Denver Broncos: 3 things I like, 3 things I question from 2021 NFL Draft
By Noah Smith
What I Liked: Back-to-Back Safeties in the 5th Round
Safety has been a sneaky-big need for the Denver Broncos, despite having one of the top safety duos in the league between Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Behind them, no one has stepped up to be a consistent contributor.
The closest thing the Broncos have had to a third contributor was Will Parks, who recently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Trey Marshall is a young player who hasn’t impressed on the field enough to solidify his status as true depth behind the two starters and could be on the hot seat during training camp.
The two safeties the Broncos took, Caden Sterns and Jamar Johnson, each possess unique skillsets and could fill different roles. Sterns is an ultra-athletic prospect who has struggled with injuries, as well as inconsistent play throughout his time at Texas. However, the high end is there for Sterns, proven by his Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year award in 2018.
Sterns has ball production to go along with his athleticism, with 5 interceptions and 8 passes defended in 29 career games at Texas, per SportsReference. The combination of athleticism and ball skills makes Sterns an intriguing option for Ed Donatell and Vic Fangio to work with.
The other safety taken in the 5th round, Jamar Johnson, was considered a sleeper leading up to the draft by many analysts. Johnson lacks the freakish athleticism of Sterns, but had excellent ball production in 2020, including 4 interceptions and 4 passes defended in only 8 games, per SportsReference.
Johnson’s instincts and ball skills make him an intriguing option as a plug-and-play option in the secondary behind Simmons and Jackson and could lead to meaningful snaps throughout the 2021 NFL Season. Tackling has been an issue for Johnson throughout his time at Indiana, but his instincts might be too enticing to keep him off the field for Fangio.
Sterns’ game is incredibly versatile and could be used in a number of different ways in the secondary, as well as in the box. Sterns’ speed and explosiveness could be used as a blitzer, but also as a coverage player in the box and in run support. Sterns will have an excellent opportunity to learn behind Kareem Jackson and develop his game at the pro level.
George Paton knocked his two 5th round selections out of the park with the picks of Sterns and Johnson. Both provide intriguing developmental tools and ability for Ed Donatell and Vic Fangio to work with and could be key contributors sooner rather than later for the Denver Broncos.