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Denver Broncos brick, mortar and scrap: Defensive line overview

By Aric Manthey

DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 25: Defensive end Shelby Harris #96 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after a fourth quarter interception to seal the Denver Broncos 24-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on November 25, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 25: Defensive end Shelby Harris #96 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after a fourth quarter interception to seal the Denver Broncos 24-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on November 25, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 29: Defensive tackle Shelby Harris #96 of the Denver Broncos celebrates with teammates nose tackle Mike Purcell #98 and linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu #97 after he deflected a pass during a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter by the Oakland Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High on December 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 16-15. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

In this edition of “Brick, Mortar and Scrap”, we take a look at the Defensive Line and see who can help the Denver Broncos in 2020.

Just like the offensive line, the defensive line is where every play starts. The majority of successful teams will have effective play from both sides of the line and for the Denver Broncos to succeed in 2020, I think they need to ensure that the DL is just as good as the OL.

This position group showed its versatility and raw talent at different points in 2019 but for it to keep growing, they must first determine which one of the free agents from this group are worth keeping.

In this edition of “Brick, Mortar and Scrap”, we take a look at the defensive line and see who can help the Broncos in 2020.

Let’s begin.

Derek Wolfe

In some ways, you could say that Derek Wolfe is the heart of the defense. While he’s not always making the flashiest plays and filling up the stat sheet, Wolfe’s presence on the defense cannot be overlooked.

Since coming to Denver as a 2nd-round pick in 2012, Derek Wolfe has done nothing but establish himself as one of the toughest and aggressive players to ever don a Bronco uni. He has started 108 games, racking up 299 tackles and 33 sacks (a career high 7 this past season).

Despite being looked at as a reach of a draft pick,  Wolfe has done nothing but become a stalwart on defense for the last 8 years and is definitely the spirit of the Broncos defense.

After his rookie contract was up in 2015, he took a haircut to stay with the team, inking a 4 year, 36.7 million dollar deal.

At the time, many were surprised that he was willing to take what was considered to be a discount to stay with the team. In an era where players try to get every dollar they can, Wolfe decided to stick to his roots and stay with the team that believed in him most. While I love guys that want to play their entire career for one team, it’s hard to ignore the ability to test the market.

For Wolfe, he may opt to test the free agent waters this time around. He’ll turn 30 later this month and is in the back half of his career. If he thinks he can find a better situation elsewhere, more power to him.

With that said, I do think the Broncos find a way to get a deal done and keep the Wolfe man around for a few more years in the Mile High city.

2020 Status: Mortar

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