The Denver Broncos were awarded second-year defensive back Kaleb Hayes off waivers from the New York Giants, the team announced Monday.
Denver waived inside linebacker Alec Mock in a corresponding roster move.
Undrafted in 2023, Hayes had a cup of coffee with the Jacksonville Jaguars then spent his rookie campaign on the Giants' practice squad. He was cut loose by Big Blue on Sunday.
The 6-foot, 195-pound defender split his collegiate career between Oregon State (2018-19) and Brigham Young (2021-22), totaling 79 solo tackles and 27 pass deflections across 42 combined appearances.
"Hayes has long arms with good play strength and is much better suited to play close to his receiver early in the route," reads his NFL.com pre-draft scouting profile. "He lacks the short-area burst and instincts to play off the ball. His strength and length complement his long speed, which could allow him to utilize a press and trail technique where he can stay close to the wideout. The elite athletic testing will have teams searching for a way to get more out of him than what we see on tape, but there is a lot of work to do from a ball production standpoint."
Hayes will provide depth in Denver's secondary with starting safety Brandon Jones and potential starting cornerback Levi Wallace both mending hamstring injuries.
