The Denver Broncos are hurting on the defensive line. They are going to need help from some rookies with no experience against the Chiefs.
The Denver Broncos are bleeding on the defensive line heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After placing defensive end Derek Wolfe on injured reserve two weeks ago, the Broncos have seen a variety of injuries strike the defensive line, unfortunately to the majority of the players they have left with any sort of experience.
Adam Gotsis is out with a knee injury. DeMarcus Walker and Dre’Mont Jones are both out with ankle injuries.
In case you’re not keeping count, that’s four of the Broncos’ top defensive linemen out either for the remainder of the season or at least against the Kansas City Chiefs. As a result, the Broncos are having to scramble to assemble a defensive line unit comprised of players who know the system.
The team is making a couple of roster moves to adjust to the injuries they’re currently dealing with along the defensive line, reportedly signing Kyle Peko in free agency and also reportedly signing rookie Deyon Sizer off the practice squad.
If the Broncos take all five of their current ‘healthy’ defensive linemen on the active roster, the group will look something like this:
- Shelby Harris
- Mike Purcell
- Jonathan Harris
- Deyon Sizer
- Kyle Peko
Of these five players, only Harris and Purcell have any regular season action at all with the Broncos.
Peko played a bit for Buffalo but both Harris and Sizer are rookies who have been either on the practice squad or inactive.
This should be interesting.
The Broncos are getting set to take on reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes without the majority of their players they went into this season thinking would make up their defensive front seven. We’ll get a chance to find out what kind of true defensive mastermind Fangio is as the Broncos typically utilize a 5-2 base look.
Players like Von Miller and Malik Reed are going to be counted on to make plays off the edge in this game, and the Broncos will likely use a lot of stunting and blitzing to get pressure on Mahomes without guys who have proven they can just win 1-on-1 matchups.