Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country. Xavier Truss was the biggest player at the Broncos’ rookie minicamp.

“I’m a big guy coming out of a small state,’’ said the 6-foot-7, 320-pound native of West Warwick, R.I.

Truss, who plays both tackle and guard, wasn’t selected in last month’s NFL draft but signed as a free agent with the Broncos. He got a $20,000 signing bonus and also had $150,000 of his contract guaranteed, showing the Broncos are very intrigued with his potential.

The Broncos didn’t select an offensive lineman in the draft, which was one of the reasons Truss signed with them after playing six seasons at Georgia.

“This just seemed like a good fit,’’ said Truss, whose Broncos completed the three-day rookie minicamp Sunday. “I just want to prove myself and get better every day.”

Truss, 23, comes from a state that hasn’t produced a lot of NFL players. Forty Rhode Island natives to have gotten into a regular-season game in the league’s 105 seasons, according to ProFootballReference.com.

There aren’t many notable names among them. Perhaps the two most well known on the list are defensive end Gerry Philbin, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who won a Super Bowl in the 1968 season with the New York Jets, and late defensive tackle Steve Furness, who won four Super Bowls with Pittsburgh in the 1970s.

“I’m proud of my home state,’’ Truss said. “I’m proud of the people I grew up with, and I just want to make everybody back home proud.”

Truss began playing football in middle school when he was “a lot bigger than my peers.” He eventually starred at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I., where ESPN.com ranked him as a senior as the No. 1 prospect in Rhode Island, and the No. 12 tackle and No. 99 overall prospect nationally.

The heavily recruited Truss ended up at Georgia, where he was on teams that won national championships in 2021 and 2022. He was second-team All-SEC in 2023 and 2024.

“I love his game,’’ said Broncos rookie defensive end Sai’vion Jones.

Jones, a third-round pick, has been familiar with Truss due to having played in the SEC with LSU. Jones was on a Tigers’ team that lost 50-30 to Truss’ Bulldogs in the 2022 SEC Championship Game.

At Georgia, coach Kirby Smart runs a program Truss said is similar to that of an NFL team.

“Coach Smart did a really good job of preparing all of us for the next level,’’ Truss said. “I see a lot of similarities between Georgia and here.”

As for going from tiny Rhode Island to the SEC, that was perhaps a bigger adjustment for Truss.

Cooper not signed

At least for now, there won’t be another father-son combination to have played for the Broncos.

Cameron Cooper, a guard from Lindenwood and the son of former Broncos guard Mark Cooper, was invited to Denver’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player. However, he was told afterward he wouldn’t be signed to a contract.

“It was a great opportunity to be able to try out for a team that my dad played for,’’ said Cooper, whose father was a Broncos guard from 1983-87. “So it was a good time.”

Cooper, a graduate of Aurora’s Grandview High School, played in college at Texas El-Paso and Colorado State before spending last season at Lindenwood in suburban St. Louis. He spoke to Broncos offensive line coach Zach Strief after Sunday’s practice and thanked him for the opportunity to try out.

“They might stay in touch and see what happens in OTAs (organized team activities) and training camp and stuff and maybe bring me back if they have anybody go down,’’ Cooper said.

The only father-son combinations to have played for the Broncos are linebacker Tom Graham (1972-74) and tight end Daniel Graham (2007-10) and defensive tackle Luther Elliss (2004) and outside linebacker Jonah Elliss, who arrived as a rookie last year.

Briefly

Jones takes a lot of pride in having played at LSU. “Just coming from LSU and making it to the NFL, it’s not like a bad chip on my shoulder but I feel like it’s a good chip on my shoulder,’’ he said. “I need to represent LSU the best way possible.” … The Broncos soon could re-sign long snapper Zach Triner, who was released Friday. To do so, they would need to make a roster move since they are at the NFL offseason roster limit of 90. … The Broncos next take the practice field for OTAs from May 27-29, when all players will be eligible to compete.