ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —For the next few weeks, the Broncos will be without wide receiver KJ Hamler and cornerback K'Waun Williams.
Hamler and Williams "are going to miss a few weeks" due to their respective injuries, Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett announced Wednesday. Hamler is battling a hamstring injury, while Williams suffered a knee injury against the Titans and will undergo a knee scope.
In Hamler's absence, wide receiver Jalen Virgil could see an increased role. Virgil made his first regular-season appearance against Tennessee, recording a 66-yard reception for a touchdown.
Williams has been a major contributor for the Broncos' defense this season, and his unique role will be difficult to replace. Hackett praised Williams' impact over the last few games, highlighting his performance against the Jaguars that allowed Denver to seal the victory.
"I'm very excited about the next man up; there's been a lot of those," Hackett said. "It's a great opportunity for a lot of guys to get experience and go out there and play football, so I'm excited for the guys that are going to go out there and make plays, but K'Waun has done an incredible job for us. We saw that he had a pass breakup and a pick vs. Jacksonville, which was huge to get that win. I mean, he's just been all over the place. He's a leader — he's soft-spoken, but he plays loud, and that's what I love about him. He's just a great person, and he'll be around a lot, but we want to get him back."
Williams (wrist/elbow/knee), Hamler (hamstring), fullback/tight end Andrew Beck (hamstring), wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (ankle) and defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike (illness) did not practice. Outside linebacker Baron Browning (hip), offensive lineman Tom Compton (back), tackle Cam Fleming (quad), guard Graham Glasgow (shoulder), wide receiver Kendall Hinton (shoulder), cornerback Kareem Jackson (not injury related), defensive lineman Mike Purcell (not injury related) and safety Justin Simmons (knee) were listed as limited.
Hinton, Uwazurike, Browning, Glasgow, Jeudy and Beck are considered day to day, according to Hackett.
Simmons said Wednesday he expects to play against the Raiders, while Hackett said the Broncos hope to have Compton available for the game.
"We sure want him to," Hackett said. "He's a player that's played a lot of games in this league. We need him. We need him for this team. This is going to be a big week for him to be able to take a big step forward."
