As NFL teams gear up for training camp, moves are being made and the Broncos have added two wideouts to their roster. 2017 3rd Rounder Amara Darboh, and our own De’Mornay Pierson-El, who was one of Jordan Ta’amu’s favorite targets last spring in St. Louis.
Pierson-El was a dynamic threat at Nebraska, winning All-America honors his freshman year after scoring three times as a returner. He found a steady role in their offense, catching 100 passes for 1,309 Yards and 11 scores, and though he wasn’t drafted in 2018, has had stints with the Redskins and Raiders in the NFL, the Alouettes (CFL), Stallions (AAF) and the BattleHawks.
A smooth, liquid route runner, he is tough over the middle as well and approaches contact more like a running back than a receiver. At 5’9″, 194 he’s built like a classic slot option who can gouge defenses over the middle and up the seam, in addition to his value as a punt returner. De’Mornay proved his abilities at the pro level in the XFL, leading the BattleHawks in receptions (23) and touchdowns (2), while racking up 209 yards in the air.
He and Darboh will be entering a pitched competition for the roster spots behind wideouts Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, KJ Hamler and incumbent returner Diontae Spencer. Yet, it is telling that Denver chose to sign two more receivers when they already had 13 on the camp roster, and perhaps they aren’t confident in their current depth. It should be a close battle for those last two spots, and while it looks like Kendall Hinton and Tyrie Cleveland have the inside track in their second years with the team, anything could happen.
Pierson-El is the second XFL player to sign with Denver after former BattleHawk Taylor Russolino made his NFL debut last season, and is one of 4 BattleHawks players heading into an NFL training camp. The other three are QB Taylor Heinicke, who just signed a 2-Year, $8.75 Million extension with Washington, TE Connor Davis in Cleveland, and FS Kenny Robinson in Carolina.
