The Denver Broncos again sported one of the best defenses in the NFL last season. In each of the last two years, the Broncos have led the NFL in sacks. And really, ever since that amazing mid-season turnaround back in 2023, the Broncos defense has consistently been a top-5 unit in the league.
With many of the same faces set to return, there isn't a reason to believe that another successful year can't happen. Yes, no defense is perfect, as Denver's does seem to be more of a NASCAR group than a muscle car group, if that makes sense.
There was also a clear area of regression that the defense unfortunately dealt with, and even with training camp still weeks away, it has already become a clear area of improvement for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who is back for his fourth year on the job.
Denver Broncos DC Vance Joseph clearly wants a bigger improvement in the turnover margin
From Jeff Legwold in ESPN, it could not be clearer how much of an emphasis this defense is putting on turnovers in the 2026 season:
"'You have to look at that,' Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto said. 'We made so many plays, the sacks, third downs, stop the run. And the turnovers didn't really come with it. We always say they come in bunches, but the bunches didn't really come.
'[I have to] turn some of those sacks into a takeaway, get the ball out. We're there, we make the plays, so get the ball out. That's been a big thing this offseason.'
It was one of the first topics Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph addressed with the players when they arrived for the offseason program in May. And those players fully expect it to be one of the first items to be covered when training camp starts later this month.
'It was right on the board,' Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga said. 'At the top.'"
This is great to here - those last two paragraphs from Legwold and the quote from Talanoa Hufanga really paint a picture of how the Broncos plan on approaching the defense. Yes, you can't solely focus on turnovers, but this is already looked at as a major point of emphasis, and the numbers from 2025 prove it.
The Broncos finished with 14 turnovers, which ranked 26th in the NFL. Denver recovered just three fumbles, which was tied for the fewest. Denver's 14 turnovers were also tied for the least among 2025 playoff teams, as the Green Bay Packers also had 14. The Broncos also had a negative turnover differential at -3 in 2025.
The 2024 season was a lot different. Denver had 24 turnovers in 2024, which was tied for the 7th-most in the NFL, and they were +5 in the turnover margin. For whatever reason, this all fell apart in 2025, and while turnovers are sometimes sheer luck, it's also a concern.
And seeing as Joseph is one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, it's not at all a shock that improving in this category was made a point of emphasis two months ago now. In 2024, the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles had the 5th-most turnovers in the NFL. In 2025, the Seattle Seahawks had the 5th-most as well.
The last two seasons have shown us that turnovers on defense can coorelate to deep playoff success. The Broncos do stop the run well, get to the quarterback better than any team in the league, and are also quite good in high-leverage situations, but the one thing that is missing from this unit is the turnovers.
And it's obvious that Joseph wants to change that for 2026.
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