The Denver Broncos have a plethora of new faces on defense that have been added this offseason. Let's try to project how the starting lineup will look. Man, it's nice to see that the team got serious about fixing their roster's weak spots, especially on defense. The team re-stocked the defensive front and also brought in a few new faces into the secondary.
It's been an encouraging offseason thus far that has simultaneously given the Broncos hope for the present and for the future. There are, however, some starting spots on this unit that aren't 100% obvious at the moment, so let's try to project how the starting lineup looks come Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season.
Projecting the Denver Broncos starting defense after the 2024 NFL Draft
Defensive Line: Zach Allen, DJ Jones, John Franklin-Myers
I have been a prominent member of the "Cut DJ Jones" club for a while now, but at this point, I believe momentum is building for him to return for the final year of his contract. The Denver Broncos did add all of Malcolm Roach, Rashard Lawrence, and Angelo Blackson to the DL room this offseason, who all have connections with either Sean Payton or Vance Joseph. While Jones isn't great, he may end up winning the starting nose tackle job.
But the addition of John Franklin-Myers really shores up this unit. The Broncos starting DL now has two legitimate, every-down defensive ends who can get to the QB. Zach Allen and JFM should be the anchors to this defense, and it's nice that the Broncos pursued and acquired a legitimate defensive end this offseason. Somehow, they acquired JFM for a sixth-round pick.
Outside Linebackers: Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper
The Denver Broncos drafted Jonah Elliss in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, who is another EDGE rusher that has great speed, is twitched up, but struggles to set the edge against the run. The Broncos are still missing their alpha in this room until someone steps up, so for now, I believe that we'll see Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper as the two starters in 2024.
Both are currently best suited as the "sidekick" to a potential alpha pass-rusher if that makes sense, but the Denver Broncos didn't really have an avenue to acquire one this offseason. With the clear improvement of the defensive line, perhaps we see the EDGE rushers take a step forward as well.
Inside Linebackers: Alex Singleton, Cody Barton
Not much to talk about here, as the Denver Broncos did lose Josey Jewell in free agency but did sign Cody Barton, a similar player who figures to start next to Alex Singleton. Second-year player Drew Sanders may begin to settle into this ILB unit, and the Broncos should hopefully get Jonas Griffith back from injury. Griffith has the highest ceiling of any player in this unit and has looked good when he can stay on the field.
The potential duo of Sanders/Griffith might end up being a future starting lineup, but as of now, I believe that we'll see Alex Singleton and Cody Barton, two tackling machines, manning the middle of the Denver Broncos defense in 2024.
Cornerbacks: Patrick Surtain II, Levi Wallace
The Denver Broncos are going to be in a ton of different defensive packages throughout the season, much like other teams. The Broncos do run a base 3-4 defense, which means in this base, there are two starting CBs and two starting safeties. The Broncos do run some nickel, which means they have a fifth defensive back, so in that case, you'd also likely see Ja'Quan McMillian on the field as well.
Anyway, the Broncos added Levi Wallace, a competent veteran CB in free agency and also drafted Kris Abrams-Draine in the 2024 NFL Draft, who comes into a young secondary that features McMillian, Riley Moss, and Damarri Mathis as well. It's a youth movement in this unit for the Broncos, but I believe that Levi Wallace ends up earning the starting job while the youngsters develop.
Safeties: Brandon Jones, PJ Locke III
Brandon Jones is the big change here, coming over in free agency from the Miami Dolphins, and he effectively replaces Justin Simmons' roster spot. The Denver Broncos also re-signed PJ Locke III, who proved to be not only a competent safety, but also a player who can play close to the line of scrimmage, which is crucial for defensive backs in Vance Joseph's defense.
The primary backups here would likely be Caden Sterns and perhaps JL Skinner. The safety room for the Denver Broncos certainly has some youth, which is nice, and while it's not the high-end unit it once was a few years ago with Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, it should be able to hold its own.