The Denver Broncos turned their fortunes around last season, qualifying for the playoffs after going nearly a decade without making them. While much of that credit went to quarterback Bo Nix, the defense's play was probably the biggest reason for the team's resurgence.
Vance Joseph had his defense playing at a high level, allowing only 18.3 points per game (3rd in the NFL) while posting a league-leading 63 sacks. The team followed that up by signing Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga in free agency before using their first-round pick on the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner, Jahdae Barron.
It's almost like Sean Payton watched the Super Bowl last year and saw how the team that won it all made it happen.
So where does the Broncos' defense rank among the other 31 NFL teams? Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report ranked them from 1 to 32 and the Broncos are high on the list... real high. Despite the Philadelphia Eagles putting on a masterful defensive performance in Super Bowl LIX where they completely shut down Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs, Davenport has the Broncos, not the Eagles, at No. 1 on his list.
The Eagles still have the majority of that defense intact and no one will be looking forward to playing them. Still, the Broncos take the top spot.
Last season, the Denver Broncos were seventh in total defense and third in scoring defense—and that feels like the team’s floor in 2025.
"The Broncos are absolutely loaded defensively. Zach Allen has quietly become one of the NFL’s better interior pass-rushers. Edge-rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper combined for 24 of Denver’s league-leading 63 sacks last year.
At linebacker, Alex Singleton missed most of last year, but back in 2023 he was third in the league with 177 total tackles. He will be joined by Dre Greenlaw, who came over from San Francisco after 120-stop seasons in both 2022 and 2023.
Greenlaw wasn’t the only 49er the Broncos poached—the team also signed Talanoa Hufanga. Combined with Brandon Jones, who had a career-best 115 stops last season, the Broncos now have two quality starters at safety.
The Broncos also have the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Now, Surtain has a new running mate in rookie first-rounder Jahdae Barron, who was widely regarded as the best cornerback in this class not named Travis Hunter.
On paper at least, this is a defense without weaknesses. A unit loaded with talent at all three levels.
If the Broncos defense plays up to its potential, the Orange Crush will be back", wrote Davenport.
As long as the Broncos stay healthy, they have the pieces on defense to do exactly what Philadelphia did last year.
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