Three defensive positions the Broncos must still address before the season

The Broncos have done a good job of building the roster this offseason through trades, free agency and the draft. With those things in the rear-view mirror, Denver will begin rookie mini-camp at the end of the week. After that, it will be more OTAs, workouts and mini-camp as the whole team moves towards training camp, which starts around mid-July later this year.

The Broncos didn’t have a ton of money to spend in the offseason, but they did a good job finding value additions at positions of need. Players like Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan should immediately strengthen Denver’s secondary.

Even with all that help added this offseason, the Broncos still have spots on the roster that are unsettled at this time. They either have the players in place with no clear-cut starter, or there may be a position where Denver needs to explore street free agents or even a trade.

May 7 has more relevance on the NFL calendar than one might think. It’s when the compensatory draft-pick formula shuts off, allowing NFL teams to sign a player without the addition affecting its potential haul of extra draft picks. So after today, another wave of roster moves should ensue.

Where might the Broncos still be shopping? There are a number of places that would make sense.

In the NFL Draft, Denver added four of my top-50 players in this class with their first four picks in the opening three rounds. But from those first four picks, there was only one defensive player, Dre’Mont Jones, and he’s likely to be a rotational pass rusher on the defensive line as a rookie.

Thus, adding more defensive help would make some sense for John Elway and Company. Here’s a look at the Broncos remaining areas of need on that side of the ball:

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Pass Rusher

There are only four outside linebackers on the roster at this time. Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Jeff Holland and Aaron Wallace are the only players on the team with “OLB” next to their name. Thus, the Broncos need to find other pass rushers or get creative with players at other positions when it comes to getting after the quarterback.

During the 2019 NFL Draft, Denver traded the 49ers for Dekoda Watson. It’s going to be his second stint with the Broncos, and he’s a wily veteran who can line up at inside or outside linebacker. He’s never been a sack artist (career high of 2.0 sacks in 2018), so the team should not be relying on him for much punch when it comes to harassing quarterbacks.

Other players on the roster who could help the rush include guys like safety Su’a Cravens, defensive end Demarcus Walker (remember him?) and rookie Justin Hollins.

I had Hollins graded as an edge player in this year’s draft class. Hollins has good athleticism, a nose for stripping the football and good closing burst to get after the quarterback. After the Broncos selected him in the fifth round, however, general manager John Elway declared that Hollins could play inside linebacker at the pro level. He did move around in college, playing defensive end and linebacker. But perhaps with Denver’s lack of depth, he should be more involved as an outside linebacker in 2019.

If the Broncos go outside the building to add outside linebacker talent there are a few options.

Sam Acho was released by the Chicago Bears in March and is out there for a good price if the Broncos want to afford him. Acho played in only four games due to a pectoral injury, but reports indicate that he might be near full strength.

Other free agent outside linebackers include guys like Jamie Collins, Vincent Rey, Derrick Morgan and Nick Perry.

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Strong Safety

There are quite a few safeties on the roster, but the Broncos need to find out who their starting strong safety is going be this season. The free safety position is going to be manned by fourth-year pro Justin Simmons, but they need to determine who is going to start next to him in the defensive backfield.

Denver has plenty of options already on the roster, but is that the right choice or are there better options out there?

One could guess at this time that Will Parks would be the best option to start. He can play either safety position and seemed to play better as the season went on last year. He’s a big-hitter and definitely brings some swagger and attitude back there.

Kareem Jackson may have “CB” next to his name on the roster, but he’s going to be a corner/safety hybrid for the Broncos in 2019. The Broncos have some interesting corners on the roster not named Chris Harris Jr. or Bryce Callahan. However, those other guys – like Isaac Yiadom or Devaunte Bausby – are not on the same level as Jackson at corner. I like that Jackson can play both safety and corner, and play them at a high level, but I’d rather find another player to start at strong safety so Jackson can start at corner opposite of Harris.

Su’a Cravens can play dimebacker or safety for the Broncos. He’s got a nose for the ball and is athletic enough to get to the play in a hurry. At strong safety, he could line up in the box and go hunt for the ball-carrier. His playing style does come with a cost. Cravens plays with little regard for his personal safety and thus is often banged up. He’s a good option to have, but it’s difficult to trust that he can stay healthy for a full 16-game season.

Of the players already on the roster, Jamal Carter might be a sleeper for the strong safety position. Carter suffered a season-ending hamstring injury last year in training camp, but he is ready to go now and has an intimidation factor to his game that few on the team can match. We’ll see if he can stay healthy and impress the new coaching staff enough to start.

On the open market, only older strong safeties remain. Guys like Marcus Gilchrist, Johnathan Cyrpien, and Da’Norris Searcy are names that stand out. However, all of those guys are coming back from injury and not the same players they used to be.

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Inside Linebacker

With no inside linebacker selected by the team in the 2019 NFL Draft, this position remains somewhat open. Yes, Todd Davis and Josey Jewell are the starters for the time being – and there seems to be few options on the roster currently who could push either one out of their spot.

In the 2018 draft, the Broncos added Washington linebacker Keishawn Bierria in the sixth round; he could be vying for more playing time this year. Bierria can stand out on special teams, but perhaps his athleticism will get him a shot at more playing time on defense.

Like Bierria, Joe Jones has worked his tail off on special teams and could get a shot to play more defense. Undrafted out of Northwestern in 2017, Jones bounced around to three different teams before latching on with the Broncos as a rookie. Every team needs a reserve player like Jones on the roster. Perhaps more is there for the young pro.

Cravens, mentioned above as a strong safety candidate, is also a possibility at inside linebacker. He’s a dimebacker who could come on the field to play in the middle on passing downs. Again, his playing style could wear him down as the season goes on so perhaps his best role (at either safety or linebacker) is as a reserve.

Alexander Johnson is just getting back into the groove when it comes to playing football. He didn’t play for three years as he fought (and won) against rape charges. With his name cleared, Johnson is trying to be more than just a rotational player for the Broncos. In college at Tennessee, Johnson was known as a thumper who could stop running backs in their tracks.

Available free agents out there won’t “wow” anyone. Manti Te’o played in only five games last year for the New Orleans Saints, as he was a healthy scratch for most of the season. Maybe someone like Jon Bostic could be an option; the Steelers released him after they traded (with the Broncos) for the No. 10 overall pick, so they could add Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.

Perhaps the best option for the Broncos is to wait a year until Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2020. A reunion with the former Bronco would be a great fit.

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The Broncos also have needs to address on the offensive side of the ball… check out that list here.

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