34 Essang Bassey DB

The Broncos placed Bassey (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday.

Bassey was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee following Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, so this news isn't quite surprising. The undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest performed well in his rookie campaign, compiling 23 tackles (21 solo) and an interception across 12 games. He'll hit the recovery trail after surgery, and it's unclear whether he'll be ready for the beginning of the 2021 season.

Bassey suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Sunday's loss to the Chiefs and will undergo season-ending surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

An undrafted rookie out of Wake Forest, Bassey played a major role in the Broncos' secondary this season and was quite impressive in the process. He allowed just 188 receiving yards and a touchdown over 12 games (354 snaps). Bassey will soon join Bryce Callahan (foot) on injured reserve. With the injury happening so late in the season, it's unclear if Bassey will be ready for the 2021 campaign. Duke Dawson is expected to bump into a starting role moving forward.

Bassey (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports reports.

Bassey hurt his knee in the third quarter and was promptly ruled out, which suggests the injury could be serious. Duke Dawson will step in for the injured Bassey as the Denver defense attempts to keep Patrick Mahomes and the high-flying Kansas City passing game in check.

Bassey's recent rise made established veterans Isaac Yiadom and De'Vante Bausby expendable, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

A few weeks ago, Bassey looked like a potential developmental project after going undrafted out of Wake Forest. Now, with Yiadom traded and the presumed CB3 Bausby cut, Bassey could slot as high as CB3 or CB4 depending on the matchup and development of fellow youngsters Davontae Harris and Michael Ojemudia. Reports out of camp have been that Bassey performed well at nickelback in practice this week.

Bassey played nickel with the first-team defense Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

The Broncos must have liked what they saw in Bassey, as reports indicate that third-year corner Isaac Yiadom is heading to the Giants in a trade. The undrafted rookie led the ACC with 16 passes defended in 2017 and picked off five passes during his time at Wake Forest. Though the time with the first-team and the Yiadom trade makes it more likely that Bassey makes the final squad, he's unlikely to slot higher than CB4 behind A.J. Bouye, Bryce Callahan and De'Vante Bausby.