Starters: Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson
With Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, the Broncos have a terrific combination at safety to be sure.
The team applied its franchise tag to Simmons and will look to secure him with a long-term deal soon. Jackson had a great first season with the team as one of its big free-agent acquisitions last year and is poised to put together a fitting encore.
But the team better hope neither of these guys gets hurt, at least as things currently stand. Here are the names of the other safeties on the roster: Trey Marshall, P.J. Locke, Kahani Smith, Tyvis Powell.
You get the point, there’s not much back there.
The Broncos do need to look for more safety depth in this draft, but you also don’t plan for your starters to not be available. You plan for them to put in a 16-game season.
In Simmons, the Broncos have one of the league’s fastest-rising young safeties, capable of being as good as any in the league soon. He does a little bit of everything and could follow in the footsteps of some great safeties the team has had in its history.
Jackson is a great complement to Simmons. The Broncos got everything they hoped for in him when they signed him last offseason and though he was suspended for the final two games of the season for a previous DUI arrest, he should come back ready for another big season in 2020.
The starting safeties are about everything you can ask for, the depth could use some help.
All in all, this defense has the makings to be one of the best in the league from top to bottom. If the Broncos add help along the defensive line, inside linebacker, cornerback and a backup safety in the draft, and hit on each of those picks, of course, this defense won’t have many holes.