The Denver Broncos are fully positioned on the defensive side of the ball.
The new GM George Paton resumed safety Kareem Jackson for a one-year contract on Tuesday, effectively consolidating the Denver secondary as arguably the best in the NFL. For the past eight days, Paton has kept the Broncos’ top contributors – Von Miller, Jackson, Shelby Harris, Justin Simmons – working on new businesses for all of them. And he simultaneously renewed D’s back-end, bringing in cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby to partner with Bryce Callahan as a strong trio of cover men.
And there is Vic Fangio, a defense genius, to train them all.
Jackson – who Pro Football Focus said was the league’s sixth best safety last year with an overall score of 80.4 – was a surprise sign from Paton. The Broncos refused Jackson’s $ 10 million option, having a deadline of $ 2.4 million, and then signed a $ 5 million one-year deal with veteran safety. Even with the dead limit reached, Denver saved $ 2.6 million from the maneuvers and now gets the benefit of a third season from Jackson and Simmons together.
What is special about the two is how they complement each other. Jackson is a vicious hitter and headhunter who has a knack for big shots. Simmons is a falcon that has hit nine passes in the past two years combined, which is the second safest.
Denver should be able to rush the pass and build up pressure without sending an extra man in 2021, while throwing blocking coverage at the receivers. Simply put, the Broncos are basically a block to being a Top-10 defense next season, and they are more likely to be a Top-5 unit.
Miller and Bradley Chubb’s run around the edges will force defenders to speed up the processing and delivery of the soccer ball, which will result in errors and likely losses. Or they will come home and stack bags and messes too.
After finishing 2020 as a 5 to 11 bottom resident at AFC West, the Broncos should at least reach 7 to 9 next season, thanks to what could be an absolutely devastating defense.
But, the best teams perform in all three phases of the game.
Denver’s special teams have been terrible lately, although hiring the running back Mike Boone may be a boon for this group in a small way.
Offensively, the Broncos were arguably the worst in the NFL last year.
His 20.2 points per game were 28th, while his 32 returns were more in the NFL. Likewise, quarterback Drew Lock’s 15 interceptions led the NFL, and his 18 total turnovers did as well.
But this was not the only department in which Lock struggled. In general, Lock’s statistics were among the worst in the NFL in its second season; 35º in percentage of completion, 23º in touchdowns (16), 32º in classification of passer (75.4), etc. And it’s not just the simple statistics, but the analysis shows that Lock was a quarterback with a fifth level of relegation as well.
Just pointing out Locks’ struggles would be unfair without some context. He was injured in the pre-season of his debut year and waited until week 13 to play that year. He then injured his pitching hand for the second time this year, losing almost a month of time and playing 13 games.
Not only that, but Lock learned from two different offensive coordinators – some argue that Pat Shurmur’s attack is not suitable for QB – and the young man showed flashes of brightness among other scratching mistakes. Some of his best games took place during the last season, although there were also inconsistencies in those last five games.
Lock is not a finished product by any means, but he has no excuse for not being great this year. It is his third year, a second in Shurmur’s attack, and he will have his No. 1 receiver, Courtland Sutton, back from the injury.
Sutton fired in superstar orbit, making prominent reel games in 2019 by aiming the ball up, diving into it and more.
But Sutton is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talent in youthful attack. There are Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, two newcomers who have impressed, but have not yet come close to their potential in the early seasons. And the tight end Noah Fant is a brilliant ace who could become Travis Kelce’s Denver version.
Don’t forget Tim Patrick, who took Sutton’s place when the bestial receiver fell in 2020. Patrick notably dropped a pass in 2020 and set career records in yards (742) and touchdowns (6) for easily outperforming his first combined two years.
There is also Melvin Gordon, who ran 9 points and nearly 1,000 yards last year, and the better offensive line that is now AFC West’s best.
The only question marks in terms of entrances to Denver are few and far between: Lock, Josey Jewell and Ja’Wuan James. Jewell has been doing well, but not much, while James was left out last season due to fears surrounding COVID-19 and needs to be the cornerstone of the right line in the tackle.
For Lock, there are no more excuses. It has all the pieces you need to be great. The Broncos have all the necessary parts to be a playoff team in 2021, if their defender plays at least mediocre football.
Paton went after Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson as well. The new GM is not for sale at Lock, and now with a team built around it, the pressure will increase another level for Denver’s third-year quarterback.
For many reasons, 2021 was already a decisive season for Drew Lock. Now, the hopes of the Denver playoff are on your shoulders.