ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Recently, when I was anchoring Denver7 Sports, I got a chance to comb through video for the sportscast. Finding highlights of cornerback Pat Surtain II remains difficult, not because of his excellence, but because teams are not tempted to test him. They haven't had to when leading early in games because of the Broncos' inept offense and special teams.
As the Broncos have fallen for the past seven seasons and failed to get up — no playoff berths, six straight losing records — the defense has rarely been the problem, save for 2020.
Last season, the Broncos allowed 21.1 points per game (14th), intercepted 15 passes (10th), produced 23 takeaways (14th), and ranked second in preventing third-down conversions (34.1 percent) and seventh in stopping touchdowns in the red zone (51.1 percent).
They had issues finishing. There's no denying this, though the lack of help from the offense left the defense's elasticity vulnerable to snapping.
Enter Vance Joseph as the new defensive coordinator. This is the same Joseph who was the Broncos head coach in 2017 and 2018, compiling a 11-21 record. Joseph's defenses have flashed promise as a coordinator, and he should benefit from a more defined role that is absent of the drama of the top job. But the pressure is on. There will be no grace period for this group as the Broncos attempt to reach the postseason for the first time since their Super Bowl 50 victory.
A look at my MVPs for the defensive position groups:
DEFENSIVE LINE
Dre'Mont Jones led the Broncos in sacks last season as interior defender. He defected to the Seahawks. The Broncos replaced him with Zach Allen. And he needs to be better than Jones, showing more rigidity in the run game, while reaching seven sacks.
Allen posted a career-high 5.5 last season for Joseph's Cardinals along with 20 quarterback hits. He is a high-motor guy who learned from J.J. Watt. The Broncos need him healthy, productive, and disruptive to balance out the concerns at outside linebackers. He needs to be the MVP.
And this isn't hard when you follow the money, D.J. Jones requires a bounce back season. He was considered a top-20 interior defender in his final year in San Francisco and fell to top 50 in Denver. Behind those two players, the Broncos are thin up front, banking on improvement from second-year players Matt Henningsen and Eyioma Uwazurike, both of whom made strides during OTAs.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Quarterbacks define the NFL. Making them uncomfortable remains the top priority. The Broncos failed in this regard following Bradley Chubb's trade to Miami. Denver had 24 sacks through the first eight games. They finished with 12 over the final nine with Chubb gone.
Randy Gregory, in his seventh season at age 30, needs to produce a career year. He was arguably the Broncos' best defensive player in the first month last season before hurting his knee, requiring surgery. He was not right when he returned for the final two games, and his play showed it. To be the MVP of this group, he must post career-highs in sacks (eight) and games (13).
Frank Clark was a sound addition following Baron Browning's offseason knee surgery that will likely sideline him for the first four games. While Clark has been a monster in the playoffs — 13.5 sacks in 17 games — he has averaged five sacks over the past three regular seasons. Gregory and Clark need to combine for 14 sacks.
Behind them, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto have shown flashes of potential, especially Cooper in the most recent OTAs. No one in this group had more than five sacks last year — and that was Clark's total in Kansas City. The onus is on Gregory to produce.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Alex Singleton tells a funny story about how he learned to tackle so well. His father coached him in youth football and would bring a huge door to practice. Singleton would line up on defense then wait with surprise on the ballcarrier to pop out from behind the door.
Singleton led the Broncos with 163 tackles, including 21 vs. the Chargers and 20 against the Rams. He forced Jonas Griffith to the bench and was a better version of Josey Jewell. Singleton, armed with a new contract, should be the MVP, followed by Jewell.
Rookie Drew Sanders in the X-factor. Coach Sean Payton sees him as a pressure player, meaning the lengthy and fast former Arkansas star could be used inside and outside to create havoc.
SECONDARY
Forget the defense, this unit represents the strength of the team. Surtain is the best cornerback. Justin Simmons is a top-five safety. Caden Sterns will push to start at strong safety, leaving the veteran Kareem Jackson in nickel and dime packages. I could see them both on the field at the same time.
K'Waun Williams is solid at nickel but must stay healthy. And Damarri Mathis, who showed no panic after a three-penalty first start, must improve. He was solid. But he's coming off a knee injury and must hold off rookie Riley Moss.
But this group is led by Surtain's excellence. The key is the Denver offense playing well enough to make opponents challenge Surtain on a regular basis.
