ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — If money is a primary indicator (and isn't it always?), then Thomas Incoom has the best odds of continuing the Broncos’ run of having at least one undrafted rookie making their 53-man, season-opening roster.
Incoom, an outside linebacker/defensive end from Central Michigan, drew a $20,000 signing bonus that tied Illinois offensive lineman Alex Palczewski for tops among the Broncos’ 11 undrafted rookies, according to financial figures obtained by 9NEWS. Incoom also had the highest salary guarantee at $180,000, which edged Houston cornerback Art Green’s $170,000.
Incoom’s $200,000 total guarantee was also No. 1 among the Broncos’ undrafted rookies, with Green next at $180,000 and Princeton guard Henry Byrd receiving the only other six-figure total guarantee at $115,000.
A notable distinction about salary guarantees for undrafted rookies: The practice-squad salaries are $216,000 over an 18-week season this year for rookies. So while the salary guarantees for Incoom, Green and Byrd are significant, for now it only increases their chances of making the Broncos’ practice squad. They still have work to do to make the 53.
Incoom, 24, hails from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is a 6-foot-2, 262-pound defensive end/edge rusher who played two years at NCAA Division II powerhouse Valdosta State, where he helped the Blazers capture the national title his freshman season. He then transferred to Central Michigan where he combined for 15.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss in two seasons. That production earned Incoom a place at the Senior Bowl in Mobile and NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where he ran the 40 in 4.66 seconds.
It was a surprise Incoom wasn’t drafted, but the snub led to becoming a premium college free agent where he could pick his team. And outside linebacker is a position where the Broncos have question marks.
The Broncos have had an undrafted rookie make their season-opening roster in 18 of the past 19 seasons. Among those who made it who received some of the top signing bonuses were Jamal Carter (2017), Phillip Lindsay (2018), Malik Reed (2019) and Andre Mintze (2021). Jalen Virgil kept the undrafted run going last year after he got a $12,500 bonus.
A look at the financial commitment the Broncos gave to each of their 11 undrafted rookies (ranked by signing bonus) in 2023:
This doesn’t mean P.J. Mustipher, Marcus Haynes and Tyler Grimes should be counted out. Mustipher, a nose tackle from Penn State, was impressive during the Broncos’ rookie minicamp last weekend.
And some of the Broncos’ small-bonus success stories include offensive lineman Quinn Bailey ($3,000 in 2019) and, the most famous case, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. ($2,000 in 2011).
The Broncos veterans and rookies will begin OTA practices Tuesday at their freshly renamed Centura Health Training Center.
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