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Denver Broncos: 5 early needs for the 2021 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

Oct 1, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway before the game against the New York Jet at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway before the game against the New York Jet at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos
FOXBOROUGH, MA – OCTOBER 18: Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos reacts after a fumble recovery during the second half of a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 18, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /

4. Safety

Presently, Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson are probably the best duo of safeties in the entire NFL.

As of 2021, will they still have that distinction?

Justin Simmons is a free agent after this year. While there was zero question that he would be with Denver in 2020, the fact that he was not given a long-term deal over the course of the offseason seems to indicate that there is a chance he might not be with the team in 2021.

That has led to some believing he could be traded, which is not happening.

Kareem Jackson has one year on his contract beyond 2020, and with Simmons set to hit free agency in 2021 barring a long-term deal being agreed upon before the new league year, safety has a chance to be a top two or three need, not just fourth.

At this point, I’m still optimistic that a long-term deal will get done with Simmons. He’s simply too valuable to the Broncos on and off the field, and is a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s defense.

Still, the Broncos’ depth behind Simmons and Jackson could be addressed, and they could look to groom someone besides just Trey Marshall to potentially take Jackson’s spot in 2022 if he is kept in 2021.

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