The Denver Broncos defense in the 2015 NFL Season was one of the best defenses of all-time. Could their 2025 defense flirt with that greatness? I really do not think it's out of the realm of possibility, as the Broncos really shored up their defense in the offseason, and it was already an elite unit.
The 2015 defense featured key players like Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Chris Harris Jr, Aqib Talib, and many others. It was a truly historic unit and was able to drag Peyton Manning and that inept offense to the Super Bowl 50 title over the Carolina Panthers.
Ever since then, Denver has not had any issues fielding top-tier defenses, and you really have to wonder if the 2025 Broncos defense could end up being nearly as good as the 2015 unit...
The Denver Broncos projected starting defense could flirt with the greatness of 2015
Let's look at some numbers from the 2024 Denver Broncos defense and the 2015 Denver Broncos defense.
In 2015, the Broncos defense ranked 4th in points allowed with 18.5. They racked up 52 sacks, 86 tackles for loss, and 123 QB hits. They allowed 19 touchdown passes, an opposing passer rating of 78.8, and intercepted 14 passes. In 2015, they allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the NFL, allowing just 1,337 yards on the ground.
In 2024, the Broncos defense ranked 3rd in points allowed with 18.3. They racked up 63 sacks, 94 tackles for loss, and 142 QB hits. They allowed 22 touchdown passes, an opposing passer rating of 86.2, and intercepted 15 passes. Denver allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the NFL in 2024, allowing just 1,639.
When you lay out certain stats, the two defense do seem to be quite comparable, and when you consider that Denver did get better at linebacker and safety, the two weakest positions, you have to wonder if the 2025 version could flirt with the greatness of 2015.
It's also yet another year of Vance Joseph as the defensive coordinator, which is huge for the overall chemistry of the unit. We saw this unit turn itself around about halfway through the 2023 NFL Season, and they have not looked back since.
Look, I am not saying that the 2025 Broncos defense is going to be another all-time great that leads them to the Super Bowl, but you have to wonder just how close they could get to the greatness of the 2015 unit.