Denver Broncos projected to have Number 1 defense by ESPN’s Mike Clay
The Denver Broncos have made several upgrades to their defense and ESPN’s Mike Clay ranks them at the top of the NFL heading into the 2021 season.
Who the Denver Broncos will target in the 2021 draft, may have what General Manager George Paton believes he has on defense.
The first time General Manager has seemed to believe that “defense wins championships”, and he focused on bringing a vaunted defense back to Denver.
The Denver Broncos have been good on defense that last few seasons, but not dominant since their 2015 Super Bowl 50 run behind the No-Fly-Zone.
The 2021 version has a chance to be great. Maybe not 2015 All-Time great, but there is a real chance this group can be truly special.
Mike Clay of ESPN projects offensive and defensive units before each season. His 2021 NFL Unit Grades should provide fans insight into how well this team can be. Overall, Clay projects the Denver Broncos overall to be one of the 15 best teams in the NFL.
However, the offense is near the bottom with a projection of number 28 out of 32 teams. That score is a direct correlation to the below-average quarterback play last season and running back positions (even though Melvin Gordon had a productive 2020 campaign).
However, Clay is a believer in the Broncos defense in all phases.
Updated 2021 NFL Unit Grades#clayprojections pic.twitter.com/JXL7Nt2Qz0
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 14, 2021
Breaking down the position group scores, Clay seems to be fairly accurate in his projections.
Defensive line – Clay scored the defensive front a 2.0/4.0
The first order of business for George Paton was re-signing the outstanding and criminally underrated Shelby Harris. The defensive lineman is known not only for getting to the quarterback but knocking down passes. Harris coupled with run-stuffing Mike Purcell and ascending Dre’Mont Jones provides the team with a stout front capable of keeping other teams from gaining traction on the ground.
The lack of elite pressure from all three positions pushes the score down, which is understandable. However, what Clay may have missed is the design of Fangio’s defense and how each individual technique is to be played. The team works in unison to create pressure, and may not call for players, like Purcell, to focus on winning one-on-one matchups to maximize opportunities for other players.
Overall, Clay fairly assessed this group though I expect their score to go up as the season plays out.
Edge – Clay scored the defensive front a 3.8/4.0
The Denver Broncos boast one of the best 1-2 punches in the NFL with Pro-Bowl player Bradley Chubb and All-Pro Von Miller. Both are capable of wrecking a game and should be a focus for any offensive coordinator.
However, Chubb and Miller have yet to play together under Vic Fangio for a full season. Both have suffered injuries, robbing the defensive mastermind Fangio the opportunity to devise schemes with his two best players. That should change this year as we sit today. Throw in reserve Malik Reed and his 8 sacks from 2020, and the team has as good of a top three as anyone in the NFL.
Clay’s only error in assessing this group is having the Cleveland Browns as the only team ahead of the Denver Broncos in terms of edge players.
Linebacker – Clay scored the defensive front a 3.3/4.0
The one projected score that surprises me in being “too high” is the linebacker rating. Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell had nice seasons in 2020 and there is no reason they cannot play better in 2021.
Denver Broncos fans have been thirsty for a speedy linebacker, which neither Johnson and Jewell are. We may have been blinded as to how good this duo played. Outside of Chief tight end, Travis Kelse and some struggle with Las Vegas’s Darren Waller in the team faired very well against tight ends over the last two seasons.
The fan base may just be suffering from PTSD dating back to the Vance Joseph defensive era.
Clay sees this pairing as a really good group, and the more I look into it I might agree. Though I think the ranking is high, maybe we should appreciate how well these two played a bit more.
Cornerback – Clay scored the defensive front a 3.3/4.0
Cornerback is the position most renovated on the entire Denver Broncos roster. Out is A.J. Bouye and in are Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller. Both players provide a boost to a room decimated by injuries in 2020.
The team recognized the secondary had to improve if they could compete with the Kansas City Cheifs and Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 season, as both teams are primed to be tops in the league passing.
Holdovers Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia give the team a solid top 4. Though I believe this score is too low, the top three corners and potential injury factors must be accounted for. Overall Clay has this group as the number six secondary in the NFL, which is very good.
Safety – Clay scored this unit a 4.0/4.0
Lastly, the Denver Broncos boast the best safety duo in the NFL. Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson complement each other phenomenally, and Clay captured that perfectly in his rankings.
Simmons is able to play all over the field and is his best in coverage either in man or playing over the top. Last season, Simmons earned Pro-Bowl honors after receiving All-Pro recognition in 2019. Simmons is still young and should even get better.
Jackson, though well into his career, continues to play at a high level since moving from cornerback to safety in 2019. Jackson provides the physicality and attitude this defense needs while also playing sound fundamental football.
Together, this group is as good as any position group you will find.
Summary
Clay seemed to accurately capture the Broncos defense, and it showed in the team’s projection as the number 1 defense in the NFL.
Now, I also expect them to add to this group in the NFL draft, which should be a scary notion for the rest of the NFL.