Finding Broncos: Five Defensive Prospects to Improve Depth

Micah Baskerville | LB | LSU

Pros

• He has good experience working multiple spots in the linebacker room.
• He has great instincts and good awareness.
• He is praised for his football IQ and ability to process things quickly.
• It is easy to see how quickly he picks keys from blockers to help speed up the diagnosis of the play.
• He was praised for his communication on the field with his teammates.
• He has the traits, qualities, and experience to be an early contributor on special teams. 

Cons

• He is undersized for the NFL, lacking a small frame with a lack of weight and length. 
• He is a poor athlete overall. 
• The lack of athleticism is easy to see on tape.
• There isn't much strength in his game, creating issues getting off blocks.
• There isn't much burst when closing in pursuit of the ball.
• The lack of athleticism and strength led to issues when handling tight ends and running backs in coverage. 

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos need to improve their special teams, which is where Baskerville can help out. However, he isn't a great fit with what they are looking for or need on defense. While athleticism isn't everything when it comes to working in coverage, not having much to work with there is a detriment, which is the case here. 

Charlie Thomas | LB | Georgia Tech

Pros

• There is a good frame and solid length. 
• He has good explosion and speed with a solid change of direction. 
• He is a solid athlete, especially when he isn't asked to change direction. 
• He has good instincts and awareness when working in coverage. 
• There is a non-stop motor. 
• There is plenty of experience working out of multiple spots. 
• He has good lateral and vertical range as a run defender and in coverage. 
• He has the traits to hang with tight ends in coverage. 

Cons

• He is significantly underweight, coming in at 216 pounds. 
• There isn't a great frame, with little room for added weight. 
• There are consistent issues when getting off blocks. 
• With his size, he is a bit of a tweener, and might be more of a box safety, or dime backer in the NFL. 
• There are times when he is playing on an empty tank. 
• There is an issue with tackling and the lack of consistent technique. 
• The lack of length is also an issue regarding his tackling. 

Fit with Broncos

Charlie Thomas is an interesting study with plenty of tools to work with in coverage. However, to be effective against the run, he needs a strong defensive line to help keep blockers off of him. While he can work in the Broncos' defense and potentially boost their coverage ability, the question is about the value with the few picks the Broncos have. 

Arquon Bush | CB | Cincinnati

Pros

• He has good ball skills and picked up nine interceptions and 16 passes broken up. 
• He has good recognition of route patterns. 
• There is no doubt about his physicality on the outside against the run. 
• He has made a significant impact on special teams. 
• His transitions are smooth and quick. 
• He played multiple spots in the secondary during college. 
• His physicality in run defense also shows up in coverage when matching with tight ends. 

Cons

• He doesn't have ideal size, but the more significant issue is his lack of length. 
• He tested out poorly with athletic testing. 
• He was primarily a slot corner in college until the 2022 season, and will likely be limited to the slot in the NFL. 
• There was an issue with penalties, getting called for 17 over four seasons. 
• There are questions about how quickly he can diagnose plays. 
• He takes more risk going for the ball than desired, leading to explosive plays for the offense. 
• He quickly opens up his hips and leaves himself open for double moves.
• He struggles to use the sideline as an extra defender. 

Fit with Broncos

The versatility of Bush would be a significant boost for the Broncos. He can provide depth at multiple spots with his college experience. However, he is best suited to playing in the slot or as a safety, with his issues being more prominent on the perimeter. With the strength of the corner class, Denver will likely have better values than Bush. 

D'Jordan Strong | CB | Coastal Carolina

Pros

• He is tough and competitive, doing well to challenge the catch point every rep. 
• He was praised for how easy he was to work with and coach. 
• There is good versatility to work in every scheme. 
• He kept things clean with penalties. 
• There are good instincts and awareness when working off coverage. 
• He has solid press technique and strength. 
• He does well to stay mirrored with his assignment in man coverage. 
• There is good experience on special teams to contribute as a gunner. 

Cons

• He is undersized and lacks length, likely finding himself limited as a slot corner. 
• He tested out poorly with athletic testing, running slow and showing a lack of burst and explosion. 
• There are concerns with his run support and overall willingness. 
• The lack of arm length is below standards, even for a nickel corner. 
• The lack of arm length was also an issue with missed tackles, having a 20.4 missed tackle percentage. 
• His interceptions plummeted with five in 2020 and only one in the last two years. 

Fit with Broncos

D'Jordan Strong would be a depth-piece pickup for the Broncos, focusing on special teams. There is a chance to develop into a starter, but it will take a year or two before he is ready, and even then, the ceiling isn't overly high. He wouldn't be a great draft pick, but as an undrafted free agent, he makes sense with the scheme versatility and special team's ability he brings. 

Rashad Torrence II | S | Florida

Pros

• He had decent enough size for the NFL with good length.
• There is solid agility to his game. 
• He has solid experience and played multiple spots at Florida. 
• When working as a deeper safety, he recognizes passing concepts well and maintains eye balance. 
• He takes good angles and leverages his angle with the sideline and other defenders. 
• There is solid range when working as a deeper safety. 
• He is fluid and smooth as a mover. 

Cons

• He didn't test well with poor explosion, speed, and burst. 
• The lack of athleticism is easy to see on tape. 
• There were 25 missed tackles in the last two seasons. 
• He doesn't come to balance or bring enough force into tackles. 
• There is an inconsistent physical temperament as a defender, being less physical against the run than desired. 
• There isn't great versatility, and it will be more limited in scheme and role for the NFL than in college. 

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos can use help at safety, and Torrence isn't a bad option. Working as a split safety is his ideal role in the NFL, and there is some ability to drop down as a nickel in certain situations. While he wouldn't push for a starting job with Caden Sterns as a rookie, he can be solid competition with P.J. Locke for the third/fourth spot. 

With only five draft picks, the Broncos won't be able to fill every need they have. They need to focus on drafting players because they have needs almost everywhere, especially on defense. They can look at undrafted free agents for additional competition at certain positions, which could be where a couple of these prospects come in.