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With the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline looming Tuesday at 2 p.m., the Broncos face tough decisions at receiver.

Competition to make the back of the initial depth chart is stiff as there are six wideouts vying for a maximum of two spots behind the top trio of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and KJ Hamler, as well as receiver/returner Montrell Washington.

“Every time you think somebody is going to separate themselves, another guy steps up,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said. “It’s not necessarily that anybody is taking a step back, it’s that other people are stepping up. It’s very close (with those looming roster decisions). … Right when you think there’s going to be some kind of a separation, there’s not.”

Kendall Hinton, Seth Williams, Tyrie Cleveland, Jalen Virgil, Brandon Johnson and Darrius Shepherd are the wideouts on the bubble entering Saturday night’s preseason finale against the Vikings at Empower Field.

Hinton, Williams and Cleveland all have history with the Broncos, while Virgil and Johnson are rookies and Shepherd is a third-year pro signed in free agency.

Hinton made his Broncos debut in 2020 as the team’s emergency quarterback against the Saints but has shown his ability at wideout in the time since. He had 15 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown last year and called his growth from practice squad wideout to roster contender “night and day.” Hinton had three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener against Dallas.

“For three years, I’ve definitely felt like I’ve progressed and developed, especially as a receiver,” Hinton said. “Now, it’s just about continuing to get better and just seeing where I can contribute, whether that be on special teams or on offense.”

Meanwhile, Williams (Denver’s sixth-round pick out of Auburn in 2021) spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad. And Cleveland (a seventh-round pick out of Florida in ‘20) appeared in 47% of the special teams snaps over the past two years, but has been sidelined since Aug. 1 with a throat injury.

Special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes said despite that injury, the Broncos still want Cleveland to be a “core special teamer.”

“Working with Tyrie in the (offseason) and a couple of days in training camp, we know what we have in Tyrie,” Stukes said. “He’s athletic, he brings a physicality we’re looking for and he brings the speed we’re looking for. My opinion on him has not changed since Day 1.”

With Cleveland, the Broncos could opt to put him on the initial 53-man roster Tuesday and then put him on injured reserve the next day. That would give him through Week 4 for his throat to heal while also not having to subject him to waivers, where he could get claimed by another team.

Receivers coach Zach Azzanni said Cleveland had “an unbelievable offseason.”

“He has grown exponentially as a receiver, so he’s definitely in the mix,” Azzanni said.

For Williams, he understands the urgency of his situation considering he’s played in just two games in his career so far, with one catch for 34 yards.

That’s why Williams dedicated time before and during the offseason camps, through training camp and into the preseason to improve. Williams set up a machine that shoots tennis balls at him at various speeds and trajectories. Williams catches the balls by the bucket with one hand.

“I stay after practice, catching until I get tired of catching,” Williams said. “(The tennis ball machine) helps me lock in on the ball, and gives me something small to look at and make sure I’m watching in all the way to my hand. Then I get close range with the JUGS, I slow it down, and focus on the ball, so it’s second-hand nature where I’m putting my hands to the ball and I’m knowing my eyes trust my hands.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if a newcomer leapfrogged those three returners for one of the available spots.

Both Johnson and Virgil have made noise this preseason. Johnson (Central Florida) has five catches for 75 yards in the preseason and Vigil (Appalachian State) has five catches for 122 yards across both preseason games. Shepherd, too, has found his way into the box score with five catches for 49 yards, though he remains a darkhorse to make the team.

Virgil understands what’s at stake Saturday.

“It’s a big game for all of us, because it’s definitely going to determine what happens (with the roster),” he said. “We all bring different (strengths) to the table, so my mindset is to remain calm and just trust the work that I’ve put in throughout all the camp and before that.”

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