Two Roster Spots, Four Players: Why WR Trinity Benson has Sewn up One of Them

While the Denver Broncos have plenty of depth at the wide receiver position, one depth player is doing whatever he can to make the roster. Trinity Benson started off training camp strong and has translated that into both preseason games.

With what he has shown, Benson should land on the 53-man roster at month's end. While Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, KJ Hamler, and Jerry Jeudy are locks to make the squad, barring any trades, there is a battle for the fifth and sixth wideout spot. 

Benson is hoping to claim one of them, but he has plenty of competition. Tyrie Cleveland and Kendall Hinton are right there with him, and return specialist Diontae Spencer also is pushing for a spot. 

Despite the other three pushing as well, Benson may have a leg up. He has done everything the Broncos' coaching staff has asked of him and has done so at a high level. What's more, he took his strong practice showings and converted them over to production in-game.

Cleveland has looked solid in game action on special teams. That might be enough, but his work on offense in camp has been a significant cause for concern. Before he got hurt and missed multiple practices, he was struggling with drops. 

Hinton had excellent practices, but it did not carry over into the games. On top of that, his success has come mainly on short passes where he's been able to make defenders miss and pick up yards after the catch. Benson has shown the ability to do that as well plus he's proven to be a reliable deep threat. 

Finally, there is Diontae Spencer, who is a return specialist. While he had one big catch against the Seahawks, he also had a drop and multiple bad plays. He is essentially a returner only, and when Benson got a shot there, he looked good while offering up more on offense. 

There is no doubt when watching these four receivers that Benson is the most deserving to make the roster. He doesn't have to beat out all three of them, only two, which makes it even easier. 

If the Broncos want to keep Spencer as a returner, Benson is offering and showing more offensively than either Hinton and Cleveland. However, if the team wishes to keep Cleveland as a gunner, Benson has shown enough as a returner and, in the short game, to beat out the other two. As for Hinton, Benson has shown enough on special teams and more on offense to make it over Cleveland and Spencer. 

This has been a fun battle to watch, but all signs point to Benson making the roster. Denver has a little over a week to get to iron out its final 53-man roster, and many eyes will be on what happens with Benson. If he doesn't make the Broncos roster, he will likely catch on with a different team.