Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Rams: Five predictions
5. Defensive Stud
The defensive side of the ball has been a bit neglected this offseason but Broncos fans have plenty to be excited about with Wade Phillips’ unit.
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In particular, the secondary is an incredibly deep unit with the potential to be even better this season thanks to the arrival of rookie third round pick Justin Simmons, one of the most athletic safeties in this year’s class.
In fact, Simmons is one of the most athletic players coming from this class in general, as he showed at the Scouting Combine. Simmons’ athleticism and intelligence as a player are certain to earn him plenty of early playing time, and with the starting unit playing more tonight than any other preseason game, we’ll get to see more of Simmons with the rest of the No Fly Zone than we have in any other exhibition matchup.
With all of the great players around him, I am going to predict that Simmons has a showcase game for the Broncos tonight, proving his worth as the primary backup safety, specifically in coverage. There’s no doubt he has the range to be a ballhawk for this team, but Simmons can also deliver punishing hits.
He’s already fitting in with this defense in practices, and now it’s time for us all to see it in a game. It’s not that he has done poorly to this point, but I think Simmons is in line for a big game.