Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos defense was one of the best in the league last season. One of the reasons why was the improved play of their defensive line. This season, the group is poised to be even better than last year.
The Denver Broncos endured a lot of success on the defensive side of the ball in 2024. There was a night and day difference between 2023 and last season. Top-tier play in the trenches a large factor in their ability to buck a decade drought of missing the post season.
They were much better against the run, and their ability to get after the quarterback was a key reason why the franchise led the league in sacks. Continuity along the defensive line is a draw for the Broncos this season and it’s expected that they will keep performing at a high level.
They are slated to bring back their top four players with respect to snap share for their 2025 campaign and even added to the unit in the third round of this past draft. Let’s take a deeper look at the Broncos’ defensive line for the coming season.
Note: The team’s edge rushers will be featured in their own positional review as opposed to being lumped in here.
Zach Allen — All-Pro Starter
When the Broncos signed Zach Allen several years ago to replace Dre’Mont Jones, it wasn’t immediately clear that it was the right call. Fast forward two years later and all of Broncos Country knows it was a great decision. One player has continued his ascent to one of the better interior defensive linemen in the league, while the other has floated into obscurity.
In his sixth year in the NFL, Allen put together his best season of his career. He racked up 61 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 40 quarterback hits, and 8.5 sacks. His production earned him second-team All-Pro honors. Entering the final year of his three-year, $45.75 million dollar deal, Allen is on the verge of a significant pay raise that will likely make him one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in football.
Allen should be another impact player for the Broncos in 2025. Last season, he played nearly 84-percent of the total defensive snaps. That’s an incredibly high number and I expect that to drop down a tick. However, I still feel his production will be on par to last season.
John Franklin-Myers — Underrated Starter
On Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, General Manager George Paton crafted a trade to bring John Franklin-Myers to the Mile High City to improve their defensive trenches. All it cost was a late-round pick swap.
The addition of Franklin-Myers to the Broncos’ defensive front was a great move. In his first season with the Broncos, the former New York Jet had a quality year and posted career highs with respect to tackles and sacks. His ability to rush the passer and also defend the run helped transform the...
