Two 49ers finds were the best Broncos free-agent pickups in 2022

Jan 13, 2023, 2:29 PM | Updated: 2:40 pm

Denver Sports

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week, we’ll be giving out Broncos awards for the 2022 season.

FREE AGENT OF THE YEAR

MASE: D.J. Jones

Since I gave the special-teams player of the year to Alex Singleton, I want to spread this around. It’s much like how the NFL prefers its MVP and Offensive Player of the Year to be two different honorees.

So, let’s go to the man who helped clear a path for Singleton to rack up a prodigious tackle count.

Much of what D.J. Jones does isn’t on the stat sheet. He occupies multiple blockers up front. He forces running backs and quarterbacks to look for other angles. But his impact was profound before he missed the final two games with a knee injury.

Denver knew when it signed Jones from San Francisco that it would get a stout run defender. But what the Broncos also got was a very solid pass rusher.

Among 80 interior defensive linemen with at least 200 pass-rush snaps, Jones ranked 30th in pressure rate. He pressured opposing QBs once every 11.0 opportunities, per the data compiled by Pro Football Focus.

Jones helped free up Dre’Mont Jones — no relation — to be one of the league’s most effective interior pass rushers for most of the year. Working together, they made Denver one of just four teams with two interior pass rushers who averaged at least one pressure every 11.0 plays. (Tennessee, Washington and the New York Giants were the others.)

CECIL: K’Waun Williams

I think Williams is the best slot corner in the game, and he was all he was supposed to be this season for the Broncos — when healthy. Williams ended up missing three games in the middle of the season after injuring his knee in Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean up some loose bodies that caused his knee to lock up, but Williams came back sooner than expected.

He was also a little banged up in training camp with a knee injury. But when healthy, Williams is a star. Not only does he do a great job against slot receivers, Williams is not afraid of the dirty work as a tackler. He can play close to the line of scrimmage, and Williams does not hesitate to fly up quickly to the ball-carrier in order to stuff the run. When used as a blitzer, Williams can burst off the line and disrupt an unsuspecting quarterback. Williams is a versatile player, and he’s a leader in a secondary that features a ton of talent.

Williams defended 343 routes in 2022, getting targeted 43 times and allowing only 24 catches. He had 10 pass breakups and one interception in his first season with the Broncos. Williams only allowed opposing quarterbacks a rating of 71.9 this past season, and he did not allow a single touchdown pass with his coverage skill.

Williams was the right type of player the Broncos needed at the slot cornerback position. He fit in perfectly with this defense, and there is no doubt that Williams is an important part of what this team will do in 2023.

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2022 WINNERS:

Offensive Player of the Year: