Broncos Defensive Line Taking Shape Before NFL Draft
The Denver Broncos have not been overly active on the free agent market this offseason, but one area of the team where they have made probably the most significant investments.
Early on in free agency, the Broncos signed veteran free agent Vance Walker, who has played for both the Chiefs and Raiders and offers versatility on the defensive line behind Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson.
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Before taking a tour in the AFC West, Walker had established himself as a really solid run defender with the Atlanta Falcons. He is capable of playing the 1- , 3- , and 5-technique positions on the line, and the Broncos can use him all over the place. He has a good, quick burst off the ball and offers some additional upside as a pass rusher on occasion.
What Walker had done so well in the past that made him such a sought after free agent was occupy blockers and effectively execute stunts, and he’ll bring that ability to the Broncos with one of the best coaches in the NFL along the defensive line.
Walker’s contributions might initially go unnoticed, because he’s so good at freeing up space by occupying multiple blockers and allowing pass rushers to work with one-on-one situations.
Now, Walker isn’t Terrance Knighton. He’s not a 340-pound beast in the middle, but he does a few things pretty well and the Broncos are going to be able to utilize him in rotation with some really talented players.
In addition to Walker, the Broncos brought in veteran Antonio Smith, who has been a Pro Bowl player in this league and a team captain. He played last season with the Raiders after finding a pretty dry free agent market for his services, and at 33 years of age, the Broncos still believe he’s got something in the tank.
Furthermore, Smith is the type of guy that can help build up the chemistry in your locker room. John Elway talked about that kind of impact off the field while still making one on it.
“That’s a guy who fits what you do, is the kind of guy you want with your team, has plenty of football left in him and can have impact while he helps your young guys,” Elway said, per an article from ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.
In their free agent film study, the Broncos obviously saw in just short of 800 snaps last year with the Raiders that Smith can still put pressure on the quarterback, and that’s exactly what he’ll be asked to do with the Broncos. Not only is he capable of getting sacks himself, but he can free other guys up to do it as well.
“I expect to play a lot…I’m looking to get a lot of reps…Whatever you need me to play, I’m able to play it. That’s the mindset that I have. The man in front of me, it’s my job to beat him, whether I’m supposed to two-gap him, pass-rush him or put him in the backfield. It’s my job to do it,” Smith said in a conference call with the media.
The Broncos obviously see a huge benefit to having Smith around, and he will split time with Walker, Derek Wolfe, and Malik Jackson, all of whom are going to be very creatively utilized by the Broncos this coming season.
Immediately after the Raiders released Smith, he got a call from the Broncos and it was done shortly after that. This team really valued him when they found out he had become available, so obviously they think he can really help.
Those two guys added to the fray on the defensive line join Wolfe, Jackson, Sylvester Williams, and Marvin Austin. The Broncos could certainly choose to use guys like Gerald Rivers or Kenny Anunike on the defensive line as well, but those guys are penciled in right now as rush linebacker prospects.
It’s possible the team could look to add another defensive lineman via the draft, but right now they have a solid six-man rotation.
The number of defensive linemen on the roster could be exactly this. If the Broncos feel like they can upgrade over Marvin Austin, they might take another nose tackle and let those guys battle it out for spots this offseason. That said, this is a unit right now that has a good mix of veteran experience and youth, but there are question marks surrounding players like Sylvester Williams, who absolutely needs to step up in a big way this season.
The Broncos are going to count on big seasons from Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson as well, but now they at least have cushion with the additions of Walker and Smith. This is a pretty good looking unit and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is what it still looked like when we opened the season.