Projected Broncos' starters who could be on the bench come week one

Projected Broncos' starters who could be on the bench come week one
3. Kareem Jackson, S

Kareem Jackson is back for his fifth season with the Denver Broncos after coming over from the Houston Texans in the 2019 offseason. He's also on his third contract with the Broncos, which is simply insane to think about.

Jackson is well into his 30s and is very much a declining player. He's virtually nonexistent in coverage at this point, and I think the only thing he may be good for at this stage in his career is the veteran presence and the occasional splash play where he lowers his shoulder and levels an offensive player.

I really didn't think the Broncos had any reason to bring Jackson back for yet another year, but here we are, and he's currently projected as a starter for the Denver Broncos, at least according to ESPN.com. The Broncos have a good bit of young safeties waiting in the wings, and I think Caden Sterns ends up as the starter opposite Justin Simmons to begin week one.

Sterns has shown a ton of potential in his first two seasons in the NFL. The Broncos also drafted JL Skinner in the 2023 NFL Draft, so there's another safety on the team. I just think Jackson being in the starting lineup is going to do more harm than good at this point.

Denver should rest easy knowing they still have Justin Simmons, even if a young safety like Sterns or Skinner is starting next to him.