Who steps up after Broncos lose DL Walker for season?

Denver Broncos defensive end Vance Walker is expected to miss the 2016 season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee during practice Monday morning. It’s an unfortunate injury for the Broncos as Walker was having an outstanding camp and the likely starter at defensive end opposite Derek Wolfe.

Walker had big shoes to fill replacing free agent departure Malik Jackson. Jackson signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars created a huge question mark up front on the league’s best defense. It was Walker who was winning the starting job with his strong play in camp and the preseason.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak showed support for the veteran after it was announced he would miss the 2016 season.

“We think the world of Vance and he was having a great camp. We’ll support him through his recovery, and he’ll come back stronger than ever,” Kubiak said.

With Walker done for the year, who steps up in his place? Let’s take a look:

Next man up is Jared Crick

The Broncos added veteran defensive end Jared Crick earlier this year in free agency. A former member of the Houston Texans, Crick had to decide whether he wanted to stay in Houston or reunite with former Texans defensive coordinator (and current Broncos defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips in Denver. Crick chose a new team and an old system that he can be quite successful in.

He’s a naturally strong player who does a good job of setting the edge as a run defender. Crick gets off the snap quickly, and he will consistently control his man at the point of attack. He may not get you much as a pass rusher (a career high of only 3.5 sacks in 2014), but Crick is a solid player who can start then give way to a rotational player.

Crick understands he’ll now get a chance to fill the role vacated by Jackson.

“He’s a great player. He did a lot of things well,” Crick said. “My biggest thing is to try and get better every single day. At the end of camp, if I keep getting better every day, I’ll be where I want to be.”

The veteran continued: “Once week one starts, we’ll just have to see where I’m at. I just have to play well. We have the coaches, we have the schemes and I have the teammates to be able to allow, not just myself, but everybody on this team to go out there and make plays and do well. We just have to keep grinding through camp and at the end of the day, we’ll see what happens.”

What about rookie Adam Gotsis?

In the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Broncos shocked many draft evaluators (myself included) when they selected defensive end Adam Gotsis out of Georgia Tech. Born and raised in Australia, Gotsis has not been playing football long, and he has a lot to learn.

In college, Gotsis flashes strength and burst to the quarterback from time to time. However, consistency is not a hallmark of his game. In order to play up to his potential, Gotsis will need to show well on every snap and not disappear during games like he was known to do in college.

Kubiak likes what he’s seen from the rookie.

“He is getting in better physical condition. I think it took a while coming off his knee, so you see him improving his physical condition at practice,” Kubiak said. “He’s taking what (defensive line coach) Bill (Kolar) teaches. He’s still has a long way to go as a young player, but obviously we’re counting on him big time.”

Gotsis is clearly a favorite of the coaching staff, and the rookie has taken to the coaching of legendary defensive line coach Kollar. Still a raw prospect, the upside is intriguing when considering what Gotsis can be when fully developed. He may have been overdrafted, but Gotsis will have the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong – likely with a larger role in 2016 than most expected when he was drafted.

Is Billy Winn a sleeper at the position?

In a move that went under the radar earlier this month, the Broncos signed veteran defensive lineman Billy Winn after they put nose tackle Phil Taylor on injured reserve. Winn is a fifth-year player who appeared in 52 regular-season games (21 starts) during his first four seasons with Cleveland (2012-14) and Indianapolis (2015). He was selected by the Browns in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft from Boise State.

During his career, Winn has totaled 92 tackles (60 solo), 3 sacks (19 yards), 2 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries.

After his junior season at Boise State, there were some in the scouting community who considered Winn a late first-round prospect. A disappointing senior season caused his draft stock to tumble, and Winn has never been able to produce up to the potential he showed years ago.

Winn has good length for the position, allowing him to make up ground quickly when looking to snare the quarterback or the ball carrier. He’s strong and able to hold his own as a run defender. Winn is not going to get out of position on the edge, and he knows how to keep containment on the outside. While not overly quick or overly fast, Winn does a good job of staying technically sound and in position.

Free agent possibilities

At this time of year, there are not many free agents out there on the open market. Taking a look at some of the available players, and you can see that the cupboards are virtually bare at the position.

Antonio Smith is still out there on the open market. He was signed by the Broncos in April of 2015 and played 333 defensive snaps through the season. Smith finished the year with 9 tackles and 2.5 sacks, plus he chipped in with another 3 tackles and a sack during the postseason. He’ll be 35 years old during the season this year, and while he may not be an ideal signing Smith is certainly a player to consider if the defensive depth is further tested.

Jeremy Mincey is another former Broncos defender who is still available. He played with the Broncos back in 2013 but has spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys. After leading the team with 6.0 sacks in 2014, Mincey didn’t record a single quarterback takedown in 2015. He also saw his snaps cut from 813 to 386 during that time. It would be surprising to see the Broncos add Mincey to this mix as they have better and younger talent already on the roster.

There are some interesting names which are available like Mike DeVito or B.J. Raji, but both of those players retired earlier this year. It’s likely the Broncos just stay put with the depth they’ve already established.

Summary

The Broncos have quality depth on the defensive side of the ball, but it is certainly being tested now with Walker on injured reserve.

I’ve always felt it was going to take two defenders to replace Malik Jackson, and I still feel that way now that Walker is out. Jared Crick gets the first crack at winning the starting job, but this line is going to rotate players no matter who gets the starting nod.

There’s an opportunity for Adam Gotsis to earn a large role with the Broncos this year. Still recovering from a knee injury that ended his final season at Georgia Tech, Gotsis is likely best used as a part-time player. Getting his freakish strength on the field during passing situations could come in handy for a Phillips defense that creates a ton of pressure on the quarterback.

Reserve players like Billy Winn now have a better shot to make the 53-man roster. Having experienced veterans will give the team a sense of calm while continuing through the preseason. An undrafted rookie like Eddie Yarbrough is more likely to make the final roster now with Walker out. That should be more of a possibility than the Broncos making a move in free agency for a veteran.

It’s not a great situation for the Broncos, but they’ve got the depth and talent to continue strong play from what should once again be the best defense in the NFL.