Grading each position group on the Denver Broncos roster
Grading each positional unit on the 2022 Denver Broncos – Defense/Special Teams
Secondary: A-
The Denver Broncos’ secondary gets an A-. They have two very good safeties and three legitimate starting cornerbacks. It’s arguably the best unit in the NFL, but I dinged them because both Ronald Darby and K’Waun Williams come with injury concerns, and Kareem Jackson is 34 years old.
Justin Simmons also turns 29 this season, along with Ronald Darby. K’Waun Williams is 31 years old. It’s an old unit, but a savvy and experienced one that should be near the top of the league in passing defense.
Inside linebackers: C+
The Broncos’ inside linebackers get a C+. A lot of teams are prioritizing this position less and less, but I think the Broncos have a ton of room to do more here. Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith, the two projected starters, can form an underrated duo.
Jewell was re-signed this offseason and Griffith was acquired in a trade with the 49ers last summer. The level of players behind them is scary, in my opinion. I think Denver should consider signing Blake Martinez, who was recently released from the Giants.
OLB/EDGE: B
This unit gets a solid B, but I think it can turn into an A by the end of the season. There are three new bodies in this unit that’ll likely play heavy roles in 2022, so they get a B simply because we haven’t seen them in action yet.
Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory come with injury concerns, and Nik Bonitto and Baron Browning have virtually no experience playing EDGE at the NFL level. The talent is clearly there to be one of the best groups in the NFL, but again, I’d like to see them in action first before making that kind of declaration.
Defensive line: B-
The defensive line gets a B-. I love Dre’Mont Jones and DJ Jones. They can both have Pro Bowl-type seasons, but I’m not sure who else can be trusted besides them. I don’t love the idea of DeShawn Williams starting, and Mike Purcell hasn’t been able to return to his 2019/2020 form.
The two rookies along the line likely need time to adjust, so I don’t think we can count on them just yet. This unit does have a ton of potential as well. One of my main concerns with this group is if one of the Joneses needs to miss time with an injury. Who will step up?
Special Teams: B
Brandon McManus has been a solid kicker during his career in Denver and has given the team mostly reliable play from an important position. He’s not elite, but he’s made 84% of his kicks over the last three seasons.
He’s got a big enough leg to boot some 50+ yarders and has only missed four kicks from inside 50 yards over the last three campaigns. He’s gone 82/87 on extra points in that timeframe as well.
Corliss Waitman is the Denver Broncos’ new punter, winning the job from Sam Martin. Waitman made seven punts for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, punting an average of 52.1 yards and a long of 63. He appears to have a massive leg which would be a huge advantage playing in Denver.
Some may agree with my letter grades, and some may disagree, but I think it’s clear that Denver has a few excellent position groups, many solid ones, and a couple that could use a little boost.