Is the Broncos defensive line the defense’s Achilles heel?

The Denver Broncos should be much better this season. A big part of that is head coach Sean Payton as he’ll make big changes to the offense. On the other side of the ball, Payton has less work to do as the Broncos have one of the best defenses in the league. They have talent at all three levels of their defense, but up front they have depth concerns.

Is the Broncos’ lack of defensive line depth their Achilles’ heel? Let’s take a look.

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Starters: LDE Zach Allen, DT D.J. Jones, RDE Matt Henningsen

This is a strong group of starters. There are two big free agent acquisitions over the last two seasons that give the Broncos two of the best three defensive linemen in the division if not all of football. I’m concerned about the depth behind these guys, and I’m not yet sure of the third starter on the D-Line, but the top two are top tier.

Zach Allen was the big free agent acquisition on defense this offseason. He followed DC Vance Joseph over from the Arizona Cardinals, and Allen is the direct replacement to Dre’Mont Jones who the Broncos lost in free agency. If you examine both players’ production last season, their numbers are almost identical. Allen is the replacement for Jones, but his production level might not have peaked.

Watching Allen at Boston College, he immediately jumped off the film because he just didn’t run out of gas. He’s got a high motor, and Allen is as strong at the end of the game as he is at the beginning of the contest. Technically, he’s one of the most sound players I’ve ever scouted. Just by watching him – coming out of college or now – you can see how much time Allen takes with his craft. He’s not going to win on every snap, but he’s not going to lose because of technique issues.

Arizona goes d-line at the start of round three

Cardinals draft BC DL Zach Allen pic.twitter.com/YU6HfsUQ6j

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 27, 2019

Allen has improved even more from his impressive days in college. He’s strong, anticipates the snap count and creates disrupted dropbacks. Sacks are surface level stats, but scouts know that players like Allen can be disruptive with pressures, batted passes, and sacks. That’s why he’s likely to be regularly double-teamed by opponents in 2023.

In the middle of the defensive, D.J. Jones brings Pro Bowl caliber play to the field. Jones is a huge prospect, measuring in at 305 pounds. Most people will see Jones’ size and think he’s just a run-stuffer in the middle of the line. While he is fantastic when it comes to stuffing the run, Jones is much more than a plugger at nose tackle.

When he was with the San Francisco 49ers, I noted how much Jones can get after the passer – and he does it in the most important way. Jones gets you middle pressure. That’s a skill that makes every quarterback look mortal. Edge pressure is great, but passers are getting rid of the football on average in less than 2.5 seconds. The average snap-to-sack time in the NFL just so happens to be 2.5 seconds. When a player can create middle pressure, like Jones does, it creates massive problems for quarterbacks.

Jones is incredibly athletic for such a big man. He’s strong in the middle, so running at him doesn’t make sense. Teams can double-team Jones, but that frees up guys around him (and behind him) to make plays on the ball. Jones is quick out of his stance, and he knows how to stack moves on his way to the passer. As noted by his six batted passes in 2022, Jones can knock the ball down if he can’t get close enough to bring the quarterback down. Having Jones and Allen on the defensive line gives the Broncos great strength, it’s just the question marks behind those two that will need to step up in 2023.

The position opposite Allen will be competed for in camp, but for the purposes of this article I’m going to put Matt Henningsen at the RDE. He could win the job, but Eiyoma Uwazurike has the higher upside (more on him later) and could show that in camp. Henningsen was a sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin last year, and he was able to see the field as a rookie for 229 snaps on defense (with another 193 snaps on special teams).

Watching Henningsen this offseason, I saw a player who looked like a smaller version of Allen. It’s not just his physique, but it’s the way he moves on the practice field. Henningsen has the same technique that Allen does – he’s just not as big or as fast/quick as the star defensive end. Like Allen, Henningsen is a hustle player, and he does not slow down. Because of his size limitations, I am concerned that opponents will run his direction often. Running at Allen or Jones is not wise, so that means Henningsen’s side will get a lot of attention. He needs to be ready for that and hold up to teams that try to wear him down with big backs running his way.

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Backups: Eyioma Uwazurike, Elijah Garcia, Jonathan Harris, Jordan Jackson, Haggai Ndubuisi, Mike Purcell, (NT) Tyler Lancaster, (NT) P.J. Mustipher

I like some of the players they have as reserves on the roster. However, this lack of depth and experience with the talented players they do have is a concern for me entering training camp. As camp and the preseason progresses, we’ll see if some of these players emerge as stronger options than I currently believe some of them are.

I almost put Eyioma Uwazurike in the starting lineup instead of Henningsen.

IASt DL Eyioma Uwazurike is 6'5", 310 lbs but looks like a 270-pounder on this play (and many others). Can play between the OGs and also 5T, standing up to double teams and working his way to the ballcarrier. Versatile, hard-nosed defender. #SnapScout22 pic.twitter.com/6688ulruuj

— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) May 24, 2021

I believe in Uwazurike’s talent, but he’s a bit wild on the practice field. Henningsen is technically sound, but he does not have the athleticism or quick burst that Uwazurike has. I like the way Uwazurike gets off the line quickly, and he’s got multiple moves to get around the passer. I’d like to see him have a better plan at the snap, as oftentimes his moves are unbridled. If he can refine his technique and learn to stack those multiple moves, then Uwazurike should impress enough to be considered a starter. In addition to his quickness off the line, Uwazurike has good burst to the ball-carrier or the quarterback.

Jonathan Harris is another player who could push for the RDE job in camp. Undrafted out of Lindenwood in 2019, Harris spent some time with the Bears as a rookie before the Broncos signed him. He’s been here developing for some time, and he’s making the most of his skill set at the pro level. Harris has bounced between the active roster and the practice squad during that time, but this season is the greatest opportunity he will have. He’s a solid player who makes little mistakes on the line. He’s got the capability of making plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and it’s those type of pressure plays that might get Harris further up the depth chart than some think.

There’s a chance that Mike Purcell might be on the roster bubble this year. I don’t think he should be, but if the Broncos are in a pinch financially, they could move on because Purcell has a cap hit of $3.78 million with less than $300k in dead money. That could put Purcell on the street, but the talent behind him on the depth chart could prove to be looking further into as we already know what Purcell can do at the pro level. He’s a solid player who contributes for the Broncos’ defense as a run-stuffing hustle player on the inside. Purcell missed some time this offseason after undergoing offseason surgery, but if he doesn’t make the team, it’s strictly a financial decision – every team should want a guy like Purcell on the 53-man roster.

Elijah Garcia was undrafted out of Rice last year, but he did land with the Los Angeles Rams where he spent time on their practice squad. He’s a good mover at 305 pounds, and Garcia does a good job of finding the ball-carrier quickly. If a quarterback is on the move, Garcia has the closing burst to get to him quickly. While he can hold up against the run, you would not classify Garcia as a run-stuffer. He’s a rotational-type player who can come into the game and create pressure from the middle of the line.

The Broncos signed Jordan Jackson to a reserve/future contract in January, and he officially joined the 90-man offseason roster in March. A 2022 sixth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, Jackson spent his rookie season on their practice squad. Coming out of Air Force, Jackson had great discipline as a prospect and is known as a smart player. He’s a defensive tackle, but Jackson was known to get after the quarterback in college. He’s a tenacious player who understands how to use leverage to his advantage. I would love to see him land on the practice squad.

Haggai Ndubuisi joined the Broncos in early May as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. He spent time with the Cardinals in 2022 as an offensive lineman, and now he’s trying to earn a spot with the Broncos on the defensive side of the ball. He makes big players look small because he’s absolutely massive at 6-feet, 7-inches and 323 pounds. Coming from Nigeria, Ndubuisi played soccer as a youth and has only played American football for the last five years. He’s the longest of long shots, but we’ll see how he looks in camp. Ndubuisi could be a diamond in the rough.

Tyler Lancaster is a seasoned nose tackle who spent most of his career as a reserve/rotational player for the Green Bay Packers. Undrafted out of Northwestern in 2018, Lancaster spent four seasons with the Packers (2018-2021) before spending the 2022 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. There’s nothing overwhelming about his game; he’s just a solid player who knows how to stuff the run. In addition to what he can do as a reserve inside, Lancaster has turned into a good special teams player. In fact, it’s his ability on special teams that could have the best chance of earning him a spot on the final roster.

P.J. Mustipher was picked up as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State earlier this year. He’s a big prospect (320 pounds) who is best at stuffing the run. He does a good job holding up at the point of attack because of his anchor, but at 6-feet, 4-inches Mustipher does tend to get too upright at times. He’s got long arms to keep blockers away from his body, but Mustipher needs to play with more violent striking hands. I like his blend of work ethic and natural size, but I think Mustipher needs to develop on the practice squad – if he can do enough in training camp to earn that spot.

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The Broncos do not lack talent on the defensive line. They have a bunch of inexperienced players outside of their two starters Allen and Jones (plus Purcell as a reserve if he makes the team). I see a lot of players worth developing, but I’m not sure if they’re just going to be solid in the pros or if there’s some star upside from these backups.

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