Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - OTAs: Denver Broncos Defensive Players Under MOST PRESSURE In Offseason

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos may end up having the best defense in the NFL in 2025, and there's a lot of players under the microscope. We're talking about Drew Sanders, big offseason ahead for him, the impact of Talanoa Hufanga, and much more on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Broncos country, welcome into today's episode of Lockdown Broncos, where we're going to be breaking down defensive players.

Starting point is 00:00:37 We're excited to hear about at Denver Broncos OTAs, as those have gotten underway this week. And today we're finally going to get some updates from the team as to exactly what they've shown so far on the field. It's still very early in the offseason. But look, it is a pressure-packed off-season for a lot of Denver Broncos players, especially on defense, maybe more so for Drew Sanders than anyone else. And we're also going to talk about what kind of impact is Taloa,

Starting point is 00:01:04 who Fonga going to make on this defense beyond just, hey, you've upgraded in terms of on paper at the safety position. What is he really bringing to the table to upgrade the toughness of that unit? And then a guy that not a lot of people are talking about, Jonah Ellis, we're going to dedicate an entire segment to talking about Jonah and his impact on the team with plenty of other players to discuss along the way. But welcome in Broncos country. My name is Sarah Bedinger. I'm the co-hosts here of Lockdown Broncos, and we appreciate you so much for making us your first listen of the day every single day. Whether you're listening on your favorite podcast platform or watching along on YouTube,

Starting point is 00:01:45 hey, shout out to all of you every day. Or out there if you're not already becoming every day or hit subscribe, hit follow, wherever you listen to podcasts today. And let's start off today's show by talking about the players at Denver Broncos OTAs on the defensive side of the ball that are under. the most pressure because everybody wants to know who's under the most pressure, who's skating on thin ice, which players are maybe in danger of being cut or losing a starting job, things like that. I think the number one player for this Denver Broncos defense that is on the hot seat right

Starting point is 00:02:17 now has got to be linebacker Drew Sanders. Now, if you haven't listened to any previous episodes of Lockdown Broncos, that's okay. We talked about Drew Sanders quite a bit on this show because when you look at this Denver Broncos defense, there's not a lot of spots right now that seem to be up for grabs, right? Starting spots, that is. It really feels more like the Denver Broncos are in a position to where they're going to try to get a lot of different guys on the field. They're going to deploy players in a sort of positionless defense, if you will, to kind of match up against the offenses that they're facing in 2025. And that is where I think Drew Sanders can initially be a factor, but can he be that starting off ball linebacker that maybe the Broncos envisioned from

Starting point is 00:03:06 him when he was drafted, 67th overall, a high third round pick back in 2023, an All-American at Arkansas. Drew Sanders has all of the athletic ability, the size. The Broncos classified him as a pressure player, meaning they believe that whether he's lined up off the ball, whether he's lined up off the edge, that he can get pressure on the quarterback. And he has a golden opportunity here starting at OTAs to entrench himself as a potential starter or a guy that the Broncos are going to make a concerted effort to get on the field for 400 plus snaps of the season, kind of setting the bar there because it feels like that's, that's one of the thresholds where you say somebody's maybe playing part time, but they're still an impact player

Starting point is 00:03:53 for your defense. DJ Jones, for example, huge piece of the Denver Broncos defense, re-signed this offseason, $13 million a year on his new contract. He didn't even play 40% of the snaps last year. The Broncos believe that they can extract the best out of their players on a per snap basis. And I don't think you necessarily need to play every single snap in this defense in order to be a true, hey, this guy is part of our plan A at the position, right? And we want to see Drew Sanders be part of plan A.

Starting point is 00:04:26 We don't necessarily want to see him be just an. injury replacement. Now, could he come in as an injury replacement at some point and end up taking over a job? Absolutely. But you want to see him win one of these jobs coming out of OTAs. His top competition, obviously Alex Singleton, the returning veteran linebacker, a team captain who's coming back from an ACL injury, which he played through early last season back in week three against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And the biggest question mark with Alex Singleton, I think is the huge open door for a guy like Drew Sanders. Is Singleton going to look the same or even remotely similar to what he did pre-ACL injury?

Starting point is 00:05:11 Because speed and playing with that sort of, hey, this guy is the first to the ball every time. The athletic element of the game has never really been the thing for Alex Singleton. Now, of course, he's a better athlete than I'll ever be. There's no question about that. But when you talk about grading on the curve, I think Drew Sanders is more so the prototype athletically of what you're looking for at that position. He could step in and really add a dynamic element to this Denver defense next to Drey Greenlaw. And I think Greenlaw's quad injury, Alex Singleton returning from ACL, those are huge reasons

Starting point is 00:05:50 why the Broncos are going to want to get multiple guys, reps this offseason program, at that off ball linebacker. position. And I think you want to get as extensive of a look as you possibly can at Drew Sanders. So when Sean Payton takes the podium at offseason activities, I hope he gets asked about Drew Sanders and his progress from last year, where they were at, where they ended the season. Because remember, Drew Sanders ended last season playing off the edge for the Broncos. And it was this offseason that they said, hey, he's going to move back to the off ball linebacker position. He's got a really good chance of playing.

Starting point is 00:06:26 playing at that spot. And I think being a longer term fixture, this isn't necessarily a make or break off season for him in terms of he does have two years left on his rookie deal. So next year is really that do-or-die moment for him. And depending on what the Broncos would do next year in free agency as well, but not to get the cart before the horse here, Drew Sanders has a chance right now with Dre Greenlaw. He's going to be out there at OTAs. He's not going to be practicing because of that quad injury that's going to put him out up until right before training camp. He's expected to be out there at training camp, a full participant in that regard. But when Dre Greenlaw does return that competition for the linebacker position,

Starting point is 00:07:10 it does feel like it's wide open right now. But Alex Singleton, the obvious favorite other players on the Denver Broncos defense that are under a lot of pressure here at OTAs. I think you could point directly to Jayquan Macmillan, whose replacement was effectively the Broncos first round pick, Jada Baron. And we'll talk more about Jadae in just a little bit here. But Jekwon Macmillan is a playmaker. I saw a great comments.

Starting point is 00:07:36 I can't remember if it was on YouTube or if it was on TikTok. Somebody classified Jekwleman McMillan perfectly. He is a playmaker. And sometimes that gets him into trouble, right? And that's kind of the issue that we've seen over the last two plus seasons from him is that, man, he can really make some big plays. And it's going to be tough to top when you talk about the interceptions, the pick six that he had last year against Cleveland.

Starting point is 00:08:02 Obviously, he's a playmaker who can make, he can create plays in the backfield. He can force fumbles. He can do a lot of different things for you. He can blitz. Jaquan Macmillan is no slouch. But when the Broncos drafted Jaude Barron, they effectively said, all right, game on for one of those starting three spots. you know, as much time as you spend in the nickel.

Starting point is 00:08:22 So with Riley Moss being on the outside and Pat Sertan, obviously, the defensive player of the year, he's not going anywhere. The competition is going to be between J-Quan-McMillan and Jada Barron. And I think it puts a lot of pressure on Macmillan to go out there and prove, man, I've made plays in the NFL. I've been there. I've done, you know, when the playoffs are on the line and you needed somebody to make a play, I went out there and I had a pick six against the Cleveland Browns, right?

Starting point is 00:08:50 So you need somebody that can respond to this kind of pressure, but also we want to see what Jadae Barron is capable of doing. So is J-Quain-McMillan going to go down without a fight? Absolutely not, but he is under a lot of pressure this year. And I think also Nick Benito, the Broncos top pass rusher from last year, team leader in Sacks, right, going into a contract year. Bonito proved last season. and he got into the defensive MVP race for a little bit there midway through the year or a little more than midway through the year.

Starting point is 00:09:22 He's under a lot of pressure right now as well because I think the Broncos are going to be looking at not just production on the field, not just your stats, but how do you carry yourself? Right? And they've seen Nick for the last three years, but how do you carry yourself now that the expectation is, hey, you got to go out there and earn this contract extension that we're possibly going to give you because he's going to get paid like one of the top. defensive players in the NFL. The Broncos are making an investment at this point, not just in a player. They're making an investment in the person as well. And somebody that you're paying this much money to, you're expecting a guy like Nick Benito to represent the organization. You're expecting him to set an example for all the young players in the building. When you cut a check for as much as Nick Benito is going to be expecting to get based on his

Starting point is 00:10:10 statistical production, you're expecting a guy like that to carry himself a little bit different. in terms of, all right, there's a little bit more gravitas or gravitas, however you say that word around Nick Benito, right? He's got the gravitational pull around him. He's the guy that people are watching when they come into the building. We're watching Nick Bonito's work habits now. We're watching how he is in the film room. We're watching how he interacts with his teammates. All those sorts of things factor into the long-term extension. So I think he is under a bit of pressure this offseason, not because the Broncos are going to be trying to replace him or trying to find reasons not to pay him, but because you want to find reasons to sign on the bottom line

Starting point is 00:10:52 of that check, right, and say, hey, you are a guy that we want to build our team and pass rush around. So a number of players under pressure as the Broncos get wrapped up with OTAs or this first round of OTAs as well. And let us know in the comments, your thoughts as well. Who do you feel is a Denver Broncos defensive player under the most pressure at OTAs? I think there's a lot of different names you could point to as this is one of the most talented units on the field for any team in the NFL. And speaking of that, Broncos country, who are we excited to get some updates about, right? We've been itching. We've been waiting because the Broncos, they started practice on Tuesday. We want to hear about these guys. Well, I'm going to tell you why Jadae Barron is at the

Starting point is 00:11:35 top of my list, but other guys might be flying a little bit under the radar as well. We're going to talk about players that we're excited to get updates from Sean Payton about their progress so far at offseason activities here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's episode of Lockdown Broncos is brought to you by Fanduel. The NBA playoffs, they are down to the final four, and every single night has been delivering highlight-worthy performances, major momentum shifts, and can't miss moments. I know I've been enjoying all of it. And whether it's a game-winning shot, a breakout player for a specific game, there has never

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Starting point is 00:12:41 So make every moment more. with Fanduil, official sports betting partner of the NBA. We got to know how some of these young Denver Broncos defensive players are stepping up at OTAs. Who are we most excited about? Well, I'm going to tell you why Jada Baron is one of those guys, why Talanoa Hufanga is another one of those guys, because the Broncos said when they signed Talanoa Hufanga, that more than anything, he brings a level of toughness that is going to be infectious

Starting point is 00:13:08 to that defensive side of the ball. How is that translating early on in the office? season program when guys aren't even allowed to wear pads. We're going to talk about that on today's episode, Locked on Broncos, but Broncos country, thanks once again for making us part of your day, however you choose to do so. Cody and I appreciate you so much for rocking with us every single day here throughout the off season, whether it's the dog days of the off season or whether it's OTA's training camp preseason.

Starting point is 00:13:34 You know your boys will have you covered. So hit subscribe that and you won't miss a single episode of the show. Who are you most excited to hear about, though, at OTAs? TAs on the defensive side for the Denver Broncos. I personally want to start off with Jada Baron. I feel like the offensive selections this Denver Broncos team made in the 2025 NFL draft have sort of caused the, all right, hey, like, this guy's going a bit under the radar in terms of his potential impact on the team, in terms of how good of a prospect he was

Starting point is 00:14:06 that the Broncos landed. It's almost like Groundhog Day in a way with Pat, certain in the 2021 NFL draft. I think so much of the focus became on, hey, this is who the Broncos passed on. And you kind of forgot just how good of a player Pat Sartan was at Alabama and how great of a steal that was for the Broncos to get him at ninth overall back in that draft. And I'm not saying Jaade is going to be the future defensive MVP of the NFL. I mean, you never know, never say never, right? But for a guy like this to fall to the Broncos at the 20th overall pick, we heard Sean Peyton and George Peyton say this after the draft.

Starting point is 00:14:44 That wasn't even a scenario that they looked at amongst their mock drafts. Now, if you watch lockdown Broncos in the lead up to the draft, you heard that was one of the scenarios we went through. But not to pat ourselves on the back for that. I think you look at almost every possibility before the NFL draft. It's just Jadet Barron, maybe the unquestioned best quarterback in this draft outside of Travis Hunter, who's a rare two-way player, Jadet wasn't expected to be there at 20th overall. for the Broncos.

Starting point is 00:15:13 And frankly, cornerback was one of those positions that you thought, man, they don't really need to touch that. But now you've got a player who is a legitimate upgrade on paper over what you had previously. And somebody who, with his versatility, he can be used in a variety of different ways.

Starting point is 00:15:29 I am really excited to hear about his early progress, how he's picking things up in the defense, you know, what the Broncos' vision is for him. As much as Sean Payton will give away about what he's done so far in the offseason program, how he's impressed them in terms of, you know, he was known for being a big time leader at Texas. And he wants to fit into this locker room and be a guy who sets the example. How's he fitting in to the locker room? What do his teammates think of him so far?

Starting point is 00:15:56 I'm excited to hear about all of those different things with Jada Baron and his impact for potentially the number one defense in the NFL. But one of the guys that I think is really going to elevate this defense to an elite level is Talanoa Hufanga. Anytime you watch the four with Tala Noah Hufanga out there. Man, he made it feel like they had 12, 13 guys out there sometimes, didn't he? This guy flies to the football. He's so instinctive. He plays so fast.

Starting point is 00:16:24 And he's got great size. He's physical. And he's got really good ball skills, right? So I think that there's an element of this guy's game that is going to take Denver's defense from being, hey, you led the league in sacks last year. And I think because of the pass rush, you were kind of able to feast a little bit more on the back end. Now with a guy like this on the back end, there's going to be this reciprocal relationship

Starting point is 00:16:49 between the defensive backs, the pass rush, kind of working in tandem all throughout the game, where Tala Noah Hufanga now can make it feel like the Broncos have 12 guys out there a lot of times playing defensively. He's so fast and physical that that type of play is infectious, right? Anybody who's a fan of the Mighty Ducks series from the 90s, right? You remember when the ducks got Dean Portman in D2, right? I know this is fictional, but you get a guy like Dean Portman, his physicality, his intensity was so infectious out there on the ice that everybody kind of followed suit

Starting point is 00:17:25 and adopted that mentality. I think that can be similar with Tala Noah Hufanga to bring it back, right? When he's bringing that physicality every single snap, he's bringing that intensity, when he's lining up in the box. He's lining up deep and he's coming from, you know, 15, 20 yards back to make a play to stop a third and four or something like that. That's the type of player that he is. So how is that infectious toughness, that physicality?

Starting point is 00:17:52 How is that really playing right now with the guys who were previously here last year? I feel like Hufanga and Greenlaw, those guys are going to be such seamless fits in the Denver defense. And I do feel like you got a bit of a bad. Ash brothers situation out there with Hufanga and Brandon Jones, who they may form the best safety duo in the entire NFL. So the presence that Hufanga brings, I'm excited to hear the coaches and his teammates talk about that.

Starting point is 00:18:20 Hopefully we do get some glimpses of that from those guys. Another player that I'm excited to hear about, John Franklin Myers, one way or the other. It may not be exciting news what we hear about John Franklin Myers because we don't know, has he reported to offseason workouts? Is he, you know, what's he saying in terms of his contract situation? Because he's probably been amongst all the Broncos players right now with contract upcoming situations. He's probably been the most vocal on social media in terms of putting it out there that,

Starting point is 00:18:52 hey, he wants a new deal. He wants to be paid according to his production. And he's been retweeting pro football focused numbers. He's been retweeting pressure numbers, quarterback hits, sacks, all these sorts of things. John Franklin Myers deserves a big payday, especially after last year. He took a pay cut to come to Denver. I think he deserves what he's got coming to him.

Starting point is 00:19:14 Hopefully the Broncos are the ones to give him that new contract, but we will see and will he be at voluntary OTAs? This is not an official holdout watch situation just yet because these are voluntary OTAs, but you want to see the whole band together for a year as crucial as this, where the Broncos could realistically, compete in the AFC West. So Jada Baron, Taloa Hufanga, and John Franklin Myers, very excited to get updates on those guys.

Starting point is 00:19:41 Let us know who you're excited to get some updates on as the Denver Broncos roll through their three days of practices. And we're going to talk about one of my favorite young Denver Broncos defensive players, Jonah Ellis, is he being the most slept on out of any Denver Broncos defensive player right now? I think he's going to have a major impact on this team in 2025 as their top rusher off the bench, so to speak. In 2025, we're going to talk about that on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Jonah Ellis was a third round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but he ended up top five amongst all NFL rookies last year with five sacks.

Starting point is 00:20:24 What can he do in 2025? We're going to tell you about the impact Jonah Ellis is capable of making here for the Denver. Denver Broncos this coming season on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos, but once again, Broncos country, we appreciate you so much for tuning in today, making us your first listen every single day. We're excited for what the offseason has to bring. And we're excited for this whole Denver Broncos roster. It's a new era for this team.

Starting point is 00:20:48 It's an exciting time after the team broke their playoff drought or ended their playoff drought last year. And I think a guy like Jonah Ellis is going to be really part of restoring the dominance of this defense. And we saw glimpses of it last year. He played a lot of special teams last year as well. But I think Jonah Ellis is that one guy defensively that's really flying under the radar, that Broncos player that's not being talked enough ahead of OTAs.

Starting point is 00:21:15 And there's a number of reasons for that, right? Obviously, you've got Nick Benito and Jonathan Cooper coming back off the edge. Those are your two starters from last year. And Benito has the contract situation on top of it. So that is another factor when it comes to, hey, we're not. not really thinking much about Jonah Ellis right now. He also drafted Q Robinson in 2025 in the fourth round. A lot of people intrigued by him as a number of outlets have called him one of the top sleepers that the Broncos picked up in this year's draft. So the whole thing with Jonah Ellis is,

Starting point is 00:21:47 okay, yeah, we saw last year he had the shoulder injury, but he had some pass rush productivity in between shoulder injuries. And we don't really know what to expect from him because we're kind of expecting Cooper and Benito to lead the team and snaps off the edge again. I think Ellis is one of those guys that if he's fully healthy, and right now we have no reason to believe that he won't be. He was supposed to be ready for offseason work and all those sorts of things. So we'll get a good update there in terms of what kind of work he is doing right now. But I feel like he could really impact the rotation off the edge because he was one of the

Starting point is 00:22:25 youngest players on the team last year. A team that's mentality and mantra was, hey, we're that young and hungry team. We don't know any better, right? Jonah Ellis, one of the youngest guys on a team full of young guys. And now going into year two, there's a little bit of added pressure, but it almost feels more so like he's playing with house money in a way, because nobody's really expecting much. You're expecting a lot out of Nick Benito.

Starting point is 00:22:50 You're expecting a lot of Jonathan Cooper might even be expecting a lot out of other guys. like Dandre Tillman and things like that. But on the defensive front for the Denver Broncos, Jonah Ellis is not a guy whose name comes up really quickly when you're just shooting the breeze with people at the water cooler, right? He's one of those guys that you're talking about deep cuts on the album with your friends, right? And so to me, I feel like with his combination of speed, power, and his ability to bend the edge and really get to the quarterback quicker than almost

Starting point is 00:23:24 anybody else at this position group. I think Nick Benito is number one in that category. I would say Jonah Ellis is number two in my eyes in the way that he's able to get pressure. He's not just a hustle pressure guy. He's not just a, hey, I'm going to take advantage of the interior defensive line collapsing a pocket and I'm going to get off a block and go, you know, be the guy that, you know, he gets an assist from somebody else. I think that Jonah Ellis can be eight or more sacks this year. Remember the impact that Shane Ray made back in the 2015, 2016 season with Denver Broncos? I think it was 2016, maybe when the Broncos still had Von Miller, they still had Demarcus Ware, whichever year it was, there was a year that, man,

Starting point is 00:24:10 everybody was eating off the edge. And I think that this is a similar situation where Nick Bonato is going to get his off the edge. And Jonathan Cooper is going to get his off the edge. but Jonah Ellis, I think, is going to go from being a five-sack guy in 2024 to being somebody that legitimately he can go out every other game, if not a little bit above that, and provide you that sort of, he's not going to give you more than 500, 600 snaps. I think this season probably way less than that. I'm trying to shoot high here, but he's not going to give you 70% of the snaps or anything. He's going to be somebody that comes out there situationally.

Starting point is 00:24:48 they're going to have packages for him. They're going to be trying to include everybody coming off the edge, right? I think Jonah has a chance to be one of those guys who really maximizes every rep as he grows as a professional, as he gets stronger, as he works harder to, I mean, man, we're talking about a guy that was 21 last season, right? As he continues to mature physically, mentally, and every other way as a player, as things slow down for him, I just feel like he's going to be one of those guys that really develops into something special off the edge. All the tools are there. We saw the pass rush tools

Starting point is 00:25:23 at Utah in a big, big way. I mean, this guy was getting to the quarterback every which way. And I think if not for that shoulder injury, he probably goes quite a bit higher in the 2024 NFL draft. So I think the Broncos feel like they got a steal with Jonah Ellis. Now, how much is he going to shake up that edge rush or rotation? Because as of right now, you've got a couple of guys who are established. They are entrenched in their roles. And that could complicate things a little bit. But at the same time, Jonah Ellis is one of those guys that you make a concerted effort to get that type of player out on to the field. He is excellent when it comes to providing pressure. And as he gets better setting the edge, teams aren't going to be able to necessarily say,

Starting point is 00:26:09 all right, Jonah Ellis is out here. Let's just audible to a run play, things like that. and not utilizing his aggressiveness against him, right? Not just saying, all right, we know this guy is going to overrun the pocket. So we're just going to do a quick three-step drop, step up, and he's going to overrun it as he evolves in his game. I think, man, he is going to be something special. I think we'll see more turnover worthy plays from him this year. I think we'll see him getting aggressive when it comes to trying to punch the ball out against the run.

Starting point is 00:26:39 All those sorts of things, I just feel like Jonah Ellis is primed for a big time. breakout year. And it may not be in terms of this guy's going to have 15 sacks, right? And six force fumbles, not necessarily like that, but just really maximizing the snaps that the Broncos put together for him. So defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph and obviously past game coordinator Jim Leonard, what kind of stuff are these guys going to concoct when it comes to pass rush looks? Last year, it was a lot of blitzing. How much are the Broncos going to be able to rely on just their defensive front for this coming year. I think that was a valid maybe criticism last season of this unit is,

Starting point is 00:27:21 hey, you ended up blitzing too much. It became such a part of your identity that when you needed to leave guys back in coverage, you couldn't get the pressure that you desperately needed from the defensive front. We're going to see how improved these guys all are this coming season. And of course, there's only so much you can glean from OTAs by, I think just hearing that Jonah Ellis is out there healthy. you want to hear the, he looks like he's in the best shape of his life. Jonah Ellis looks jacked, all those sorts of things.

Starting point is 00:27:48 We want to be hearing that type of stuff coming out of Denver Broncos OTAs. But let us know who are you most excited to hear about who do you think are players defensively for this Denver Broncos team that are flying under the radar? And man, who's facing kind of a make or break off season this year? There's a lot of different players to be discussed on both sides of the ball. But Broncos country, the next time you see Cody and I, we are going to have some definitive updates for you when it comes to what did Sean Payton have to say at Denver Broncos OTAs who stood out because Cody will be there in attendance. And what's the latest vibe coming out of Broncos headquarters there?

Starting point is 00:28:26 It's going to be fun to find out. And as always, we appreciate you for rocking with us every single day. Broncos country. We'll catch you on the next one.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - OTAs: Denver Broncos Defensive Players Under MOST PRESSURE In Offseason

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