The Denver Broncos preseason slate has come to an end following a victory against the Minnesota Vikings. They end their preseason with a 2-1 record. While this means we are that much closer to regular season football, it also means there are some tough decisions that will need to be made by the Broncos coaches and staff regarding who will make the final 53-man roster. There are definitely some locks to make the Broncos roster, but are there some chances at some surprise cuts?

3 surprise roster cuts Broncos could make before Week 1

Sam Martin – Punter

Martin being cut would definitely be a bit of a shocker. During the offseason, the Broncos brought in journeyman punter Corliss Waitman to light a bit of a fire under Martin. Initially, many believed there wouldn't be much of a competition between the two punters and Martin would soundly beat Waitman. But as the preseason has progressed, and Waitman has gotten more opportunities to punt than Martin, the competition may be closer than we all thought.

Waitman has performed well enough, but nothing too spectacular that would put him over Martin. In regards to who is performing better, the upper hand would probably be given to Martin. However, there is still a chance Martin finds himself cut if the Broncos decide to go down the money-saving route at punter. The Broncos have done this in the past when they cut veteran punter Britton Colquitt in favor of rookie Riley Dixon.

Malik Reed – Outside Linebacker

Reed is one of the many undrafted free agent success stories that the Broncos have had. In fact, the Broncos' decision to part with legendary pass rusher Von Miller was somewhat because of Reed. In his career in Denver, Reed has started 34 games and accumulated 15 sacks, 123 combined tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 30 quarterback hits. These aren't bad stats, but they aren't exactly ideal for starting pass rushers.

Reed is still immensely talented, and the Broncos pass rushing room would be better with him in it in some capacity. But unfortunately for Reed, there is a chance he could be one of the surprise cuts before the season. Baron Browning has recently emerged as a stud at outside linebacker. They also have Bradley Chubb, newly signed Randy Gregory, as well as rookie Nik Bonitto. Unfortunately for Reed, he could find himself lost in the shuffle at pass rusher, and the coaches might pick others ahead of him. If Reed does get cut, he will have no issue finding another team to sign with.

Kendall Hinton – Wide Reciever

This one would probably sting the most for Broncos fans. Hinton, who was thrown into crazy circumstances last year where he had to play quarterback, has become a fan favorite in the Mile High City. On top of Hinton's quarterback heroics, he actually is a pretty decent wide receiver. He is undeniably worth a spot on the final Broncos roster, but again, the team is deep at wide receiver and could be part of the shortlist to get cut.

There are three wide receiver locks to make the final roster, that being Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and KJ Hamler. How many wide receivers the Broncos use to carry throughout the season, could determine whether or not Hinton makes the roster. The best-case scenario is that the Broncos carry seven wide receivers. If they do, this would give Hinton the best chance at making the roster, because he is right on the cusp of the depth chart.