Denver Broncos defensive line depth allows for more creativity up front

The depth on the Denver Broncos’ defensive line will allow for more creativity up front in 2017 than last season, when they struggled against the run…

It’s well known that the Denver Broncos have the best secondary in the NFL. Where they struggled in 2016 was against the run and truthfully, along the defensive line in general. Despite having one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL in Derek Wolfe, the play of the Broncos’ front declined badly last year compared to their championship 2015 unit.

Personnel was an obvious reason for this issue. The Broncos lost Malik Jackson to free agency, and Vance Walker missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Sylvester Williams didn’t play as well in his contract year as he did in 2015, and as a result, the strength of the Broncos’ defense became more of a luxury.

Teams’ ability to run on the Broncos was enough to wear down the defense, and almost take away the strength of the secondary and pass rush.

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The Broncos were still able to put their studs on display last year and win nine games, but the defense was only able to hold for so long because of the ineffective play of the defensive line as a unit.

That’s why this offseason, changing and adding to the personnel along the defensive line was of paramount importance. The Broncos tried (and failed) to acquire Calais Campbell in free agency before he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They promptly went out and brought in Zach Kerr from the Colts, Domata Peko from the Bengals, and they drafted DeMarcus Walker.

Along with returning players Jared Crick, Kyle Peko, Adam Gotsis, and Billy Winn, the Broncos have made some significant strides along the defensive line on paper.

Crick noted that already this offseason, the Broncos are ‘changing a lot of things up’ from last season along the defensive line.

"“Some things could be just us. Some things are obviously going to come from the top. Like I said, as long as it’s a different thing where we’re not sitting targets, gets us moving around a little bit and keeps them guessing, I think it will help out. Like I said, we’ve been doing well so far, and we like it a lot.”DL Jared Crick (quotes obtained via Denver Broncos PR)"

The opportunity to change things up along the defensive line comes from the Broncos’ personnel versatility. They now have three viable options at the nose tackle position in Domata Peko, Kyle Peko, and even Zach Kerr, who can play both end and nose.

The Broncos’ combination of size and quickness is vastly different this year compared to last year, and the number of players they have with versatile skill sets has dramatically increased.

Both Crick and Adam Gotsis, a second year breakout candidate, worked tirelessly this offseason to add weight to their frame to be able to hold up better at the point of attack, while maintaining their quickness and ability to burst off the snap.

DeMarcus Walker, a rookie out of Florida State, doesn’t have the bulk of a traditional 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle, but he has the skills to be very effective immediately as an interior pass rusher.

Both Domata and Kyle Peko have the ability to play right over the center and occupy space, but they can also penetrate and make plays in the backfield with quickness.

Now, it’s simply a matter of putting everything together.

The addition of Zach Kerr could help move things along quickly. His ability to get pressure as a three- or five-technique and also play the one- or zero will allow the Broncos flexibility against the run and pass. At over 330 pounds, Kerr is quick and athletic but also strong at the point of attack. He could be relied upon this year as a starter or someone who plays a majority of snaps.

The Colts didn’t view him as a viable option in their defense, and in a very rare circumstance, the Broncos got a talented young big man on the defensive line with no restricted free agent compensation.

He says the success of the defensive line is reliant on everything working together.

"“I think it works in unison, honestly. You can have a great outside rush, but if you don’t have any push up the middle, then the quarterback is going to have time to step up and elongate plays and things of that nature. I think it all works in unison. If the guys off the edge are rushing and the quarterback steps up, you have push and you have a sack. If you have no push or a lot of push and no guys on the edge, then the quarterback has all day to throw the ball. It all works in unison. You can’t say one part is more important than the other.”DL Zach Kerr"

Kerr also alluded to Gotsis playing some nose tackle, which he says isn’t based on taking up blocks but creating push up the middle of the field and, in turn, disrupting the play.

The Broncos now have plenty of options of guys that can disrupt plays, but like Kerr said, it’s about everything working in harmony. If the defensive line can find that harmony in 2017, we could see the Broncos’ defense ascend to an even higher level this year than they were in 2015.

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