The Denver Broncos, picked by many to have the best defense in the NFL in 2025, have a terrific roster of players that have helped lead to that belief.
Though the secondary might be the area that excites fans the most, every strong defense starts up front. Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis ranked the front seven for every team in the league, giving each a composite score of 1-100. The Minnesota Vikings came in at the No. 1 spot with a score of 86, the Broncos were just one spot behind, at No. 2, with a score of 85.
The starting front seven, barring injuries, projects to be Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton. Those inside linebackers — Greenlaw and Singleton — and how they respond from injuries that limited them in 2024, could be the biggest key to the entire season for this team.
"Denver's front seven lacks a brand name pass rusher, but it’s one of the deepest units in the league. Nik Bonitto and John Franklin-Myers were two of just 12 pass rushers (out of 138 qualifiers) to generate a 15% pressure rate or higher. The addition of Dre Greenlaw should elevate an already strong unit, assuming he is healthy", wrote Sharp.
And while Bonitto may not be considered a "brand name pass rusher" as of right now, he will be soon if he performs like he did last season. Money talks, and Bonitto will be looking at a huge contract heading into 2026.
Allen is coming off a season that should have seen him go to the Pro Bowl. Franklin-Myers had seven sacks in his first season in Denver. Bonitto and Cooper combined for 24 sacks coming off the edge for a team that led the league in sacks last year.
But the addition of Greenlaw, a top 10 linebacker in the league when healthy, is what really puts this unit over the top, especially if the tackling machine Singleton is fully recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2024 season.
Several questions need to be answered by this group, but if there are no setbacks, it's going to be a ferocious group for opposing offenses to face this season.
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