50 tackles and one interception last year. He hasn't played a full season since 2017 when he made his only Pro Bowl.

Bryce Callahan missed all last season with a foot injury and hasn't played a snap since December 9, 2018 when he was with the Chicago Bears. When healthy Callahan is one of the slot cornerbacks in the NFL. In 2018, he was ranked as the seventh best cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

With Callahan's best play coming inside in the slot, the Broncos will need another corner to take over on the outside opposite of Bouye. Isaac Yiadom is the best candidate to fill the role as he started eight games last season with 43 tackles and four passes defensed.

Reserves: Duke Dawson Jr., De'Vante Bausby, Michael Ojemudia, Davontae Harris
The Broncos used a third-round pick on Michael Ojemudia from Iowa and he will compete for playing time with Bausby, Harris and Dawson Jr. Ojemudia was one of the biggest corners in the draft standing at 6-foot-1.

Dawson Jr., Bausby and Harris all started at different times last season. Bausby played well in his two starts before his season was cut short after suffering a neck injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Best Training Camp Battle: Third Cornerback
Who will start alongside of Bouye and Callahan is one of the biggest questions heading into training camp. Coach Fangio is not afraid to play rookies which could bode well for Ojemudia.

"Everything's open, Coach Fangio said in a conference call on April 24th. "Competition is there. We'll play the guys that deserve to play regardless of the year, whether they are a rookie, veteran or in between. He has the right to come in here and compete and earn a job."

According to The Athletic, the Broncos were in sub packages 72 percent of the defensive snaps last season. This means it is imperative for the team to find a quality third corner and for Denver to develop some depth at corner.

Under the Radar: Shakial Taylor
One of the four players tagged with the exclusive rights tender by the Broncos was Shakial Taylor. Taylor played five games for the Indianapolis Colts and made seven tackles before he was released last season. He was picked up by the Broncos in November.

Stats to Know:
- Broncos gave up 225.6 yards per game (11th in NFL)
- Team had 10 interceptions (25th in NFL)

What They Said: Vic Fangio on Cornerback Depth
"I feel good. Obviously, we added A.J. Bouye. We took the Iowa corner, Michael Ojemudia. We have a bunch of young players that we acquired last year like Duke Dawson Jr. and Davantae Harris. Those guys all need to develop. They are at that stage where they need to prove whether they are worthy or not to play in the NFL and I think two of those guys will come through. We have Bryce Callahan coming off of the injured reserve list, so we'll have a good group to play with."

BRONCOS TRAINING CAMP: See All Of Justin Adams' Position Breakdowns

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