Yesterday we looked at the Broncos’ roster on the offensive side of the ball, and characterized their needs accordingly. Today we’ll dive into the defensive side of things, where Denver still has plenty of elite talent. There’s always room for improvement, though, and the Broncos have to be careful not to let their strength erode by failing to address current needs or to plan for needs that will no doubt arise next year and beyond.
Positional Breakdown:
Interior Defensive Line (Base Defensive Ends and Nose Tackles (DE, NT):
Projected Starters: LDE Derek Wolfe, NT Zach Kerr, RDE Domata Peko
Depth: Jared Crick, Adam Gotsis, Kyle Peko
Other: Bobby Richardson, Travis Raciti, Iosia Iosia (aka Iosia2)
While the very high profile loss of Malik Jackson hurt the Broncos on the defensive interior last year, Vance Walker’s lesser discussed knee injury likely had nearly as much impact. The loss of both proved devastating, particularly in terms of stopping the run. Derek Wolfe played very well once again, but Jared Crick was ineffective as nearly an every down player and Adam Gotsis was mostly invisible. In fairness both Crick and Gotsis were likely relied upon much more heavily than originally intended (especially Crick), but Walker’s injury necessitated it and the results were not good.
In response to last year’s difficulties and the departure of NT Sylvester Williams, John Elway chose to add substantial size up front during free agency in the form of Domata Peko (6’3”, 325) and Zach Kerr (6’1”, 334). Neither of the two players graded well last year, particularly against the run, but the thought is they’ll fare well as run stuffers in the Broncos’ odd front and perhaps see a few snaps as DTs in sub package even fronts as well. Mike Klis suggested that both men could start in the base defense, and I understand the need to have a base DE who can play the run better than Crick. The loss of Williams also needs to be accounted for, so Klis could very well be right about D. Peko and Kerr both starting. At the very least they’ll both be used heavily in the DL rotation. Where I differ from Klis is his suggestion that Kerr will be the starter at RDE in the base defense. At his size Kerr appears to project much better at NT (he’s basically a bowling ball on top of two tree trunks). D. Peko, on the other hand, may have the length to factor in the rotation at DE, but he looks like a candidate for the nose as well. However it shakes out, I think we’ll see a heavy dose of Wolfe, D. Peko, Kerr and Crick on the interior.
After the top four things get a little more murky. The Broncos would love to see Adam Gotsis begin to reach his potential, but from what we saw last year he has a long way to go. Rumor has it he was hand-picked by DL coach Bill Kollar, so Kollar’s return could mean good things for the young Australian. He appears to have the physical traits; it’s just a matter of whether he can refine them enough to become an impactful NFL player. The other Peko, Kyle, flashed a lot of promise last year and with continued improvement he could also push for playing time. I still believe he’s better suited for an even front, so he’s a natural fit at DT in the nickel and dime packages, but he could see some time at NT in the base as well.
Need Level: Upgrade
Top DL Prospects:
Base DEs:
| Rank | Name | Height | Weight | School | Projected Draft Position | NFL.com Draft Profile |
| 1 | Jonathan Allen | 6025 | 286 | Alabama | Top 5 | Scouting Report |
| 2 | Malik McDowell | 6062 | 295 | Michigan State | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 3 | Taco Charlton | 605 | 272 | Michigan | 1 | Scouting Report |
| 4 | Caleb Brantley* | 6025 | 307 | Florida | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 5 | Chris Wormley | 6051 | 298 | Michigan | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 6 | Larry Ogunjobi | 6025 | 305 | Charlotte | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 7 | Carlos Watkins | 6032 | 309 | Clemson | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 8 | DeMarcus Walker | 6035 | 280 | Florida State | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 9 | Ryan Glascow | 6027 | 302 | Michigan | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 10 | Daeshon Hall | 6052 | 266 | Texas A&M | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 11 | Tanoh Kpassagnon | 6066 | 289 | Villanova | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 12 | Nazair Jones | 6051 | 304 | North Carolina | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 13 | Deatrich Wise, Jr. | 6052 | 274 | Arkansas | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 14 | Jarron Jones | 6056 | 316 | Notre Dame | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 15 | Jeremiah Ledbetter | 6031 | 280 | Arkansas | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 16 | Davon Godchaux | 6033 | 310 | LSU | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 17 | Charles Walker | 6017 | 310 | Oklahoma | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 18 | Isaac Rochell | 6042 | 280 | Notre Dame | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 19 | Jake Replogle | 6053 | 293 | Purdue | 7 | None |
| 20 | Collin Bevins | 605 | 286 | Northwest Missouri State | 7 | Scouting Report |
NTs:
| Rank | Name | Height | Weight | School | Projected Draft Position | NFL.com Draft Profile |
| 1 | Caleb Brantley* | 6025 | 307 | Florida | 1 | Scouting Report |
| 2 | Chris Wormley | 6051 | 298 | Michigan | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 3 | Larry Ogunjobi | 6025 | 305 | Charlotte | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 4 | Carlos Watkins | 6032 | 309 | Clemson | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 5 | Dalvin Tomlinson | 6027 | 310 | Alabama | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 6 | Jaleel Johnson | 6025 | 315 | Iowa | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 7 | Montravious Adams | 6035 | 304 | Auburn | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 8 | Elijah Qualls* | 6005 | 313 | Washington | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 9 | Vincent Taylor | 6025 | 304 | Oklahoma State | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 10 | Eddie Vanderdoes | 6031 | 305 | UCLA | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 11 | Jarron Jones | 6056 | 316 | Notre Dame | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 12 | Stevie Tu’ikolovatu | 6011 | 331 | USC | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 13 | DeAngelo Brown | 6001 | 312 | Louisville | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 14 | Charles Walker | 6017 | 310 | Oklahoma | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 15 | Josh Topou | 6026 | 353 | Colorado | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 16 | D.J. Jones | 601 | 319 | Mississippi | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 17 | Grover Stewart | 6043 | 334 | Albany State | Und | Scouting Report |
| 18 | Jon Taylor | 6041 | 382 | Southeastern Louisiana | Und | None |
*Prospect met with the Broncos
#Prospect visited Broncos’ facility
Edge Rushers (Edge):
Projected Starters: LOLB Von Miller, ROLB Shane Ray
Depth: Shaquil Barrett, Kasim Edebali
Other: Vontarrius Dora
Edge rusher has been a strength of the Broncos’ defense for several years now, and 2016 was no different. Von Miller continued to perform like the greatest Bronco of all time, and Shane Ray notched 8 sacks on the opposite side while splitting time with Demarcus Ware. While we’re sad to see Ware retire, his back was ailing and frankly the Broncos got one more year out of him than I expected they would when they originally signed him. It was time to part ways, for both team and player. Shane Ray is ready to take on a bigger workload, and Shaq Barrett provides good depth behind the two starters. Barrett didn’t look quite as impressive in 2016 as he had in 2015, but he has proven he can be an effective backup on the edge. Dekoda Watson left for greener pastures, but he was replaced by the signing of former New Orleans Saint Kasim Edebali in free agency. Essentially Edebali brings the same skills as Watson (special teams and situational pass rushing), but he’s both younger and cheaper than his predecessor. Vontarrius Dora rounds out the depth chart on the edge, and while you know I’m hesitant to praise players on the roster bubble, Dora looks to be one of the few who could develop into an NFL football player.
The draft is very deep with Edge rushers, so the Broncos have a good opportunity to add a player on Day 3 who has a legitimate shot to make the roster. Denver brass has met with Wisconsin’s T.J. Watt, a late first/early second round prospect, which might indicate a willingness to move down from #20. They also brought in Youngstown State’s promising young Edge rusher, Derek Rivers, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see them dip into the pass rushing well on Day 2 instead of waiting until Saturday. One way or another, they look poised to add another Edge defender in an effort to stay deep at this important position for the foreseeable future.
Need Level: Depth
Top Edge Prospects:
| Rank | Name | Height | Weight | School | Projected Draft Position | NFL.com Draft Profile |
| 1 | Myles Garrett | 6044 | 272 | Texas A&M | Top 5 | Scouting Report |
| 2 | Solomon Thomas | 6025 | 273 | Stanford | Top 10 | Scouting Report |
| 3 | Derek Barnett | 6030 | 259 | Tennessee | 1 | Scouting Report |
| 4 | Takkarist Mckinley | 6020 | 250 | UCLA | 1 | Scouting Report |
| 5 | Taco Charlton | 6055 | 277 | Michigan | 1 | Scouting Report |
| 6 | Charles Harris | 6026 | 253 | Missouri | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 7 | T.J. Watt# | 6044 | 252 | Wisconsin | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 8 | Tyus Bowser | 6025 | 247 | Houston | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 9 | Tim Williams | 6027 | 244 | Alabama | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 10 | Carl Lawson | 6016 | 261 | Auburn | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 11 | Jordan Willis | 6036 | 255 | Kansas State | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 12 | Derek Rivers# | 6035 | 248 | Youngstown State | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 13 | Ryan Anderson | 6020 | 253 | Alabama | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 14 | Demarcus Walker | 6035 | 280 | Florida State | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 15 | Tarell Basham | 6036 | 269 | Ohio | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 16 | Trey Hendrickson | 6040 | 266 | Florida Atlantic | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 17 | Daeshon Hall | 6052 | 266 | Texas A&M | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 18 | Tanoh Kpassagnon | 6066 | 289 | Villanova | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 19 | Vince Biegel | 6032 | 246 | Wisconsin | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 20 | Dawuane Smoot | 6031 | 264 | Illinois | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
Linebackers (LB):
Projected Starters: LILB Brandon Marshall, RILB Todd Davis
Depth: Corey Nelson, Zaire Anderson
Other: Quentin Gause, Kevin Snyder
Brandon Marshall played very well again in 2016, and he remains the best LB on the team, but without Danny Trevathan playing next to him the LB corps just wasn’t the same. Todd Davis is a very good run stopper, but he can’t cover and defend the pass like Danny T. Hell, he can’t even cover like Danny DeVito. As a result, the Broncos are forced to take Davis off the field in passing situations and replace him with Corey Nelson. Nelson is a decent cover LB, but he’s not good against the run. So Denver was relegated to using two players to cover for the loss of Trevathan, and each of them had a glaring weakness that offenses were able to exploit. Zaire Anderson has shown some ability, and it’s possible he could push Nelson for playing time, but he lacks size and likely will have some of the same issues as Nelson with respect to run defense. Quentin Gause and Kevin Snyder are the two other young LBs on the roster.
There are opportunities to upgrade at LB on Day 1 and Day 2, but if Denver doesn’t take one there they’ll need to get lucky and hit on a Day 3 prospect to find an upgrade. In the absence of adding another LB who can defend both run and pass alike, the Broncos are likely to struggle again with Davis defending passes to RBs and TEs and with Nelson defending the run from the nickel and dime packages.
Need Level: Upgrade
Top LB Prospects:
| Rank | Name | Height | Weight | School | Projected Draft Position | NFL.com Draft Profile |
| 1 | Reuben Foster | 6000 | 229 | Alabama | Top 15 | Scouting Report |
| 2 | Haason Reddick | 6014 | 237 | Temple | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 3 | Jarrad Davis | 6013 | 238 | Florida | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 4 | Zach Cunningham | 6034 | 234 | Vanderbilt | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 5 | Raekwon McMillan | 6017 | 240 | Ohio State | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 6 | Duke Riley | 6004 | 232 | LSU | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 7 | Kendell Beckwith | 6022 | 243 | LSU | 2-3 | Scouting Report |
| 8 | Alex Anzalone | 6027 | 241 | Florida | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 9 | Anthony Walker, Jr. | 6005 | 238 | Northwestern | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 10 | Jayon Brown | 6000 | 231 | UCLA | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 11 | Blair Brown | 5114 | 238 | Ohio | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 12 | Ben Gedeon | 6016 | 244 | Michigan | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 13 | Jordan Evans | 6027 | 232 | Oklahoma | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 14 | Marcus Eligwe | 6015 | 234 | Georgia Southern | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 15 | Connor Harris | 5111 | 242 | Lindenwood | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 16 | Marquel Lee | 6032 | 240 | Wake Forest | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 17 | Matt Milano | 6004 | 223 | Boston College | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 18 | Jalen Reeves-Maybin | 6003 | 230 | Tennessee | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 19 | Dylan Donahue | 6025 | 248 | West Georgia | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 20 | Hardy Nickerson | 5115 | 232 | Illinois | 7 | Scouting Report |
| 21 | Harvey Langi* | 6017 | 251 | BYU | 7 | Scouting Report |
Cornerbacks (CB):
Starters: LCB Aqib Talib, RCB Chris Harris
Depth: Bradley Roby, Lorenzo Doss
Other: Taurean Nixon
Once again, the Denver Broncos showcase the best defensive backfield in the NFL, especially at CB. Aqib Talib somehow keeps getting better, and Chris Harris is so consistent he’s almost boring. Together they are far and away the best starting CB tandem in the NFL. Bradley Roby is the best #3 in the business, and he’s plenty talented enough to be #2 on several other rosters. He had perhaps his worst/most inconsistent season in 2016, but with Talib and Harris out there it’s no surprise offenses would target Roby. The Broncos reportedly will exercise Roby’s fifth year option, but technically they don’t need to do that until after the draft. Doing so will pay Roby ~$8.5M in 2018, which is a lot of money for a number three, but with Talib’s age advancing and the departure of Kayvon Webster to Los Angeles, retaining Roby may be worth that price tag. Lorenzo Doss has appeared serviceable at times, but he is smallish and is best suited as a backup to Chris Harris in the slot as part of the nickel package. Taurean Nixon has speed, but hasn’t seen the field much in his two years as a pro.
The draft is absolutely LOADED with CBs this year, so should the Broncos find one they like on Day 2, they may reconsider the decision to extend Roby. Or they may draft one and keep Roby through at least 2018 anyway, setting themselves up well for when Aqib Talib eventually moves on. Marshon Lattimore is the consensus #1 CB in the draft, but after him no one seems to agree. Any of the guys ranked 2-14 (and maybe beyond) could become legitimate starting CBs in the NFL. I’ve never seen a class like this. I don’t see a good reason to take one in the first round, but both the second and third rounds look like great opportunities.
Need Level: Depth
Top CB Prospects:
| Rank | Name | Height | Weight | School | Projected Draft Position | NFL.com Draft Profile |
| 1 | Marshon Lattimore | 6000 | 193 | Ohio State | Top 10 | Scouting Report |
| 2 | Gareon Conley | 6000 | 195 | Ohio State | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 3 | Tre’Davious White | 5112 | 192 | LSU | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 4 | Marlon Humphrey | 6002 | 197 | Alabama | 1-2 | Scouting Report |
| 5 | Kevin King | 6030 | 200 | Washington | 2 | Scouting Report |
| 6 | Quincy Wilson | 6014 | 211 | Florida | 2 | Scouting Report |
| 7 | Adoree’ Jackson | 5100 | 186 | USC | 2 | Scouting Report |
| 8 | Chidobe Awuzie | 5117 | 202 | Colorado | 2 | Scouting Report |
| 9 | Teez Tabor | 6004 | 199 | Florida | 2 | Scouting Report |
| 10 | Fabian Moreau | 6004 | 206 | UCLA | 3 | Scouting Report |
| 11 | Sidney Jones | 6000 | 186 | Washington | 3 | Scouting Report |
| 12 | Jourdan Lewis | 5102 | 188 | Michigan | 3 | Scouting Report |
| 13 | Cordrea Tankersley | 6012 | 199 | Clemson | 3 | Scouting Report |
| 14 | Desmond King | 5097 | 201 | Iowa | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 15 | Cameron Sutton | 5112 | 188 | Tennessee | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 16 | Rasul Douglas | 6015 | 209 | West Virginia | 3-5 | Scouting Report |
| 17 | Damontae Kazee | 5102 | 184 | San Diego State | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 18 | Howard Wilson | 6005 | 184 | Houston | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 19 | Ahkello Witherspoon* | 6026 | 198 | Colorado | 4-6 | Scouting Report |
| 20 | Shaquill Griffin | 6001 | 194 | UCF | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 21 | Marquez White* | 5116 | 194 | Florida State | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 22 | Corn Elder* | 5097 | 183 | Miami | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 23 | Brian Allen | 6031 | 215 | Utah | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 24 | Brendan Langley | 6003 | 201 | Lamar | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 25 | Nate Hairston | 5117 | 196 | Temple | 5-7 | Scouting Report |
| 26 | Jalen Myrick | 5095 | 200 | Minnesota | 7 | Scouting Report |
Safeties (S):
Projected Starters: FS Darian Stewart, SS T.J. Ward
Depth: Justin Simmons, Will Parks
Other: None
Darian Stewart just continues to impress, and the Broncos rewarded him for his efforts with a hefty extension keeping him in orange and blue through the 2020 season. He and his counterpart on the back end, TJ Ward, round out the best secondary in the game. Last year the Broncos added two rookies in Justin Simmons and Will Parks, who both showed plenty of promise in their first year in the league. The only question with the safeties is whether or not Ward will be brought back after his contract expires following the 2017 season. Stewart gives them tremendous flexibility as he can play SS as well as FS, so if Ward departs Stewart’s 2018 position may be determined by which of the young guys wins the starting job. Simmons is more of a deep cover FS, while Parks is a SS who thrives around the line of scrimmage. It’s not out of the question for Denver to add a S in the draft, especially considering the available talent, but I think it’s unlikely due to the overall strength of the position.
Need Level: None
Just like we did with the Broncos’ offensive needs I’ll be listing each defensive position in the comments, and you can weigh in by up-voting the positions you think are the team’s biggest needs. I’ll include a recap of the needs as identified and prioritized by the readers/commenters for offense and defense in Part 3 of the Draft Preview, which will focus on the first round of the draft.
Thanks for reading, and by all means, let me know what I’m missing. Now that we’ve established what positions the Broncos will be looking to fill we can take a few educated guesses at which players might find themselves in orange and blue following the draft.
Until next time, Go Broncos!