Return of Kareem Jackson may not change Denver Broncos potential draft plans
Despite re-signing Kareem Jackson, the Denver Broncos could still look at safeties in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Denver Broncos have brought back starting strong safety Kareem Jackson on a one-year deal. Per Benjamin Allbright, the team and Jackson’s agent had not been in contact with each other since March 23rd, but now the deal is done.
Despite the re-signing, however, the Broncos should not and probably will not shy away from exploring drafting a safety in the upcoming NFL Draft. It just may not be as big of a priority than it would have been had Jackson not been re-signed.
Let me first say that I have a ton of faith in last year’s selection of Caden Sterns. He played exceptionally well in his role, which included two interceptions, three sacks, five passes defended, and 28 tackles (two for loss) in 15 games (2 starts).
I would have said the team could draft a safety within the first four rounds of the draft but we may even see then hold off until the sixth or seventh round. Denver has recently met with a number of potential draft prospects, and even maybe some undrafted free agent safety candidates.
One of those safety prospects is Nick Grant of Virginia. I recently wrote about this, you can check it out here.
Another potential late-round candidate could be Florida A&M’s Markquese Bell. Per Pro Football Network’s scouting report on Bell, he has great athleticism and is very talented when it comes to tracking down the football. He’ll have to focus more on his decision-making, but with proper coaching, he could potentially be a solid selection.
Sterling Weatherford of Miami (Ohio) May interest the Broncos, too. He has a huge build at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. His scouting report states that he may be better at defending the run than being in coverage but the Broncos have a solid foundation at cornerback as well as safety Justin Simmons to take care of that.
On the other hand, it certainly is possible that Weatherford turns into a solid cover safety in time.
So, we don’t know how much more time Kareem Jackson has with the Broncos and even in the NFL as a whole, so it will be important for the team to look ahead.