Mile High Report
A lot can change in a year’s time. The Denver Broncos’ turnaround on defense last season offers proof of that.
Back during the 2023 season, Defensive Vance Coordinator and his players struggled immensely. Most certainly, it wasn’t the Mile High reunion anyone was hoping for. The defense ranked 27th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed. Moreover, advanced statistics and analytics showed them near the bottom of most categories of interest.
But last season, the Broncos did a much better job on that side of the ball. They were third and seventh best in the league in the aforementioned rankings. On top of that, they made significant strides in EPA/Play and defensive success rate ranking in the top third of the league.
They led the National Football League with 63 sacks in ‘24 and sported a much-improved run defense Additionally, more than a handful of players on that side of the ball had career years–headlined by cornerback Patrick Surtain II earning Defensive Player of the Year Honors. Unfortunately, down the stretch, they had a few rough games dealing with injuries and struggled to put together complete games.
With respect to last season, their efforts could best be described as aggressive and opportunistic. However, any fan across Broncos Country would attest they certainly struggled with being consistent. This season, Joseph is looking forward to solving those lapses in consistency in his pursuit of making this year’s defense dominant.
“I think the next step is avoiding the awkward big plays, the awkward series. If you’re going to be a top defense in this league, just consistency, building depth to do that and over a long season is important for us. I’d say every defense’s goal is to always be consistent, and if you’re going to be dominant, that’s every down, every game, every quarter. That’s our goal,” stated Joseph.
One aspect that will help with being more consistent on the field is continuity. Drawing a rare benefit, most all the coaches and starting players from last year’s squad are back for the upcoming 2025 campaign. Another would be several key additions during this offseason. The Broncos utilized significant resources in free agency and the NFL Draft to help get the defense to the next level.
This past April, Denver drafted Texas standout Jahdae Barron in the first round to help with their coverage prowess. In the third round, they added LSU’s Saivion Jones to their defensive line with the hopes he can eventually become a starter. Both rookies have the potential to have promising rookie seasons, though the most immediate impact toward consistency will come from veterans.
The Broncos made a splash prying the former San Francisco 49ers duo Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga at the beginning of free agency. When healthy, those two have proven to be impact defenders that have the capability of making game changing plays. Joseph took the time to praise them after today’s practice.
“They’ve made their mark because of how hard they play. It’s been...
