Broncos take another Oklahoma defensive player with fifth-round selection
The Denver Broncos must have liked what they saw out of the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners defense.
After selecting edge rusher Nik Bonitto in round two, the Broncos have drafted safety Delarrin Turner-Yell with the No. 152 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Safety was thought to be a position the Broncos needed more depth at entering this draft, even with the deal to bring Kareem Jackson back into the fold. The Broncos drafted two safeties with fifth-round picks last year (Caden Sterns and Jamar Johnson) and will now add Turner-Yell to the mix as a fifth-round pick.
Broncos have taken two defensive players out of Oklahoma in 2022 draft
Looking at Denver’s depth chart, Jackson and Justin Simmons are the clear starters and Sterns is coming off of a solid rookie season. Johnson, P.J. Locke and free-agent signing J.R. Reed are the other safeties on the roster. The addition of Turner-Yell gives the team more than enough depth at this spot and should set things up well for the future as well.
At Oklahoma, Turner-Yell played in 36 career games and had nearly 200 total tackles. He also had four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Watching Turner-Yell on film, he does seem a bit one-dimensional. He is a player who can contribute in the run game and is a good tackler, but he is going to need some work in pass coverage.
To begin his career, he will have to contribute on special teams to see the field much at all, but he does have plenty of great traits from his tackling ability to his ball skills that will make him a coachable guy who the Broncos should be able to make something out of as time goes on.
The Broncos now have a young safety room behind veterans Simmons and Jackson and with Sterns starting to blossom, the team could have another great duo down the road if either Johnson or Turner-Yell becomes a great fit in their defensive scheme.
Grading the Damarri Mathis selection. light. Hot
Turner-Yell has had some injury issues that caused him to miss some games in college, but he is another aggressive player who, like fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis, should help bring a new physical element to this Broncos defense.