Mathis needs a great preseason to keep his career going in Denver. Can he deliver?
A three year starter from Pittsburgh, Damarri Mathis was drafted in the 4th round by Denver of the 2022 draft. He was viewed as a speed demon with agility concerns but a smart player who might not be shifty enough for the pro-game. His first year was uneven. Denver’s decimated secondary forced him into early action and while he showed considerable promise at times, he also had big lapses. The worst of these was a game against the Los Angeles Chargers where he was flagged for pass interference four times for 87 yards. Nevertheless, there was optimism that he would progress in year two and he began 2023 as a starter.
His 2023 season saw horrible play followed by losing his starting job. As a reserve, Mathis played almost no defense but was a contributor on special teams. Through his first two seasons Mathis had two major problems – he plays cornerback in a grabby style that draws lots of flags, and he misses tackles. Lots and lots of tackles.
There are a lot of things that could be said about his 2024 season, and some of them are positive. He did not play at all in the first six games of the year due to starting the season injured, and then played some on both defense and special teams through most of the rest of the season. Vance Joseph was willing to use Mathis in select situations, especially against certain opponents (CAR, INDY, LAC). He amassed 80 defensive snaps on the year as a whole, was targeted 6 times with one completion and three tackles. Eighty snaps and only three tackles is pretty hard to have happen and speaks to both the coaches being uncomfortable with him in possible running situations, and him being the type of player who does not fly to the ball. So the best thing that can be said is he can do well if the defense hides his weaknesses. However, in the midst of Levi Wallace’s meltdown against the Browns where it was clear by halftime that Wallace did not have the physical speed to avoid embarrassment via Jerry Jeudy– Denver made the choice that Mathis was too big a liability to try having him replace the slower Wallace.
Mathis continued to play on some special teams, but not as a core player.
Player Profile
Damarri Mathis | Cornerback | #27
Age: 26 | Experience: 4th year | College: Pittsburgh
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 195 pounds
2024 stats: 6 targets 1 catch, 1 pass defensed, 3 tackles.
How Mathis fits in with the Denver Broncos in 2024
Denver played most of last year with five or six cornerbacks (excluding Tremon Smith who was listed at corner but was used and practiced as a special team ace). Levi Wallace has left, and Denver drafted Jahdae Barron in the first round of the draft. That puts Mathis currently behind Pat Surtain, Barron, Riley Moss, Ja’quan McMillian and Kris Abrams-Draine. If you insist on separating out boundary corners from slot corners the situation does not change much (Barron is expected to be able to play both, and Abrams-Draine spent most of last year as the backup slot but then after the Wallace implosion was given snaps on the boundary and cemented his place there ahead of Mathis). Mathis also has to contest with Joshua Pickett, Mario Goodrich, Reese Taylor, Quinton Newsome, and Jaden Robinson for bottom of roster spots or practice squad spots. Of these, I am most bullish about Robinson, and would be very surprised to not see him make the practice squad.
Final Thoughts
I do not see Mathis surpassing anyone above him on the depth chart. I could see him being surpassed by any of the five gentlemen below him. Depending on the rest of the roster, I do not expect Denver to keep six cornerbacks, and that would mean Mathis would lose his job. In that situation is he a practice squad candidate? I would lean no – its not clear what untapped potential Mathis has that might develop over time. My read of his time on the field was that Joseph was working hard to make him work despite not wanting to use Mathis – but that could be wrong. Mathis’s stats were excellent last year, so maybe it was that Joseph had very specific and select confidence in Mathis and found him invaluable for certain match-ups and Joseph will fight tooth and nail either to keep Mathis as a sixth DB or to stash him on the practice squad. But these possibilities seem unlikely to me.