For Broncos seventh-round pick Faion Hicks, what will help him most is time to develop

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There wasn’t a Scouting Combine, Senior Bowl or East-West Shrine Game invitation in the cards for Wisconsin cornerback Faion Hicks. While he started four seasons for the Badgers, he allowed a 95.9 passer rating when he was targeted, according to the data compiled by Pro Football Focus. He fared better in man-to-man looks than zone coverage.

But there was a Pro Day — and a chance to generate attention.

And when the stopwatches beeped after his 40-yard dash, he had done just that: 4.37 seconds, according to numbers reported by observers.

“The measurables at the workout just kind of confirmed what we thought,” Broncos general manager George Paton said of both Hicks and his Wisconsin teammate, sixth-round pick Matt Henningsen. “These guys are our type of guys.”

Hicks’ play was raw early last season. In Wisconsin’s opening three games against Penn State, Notre Dame and Michigan, he was targeted a combined 24 times, according to PFF, and he allowed a pair of touchdowns.

But he allowed just one touchdown in the rest of the campaign. He worked and got better — and by the end of the regular season, he was making a game-saving play, with a fourth-down breakup in the final seconds to preserve a 35-28 Badgers win over Nebraska.

As with any seventh-round pick, his first chance at work will come on special teams.

“I was a gunner, I was second on kick returns. I got moved around a lot,” he said.

Hicks’ contact with the Broncos was limited to a Zoom call with one of their quality-control coaches, he said.

“We had a good meeting. It was good vibes. It was fun,” he said.

Now, he hopes he can keep up the fun with a solid training camp — and a place somewhere in the Broncos’ short- and long-term plans. If he can stick on the practice squad, he buys himself a chance — and the time he needs to polish his work in coverage if he is to be an eventual NFL contributor.