Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Miles Scott is the SLEEPER of the Denver Broncos 2026 Draft Class

Starting point is 00:00:00 Seventh round pick, Miles Scott gives the Denver Broncos another playmaker to develop in the secondary and maybe another seventh round NFL draft steel. You are locked on Broncos. Your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. From walk on wide receiver to team captain of the defense and green dot player for Illinois. Miles Scott is one of the most interesting players. The Broncos drafted and might be one of the most known guys, the team has picked up that when you dig in a little bit to what he did over the last couple of years at Illinois, man, it's really, really impressive stuff. We're going to talk about the Denver Broncos brand new playmaker defensively, Miles Scott, the seventh round pick out of Illinois, former teammate of Pat Bryant.

Starting point is 00:00:51 The Broncos are really coming to like these Illinois prospects. What's Brett Beelma got cooking up over there that the Broncos likes so much? We're going to talk about Miles Scott, his playmaking ability, how that wide receiver ability really translates to the defensive backfield. And maybe the Broncos are kind of catching him in the, you know, the lowest point of his by low trajectory because ultimately as a converted receiver and three years on the job as a defensive back, the sky is still the limit for him. So Broncos Country,

Starting point is 00:01:18 appreciate you so much for tuning into today's bonus episode of the show. My name is Sarah Bedinger, co-host here of Lockdown Broncos, as well as the site expert at predominantly orange.com. And we've been really excited to go through this Denver Broncos class. If you're needing any programming updates here, we're actually working backwards, right? So we've gone through the last two seventh round picks, Red Murdoch, Dallin Bentley. Today we're going through Miles Scott so you can expect continually every day. Bonus episodes of the show will focus on this entire draft class and then we'll get into undrafted free agents as well.

Starting point is 00:01:49 We appreciate you so much for rocking with us every single day here at Lockdown Broncos. Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network. And let's talk about Miles Scott because, man, this guy's got an interesting story. story, interesting background. As you read up on him, as you watch some of his games at Illinois, he does not look like a converted wide receiver with the way that he plays the game. I think one of the biggest things that stands out is that this guy's a tackling machine. I mean, he had no fewer than 55 tackles in each of the last three seasons at Illinois where he played, I mean, 38 games. So he played 38 games at safety for Illinois. And he ramped up the production in

Starting point is 00:02:28 the tackling department this past year. Not only did he have, you know, 60 plus tackles, but he also had four tackles for loss. 64 tack, four TFLs, seven passes broken up. That was a career best. Three interceptions this past season. That was also a career best. So the trajectory you can tell is very much so going upward at this point for a player like Miles Scott. He's 24 years old. So he's a bit of an older rookie. And that might have contributed to why he lasted to the seventh round. but certainly you feel like the Broncos got somebody who's going to be able to come in and fill a void that maybe hasn't been able to be filled by somebody else on the depth chart like J.L. Skinner just hasn't quite taken that step as a safety. So maybe the Broncos are feeling like, hey, maybe Miles Scott could be that player who contributes on special teams, but also offers us something at the safety position. Some really interesting metrics physically from Miles Scott in the pre-draft process.

Starting point is 00:03:26 He's six foot in a quarter, 203 pounds, 10 and 3 eighths inch hands. So when you look at this Broncos draft class, I mean, almost everybody that they've drafted has massive mitts. Like these guys have big hands. Go ahead and look up from the top pick on and down. They've drafted a bunch of guys who have big hands in this class. They want guys who can get their hands on the football. Sean Payton emphasized early in the offseason.

Starting point is 00:03:48 They want guys who can create takeaways. Miles Scott isn't necessarily the fastest. 462 in the 40-yard dash, but he's explosive. 37 and a half inch vertical jump, 10 foot three inch broad jump. So you see the explosiveness there. He's strong. And like we've talked about, any developmental prospect, what are you looking for? You're looking for how natural does it come, especially when you're making a position

Starting point is 00:04:11 transition from, from offense to defense. We've talked about guys who were maybe like quarterbacks who converted to tight ends or, you know, wide receivers who converted to running back in recent years or vice versa on that one. But not often are we talking about guys who, hey, This guy started his collegiate career as a walk-on, no less, playing the wide receiver position and then became a green dot player, which means that he's communicating the defensive calls to everybody. So from walk-on wide receiver to green dot player defensively is a significant,

Starting point is 00:04:43 a green flag, if you will, when it comes to prospects coming out of the college ranks, because what does that say about a guy to be able to go from walk-on, only getting FCS offers, playing on the offensive side, of the ball to then being able to communicate the defense. It says that he takes every bit of preparation seriously. It says that he is somebody that coaches can rely on. So when you take guys in the seventh round, I mean, it's absolutely a risk. Don't get me wrong.

Starting point is 00:05:11 It's a dart throw and a lottery ticket among lottery tickets. But the Broncos are super, super intentional about the guys that they pick, the people that they pick. So while Miles Scott may not have gotten, you know, the big time pre-draft hype. He may not have had, you know, oh, he's, he's one of the top 10 guys at the safety position. He fell because of this reason. No, he's a sleeper. He's the definition of a sleeper. Like when you're talking about Dane Bruegler's big board, he was graded as a free agent, the 26th ranked safety. So this is the Broncos definition of what they, what George

Starting point is 00:05:44 Peyton might call, what he called R.J. Harvey last year, a pet cat, right? Somebody that you kind of have your own interest in. People may not even know that you have a pet cat, right? But you love your cat cats. You love your guys. You bang the table for your guys. And the Broncos took Miles Scott before they took Dallan Bentley and Red Murdoch, who we've gotten really excited about. So there's reason to believe that the team internally is feeling really good about Miles Scott. And I want to break down the Broncos safety depth chart right now. Some more of what Miles Scott brings to the table in terms of his ball skills and how that could be really enticing, especially as a longer term endeavor for this team to continue developing him, to continue pouring into his transition from

Starting point is 00:06:29 being a wide receiver to defensive back, maybe buying into the idea that this guy could contribute defensively rather than just special teams sooner rather than later. We're going to break it all down coming up on today's episode of the show. Today's episode of Lockdown Broncos is brought to you by Rugee yet the NFL draft has come and gone. Preparation, meeting opportunity and every single decision matters. It's all about being ready when your moment comes and that same mindset applies off the field too and that's where rougiate comes in rougiate offers treatments designed to help you feel ready and confident when it matters most and their top option rougi it ready is a mint that dissolves under your tongue with clinically proven ingredients it works

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Starting point is 00:07:48 We're going to break down his ball skills and the Broncos depth chart when it comes to the safety position on today's bonus episode of the show. But want to once again quickly say thank you to all you every dayers out there. We appreciate you so much for rocking with us every single day here. Locked on Broncos means the world to Cody and I that you tune in. So thank you for doing that seriously, genuinely. And let's talk more about Miles Scott because he made the conversion from wide receiver to defensive back. I found this to be a really interesting note.

Starting point is 00:08:14 So in his 2022 season, which was the last year that he was a wide receiver at Illinois, he had four catches for 29 yards. It was his first year as a defensive back at Illinois. Interestingly enough, that was also the year that he got put on scholarship. So he transitions to defensive back, gets put on scholarship. And then his first interception that he ever has, his first play that he makes on the ball defensively is a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown. So his first reception on the defensive side of the ball went for nearly twice as many yards

Starting point is 00:08:50 as the four catches that he ever had at the college level as a wide receiver. So kind of funny how that works. And then that same 20, 23 season, he also had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown. And at that point, he probably had to be thinking to himself like, man, this defense stuff is easy, right? I mean, I pick the ball off. I take it to the house. It's a wide receiver. I got to wait for the ball to come my way defensively.

Starting point is 00:09:12 I can just go attack the ball in the air. So those ball skills absolutely are one of the things that stand out the most because you see 18 passes broken up over the last three seasons at Illinois. And among that, you see seven interceptions. So two interceptions in 2023, two in 2024. And then like I mentioned earlier, he had three of them this past season. He became a team captain in 2024, was a two-year team captain, obviously all big 10 selection.

Starting point is 00:09:41 So you go from not only a walk-on receiver to the green dot guy when it comes to the defensive communicator, but you are an all-big 10 honorable mention. selection in your final season. So the ascent is obvious. The Broncos are buying into his progression being, obviously we know it's not always linear, but it seems to be going on a very rapid upward trajectory here. Miles Scott does appear to be figuring things out in the defensive backfield.

Starting point is 00:10:07 And I think with the Broncos depth chart right now, that he's got a shot to be on this opening day roster and contributing potentially early on in special teams because the Broncos value that so much with their safety position and the size of those guys, the tackling ability of safeties to be able to excel on punk coverage, kickoff coverage. They've relied on their safeties a lot to do that. And most recently, it's obviously been guys like Devin Key, who was a first team all pro at the safety position or I guess in the special teams department.

Starting point is 00:10:39 And then you had J.L. Skinner who played really well on special teams last year. The team also signed Tyson Anderson this offseason to come and compete at their safety position after PJ Locke left for the Dallas Cowboys. And Tyson Anderson is somebody that it's been reported and put out there. The Broncos actually believe that he has the ability to contribute at the safety position. And they think the same thing about Devin Key as well. So Miles Scott could come down to a roster competition with J.L. Skinner, unless the Broncos want to keep six safeties and only five corners on the roster,

Starting point is 00:11:11 which is entirely possible because of how important special teams is. And because of the fact that you've obviously got a bunch of guys, under contract right now who aren't under contract in 2027. And that starts with starter Brandon Jones. And you kind of figure that the Broncos will find a way to bring Brandon Jones back. He's been a really good player for them. It doesn't seem like he's going to necessarily break the bank at the safety position. And he's a really high quality player who's fit into this team culture very well.

Starting point is 00:11:39 We'll see what he does this season. And if the team tries to extend him before the year starts or if he's one of those guys, they try to lock in before the start of next year's free agency. But my hope and expectation is that Brandon Jones will be back, I guess it's TBD. We'll see what happens. And we'll see how this year goes in terms of injuries and things like that. But Devin Key, you figure he's going to be back as a restricted free agent and all pro special teams guy. The Broncos won't let him go.

Starting point is 00:12:05 Tyson Anderson, he's such a high quality special teams guy and has made his living in the NFL doing that. And they sign him for that reason. You kind of figure even if he's year to year, he would have to be pretty bad. for him to not come back. So I don't see Tyson Anderson being sort of a Sam Franklin situation where Sam didn't even make the Broncos roster, although I mean, he played well enough to probably warrant that. That's a different discussion for a different day. But certainly with Miles Scott, you can see him slotting in there in that safety room, whether it's a competition for one spot between JL Skinner. That remains to be seen. But I do think the Broncos drafted Miles Scott,

Starting point is 00:12:43 you know, knowing that, hey, he's probably good enough to be on our 53. Will he play well enough on special teams to warrant a 53-man roster spot right away? Or are we going to stash him on the practice squad? That is the question right there and how well he plays in the preseason, whether those ball skills come into play. Because he picks off a pass or two in the preseason. Other teams are going to want to claim him off waivers. And that's going to be a common theme for the Broncos anyway.

Starting point is 00:13:10 But if you drafted somebody that you believe in their longer-term projection, you might not even want to mess around with throwing a guy on waivers. So Broncos country will find out what the vision is for Miles Scott, but clearly the team loves his ball skills, his transition from receiver to defensive back. Obviously, wearing the green dot, he studies the playbook. He knows the playbook well. He's very trusted by the coaches.

Starting point is 00:13:32 That's a huge couple of assets in his favor as he looks to compete for a roster spot here in 2026. We're going to continue breaking down the Broncos draft class all throughout this week on Lockdown Broncos. And we have an episode coming tomorrow morning about the status of Bo Nix. back bonnics don't miss that one broccos country make sure you keep tuning in every single day and we appreciate you for doing so we'll catch you on the next episode of the show

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Miles Scott is the SLEEPER of the Denver Broncos 2026 Draft Class

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