5 Broncos whose jobs are in danger after the 2022 NFL Draft

Broncos player no. 4: Mike Purcell, DL

A healthy Mike Purcell could still be a very effective piece on the Denver Broncos’ defensive line.

The issue is, Purcell’s availability over the past couple of seasons has been rather sparse, and his impact when on the field has not matched up to the 2019 production that earned him a new contract in the first place.

The Denver Broncos drafted a pair of defensive linemen in 2022 and also have 2021 draft pick Marquiss Spencer who could take a step forward in 2022.

You would love to see the Broncos keep as many of the players that they have drafted recently as possible, but obviously, if Purcell is able to show the kind of impact we saw from him a couple of seasons ago, you aren’t letting that go in all likelihood.

It would be great to see Purcell healthy and able to contribute in 2022 but should the Broncos go a different direction?

Should DJ Jones be playing more snaps as the nose tackle with young players like Eyioma Uwazurike, McTelvin Agim, and even Matt Henningsen getting the lion’s share of snaps at the other defensive end position opposite Dre’Mont Jones?

The Broncos could save over $2 million by cutting Purcell at some point this offseason but that will obviously depend completely on whether or not he can prove himself worthy of a spot in the rotation of Ejiro Evero’s defense.

Purcell is primarily a two-down, run-stuffing defensive lineman. It was clear the Broncos missed him when he was out last year but like I mentioned — his impact on the field was not as substantial as we saw in 2019 either.