Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - PREDICTION: Denver Broncos Defense To CHALLENGE NFL Sack Record?

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

Can the Denver Broncos defense break the 1984 Chicago Bears sack record? Will Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper amass double-digit sacks once again and will Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton lead the team... in tackles? Plus, will Riley Moss lead the team in interceptions this upcoming season with teams likely targeting Patrick Surtain II less? Cody Roark is a credentialed beat reporter for Mile High Sports and covers the Broncos daily in person. Sayre Bedinger is the site expert for Predominantly Orange. Both bring Broncos Country the most in-depth and objective coverage of the Denver Broncos. WANT MORE DAILY DENVER BRONCOS CONTENT?For all of the latest Denver Broncos news today -- Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBroncos?sid=YouTube Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow on Twitter: @CodyRoarkNFL and @SayreBedingerFollow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnBroncos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelRight now, new customers can get $150 in BONUS BETS when your first $5 BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 After leading the NFL in Saxon, 24, the Denver Broncos defense has their eyes set on that 1984 record set by the Chicago Bears. I will tell you how they can get there on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. What's up, Broncos country? Welcome into another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Lockdown podcast network. You know what's your team.
Starting point is 00:00:35 every day. Thank you so much to everyone in Broncos country. All the everydayers, thanks for tuning in, making us your first listen. However, you choose to do so. We appreciate you so much. If not, you never dare become on. Hit that subscribe with that follow button, wherever you get your podcast or YouTube. That way you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team every single day all year long. I'm Cody Roark, Broncos reporter from Mile High Sports. And I'm Sarah Bedinger, site expert at predominantly orange.com. And we're continuing on our trend here on today's episode show of being bold. with our 2025 predictions of Broncos country.
Starting point is 00:01:07 We loved your contributions in the offensive episode yesterday. If you missed that, make sure you go check it out. But we want you to get just as involved here today as we go through why the Broncos have their eyes and their sights set on breaking that 1984 sack record set by the Chicago Bears defense at 72. How can the Broncos get to 73? Who's going to lead the team in sacks so much more? We'll go through that. And then we'll talk about tackles. Who's going to lead the Broncos at lineback or any other position with tackles this upcoming season?
Starting point is 00:01:35 season. And then could the Broncos secondary have more takeaways and interceptions this upcoming season they have in recent years? We'll go through all that and much more on today's bold prediction episode. Locked on Bronco. Sarah, let's start off with the pass rush department, the outside linebackers, you know, the defensive line. We look at that in terms of how you get after the quarterback here. The Broncos last year led the NFL with 63 sacks last season. And we saw an abundance of guys contributing. I mean, you had two rotational guys in Jonah Ellis and Dandre Tilman. Those guys each had five sacks.
Starting point is 00:02:05 They combined for 10 last year. Jonathan Cooper, Nick Benito. Those guys became the first pass rush duo to hit double-digit Saxons. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb did it in 2018. And then Zach Allen, a guy who was just a relentless high-motor player, was getting after the quarterback. And even if it wasn't showing up in double-digit sacks,
Starting point is 00:02:23 it was showing up with double-digit quarterback hits, pressures, and more valuable statistics here. Can the Broncos defense in 2025, if everybody stays healthy, can this unit, in your opinion, can they challenge that Chicago Bears record set back in 1984? I think they can. I really do. I think, Cody, they came so close last year to doing something special as a unit. And they did. They led the NFL in Sacks. But obviously, that gold standard, it's been long lasting. I mean, the Chicago Bears set that record back in 1984. So it's one of the oldest records, I think, in NFL in terms of like something that you would think at this point. somebody should have broken it right somebody in a 17 game era especially should be able to get 72
Starting point is 00:03:09 socks easier said than done and i feel like the time you challenge the 1984 bears as well you got to channel the inner super fans there so if you had two did because coming off the edge you might be able to have two guys just lead the NFL and in sacks overall uh but cody i feel like that's that's where we're at is like bold predictions i should have brought down the aviators and my jacket and been like, you know what, you got Nick Bonito on one side. You got Jonathan Cooper on the other. The only thing that's stopping that train is two Ditkas, you know, and there's no Ditka's against these guys. I think they can, Cody. I think they've got the pieces to be able to do this. 72 sacks is a lot. I mean, a lot. So I get that. And I don't think we can diminish that.
Starting point is 00:03:52 But man, this unit was so good last year. Two guys with double digit sack, sack numbers. And then I think two others, Zach Allen and John Franklin Myers, who were really, really close to that. So you get a handful of guys in this unit and you have ascending players coming up from behind. Jonah Ellis, Dondre Tillman. You have so many guys who can make plays as past rushers. Just feel like that this is kind of percolating beneath the surface to finally, hopefully, break that longstanding record in 2025. Let's set the over under since they had 63 sacks last year.
Starting point is 00:04:23 Let's set it at 63 and a half. Are you leaning with the over or are you leaning with maybe kind of on par or the under? I'm saying over. Let's get over. Let's see what this team, because 64 sacks in 17 games, I'm not that good at math, Cody, but I think that's what four. I think that's about four per game. That's a lot.
Starting point is 00:04:43 And so I think, yeah, that's, it's going to be tough, especially because you play against so many quarterbacks that are, we did an episode about that, right? I mean, we have a lot of good quarterbacks on the schedule this coming season, but you know what, four sacks a game for this defense, I think is attainable. And if they can do that, I think that puts them at, it would be 68 sacks in a 17 game season.
Starting point is 00:05:05 So, yeah, I'd say let's hit the over on 63.5. That math that I did on the calculator these days, you know, 3.7 is what that equates to. So we rounded up nearly four sacks game. The Broncos obviously had a couple of games where they had five sacks. They had a game against Joe Burrow. Well, they had seven sacks on Joe Burrell. I agree. I think that this is a defensive, you know, that it's going to ramp up pressure.
Starting point is 00:05:25 I think the biggest reason why I think that they will have more than 63 sacks this upcoming season, And it goes back to what Zach Allen said in an offseason podcast with Chris Long. I think it's Green Lights or something like that. I don't want to butcher the name or get it wrong. But he just did a podcast, right? And one thing he said about that defensive line group and the outside linebackers is when it comes to rushing the quarterback, it's a very unselfish group that they know, hey, if I can cross face here on this stunt, I'm going to draw two defenders. You got to get home. Like it's going to open you up to get a sack.
Starting point is 00:05:54 Like it's very much about like the defense winning as a whole and not just I'm going to get my sack. numbers. That is why I think this mentality going into year number two with these guys with Jamar Kane, a little bit more comfortable now with additions that you've made there with Drake Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga. You're going to get guys in the secondary blitzing a lot more of this upcoming season as well. I think that they will definitely get over the 63 and a half sack mark this upcoming season. I'm with you there. Let's go into a little bit of fun rapid fire here. You have a bold prediction here that I do think is attainable here, where you have the Broncos having four players with double-digit sacks.
Starting point is 00:06:32 And that hasn't happened in a long time. Did that even happen in the Super Bowl 50 year? No, no. And DeMarcus, like Shaq was contributing. Shane Ray was contributing. But I don't think they had four double-digit sack producers, even in the Super Bowl 50 years. So if they were able to achieve four guys with double digits,
Starting point is 00:06:50 Sarah, that would be astronomical, I think, for the Broncos. I definitely think that they would challenge that bear's record in 84. It would be crazy. I mean, they did have three guys that had 20 plus quarterback hits last year and then a fourth, John Franklin Myers, who had 18. So it's that group of four right there that I think will determine whether or not this can happen. It's Nick Benito, Jonathan Cooper, Zach Allen, John Franklin Myers. And then you can pick your wild card, right? I think between Jonah Ellis or Dondre Tillman. I mean, you could swap one of those guys out if you want. the only thing that makes me question this prediction, Cody, is what Sean Peyton basically said Nick Benito was playing too much last year. And I'm pretty sure the same sentiment is going to be
Starting point is 00:07:33 shared about Zach Allen, right? Because he played almost a thousand snaps as a defensive lineman, which is, I mean, that's crazy. You don't see that very often. Yeah, he's an Iron Man. And he saw the fruits of that labor with 40 quarterback hits. Not enough people talk about Zach Allen. And so I just think, look, you have guys that can do it. They're getting to the quarterback already. Finish that job, right? Get the quarterback to the ground. And they can do that. They've proven time and time again, consistency. These guys get to the quarterback and they get the quarterback on the ground. I just got to make sure the ball is in his hands or pop it out of his hands, right? So get to the quarterback again like you did last year. And I think those results will
Starting point is 00:08:18 come. Nick Benito led the team in sack. last year at 13 and a half here. Sarah, I've got him leading the team in 2025 with sacks again. I've got him with 15 sacks this year. I've got Jonathan Cooper with 11 and I've got Zach Allen right behind with seven. But then I got a handful of players that are going to be, you know, six, seven, five. You know, you're going to have a couple guys or maybe two or three. Those guys will probably be in the secondary a little bit or maybe even one.
Starting point is 00:08:42 But I think that you're going to get a widespread contribution from this group. And it's going to raise the price tag here for Nick Benito this upcoming season, which, hey, will the Broncos pay that bill? They need to. They should. Nick Benito deserves that contract extension. And look, Broncos Country, we want to hear from you on today's episode of the show when it comes to whether or not you believe the Broncos can set the NFL SAC record this upcoming season.
Starting point is 00:09:05 Let us know if you think it's attainable or not. And on top of that, share with us who you think will lead the team in sacks this upcoming season. We're not done yet, Broncos Country. Up next we're going to discuss by Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton, have the best chance to be the most productive, tackling linebacker duel, the NFL this season if they stay healthy. We'll dive deep into that and more on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's episode of Lockdown Broncos is brought to you by Fanduil.
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Starting point is 00:10:29 It feels like just about any prediction Cody and I could make about the Denver Broncos linebackers here in 2025 would be a bold prediction because it feels like the most uncertain aspect of the roster as we head into training camp, but we're going to make our bold predictions for the linebackers anyway. And just tackling in general, maybe a linebacker is not. going to factor into these equations here, Cody. We're going to talk all about that and more coming up next on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. But Broncos Country really quickly. I want to say thank you to all of you that make us your first listen of the day. Every single day, we appreciate you so much.
Starting point is 00:11:02 Cody, let's talk about this. The next category for our bold predictions is tackles in 2025. Typically, this distinction of the best tackler on a team is going to go to an offball linebacker. The question right now for the Broncos is, who's going to be playing off. ball linebacker. We know who we assume is going to be playing out there. So I guess maybe we root our predictions, our bold predictions in that. But what do you say to this? Who do you think is going to
Starting point is 00:11:29 lead this team in tackles? And do you have a number in mind there? Well, you want, I think, theoretically, you want a linebacker to be leading the team attackers, right? Because those are the guys that outside of the D line, the D line opens up the holes for the linebackers to fill when we talk about their run fits. And, you know, if you're not
Starting point is 00:11:48 having that happen, happen. It's a little problematic. And I would say this, if you have a safety who's leading your team and tackles, it means that running backs and rushers are getting to the next level, the second and third levels, a little more often than they should. So I would hope the inside linebacker room does it. I think if he could stay healthy, the easy button that I'm going to smash here would be Drake Greenlaw leading the team and overall tackles this upcoming season just because when you watch him on film, he's everywhere. He flies to the full. football. He plays like a bad out of hell. One of your favorite phrases I know you love using
Starting point is 00:12:23 here. I've got him as maybe, I don't know if this is bold, but 153 solo tackles this upcoming season. Well, actually, I don't know if I should do solo because that's a little crazy. I think he'll have over 110 solo tackles and then 40 something odd assisted tackles on top of that to kind of go with that 153 total tackle prediction. Where are you at with this? Is it a linebacker for you? and if so, who is it? Well, I think that, like you said, the hope is that Drey Greenlaw can be that guy. And you mentioned that if a safety is leading the team in tackles,
Starting point is 00:12:57 it's probably not a great sign for your defense over the long haul. Brandon Jones led the Broncos in tackles last year with 115. And right behind him was Cody Barton, who's now with the Tennessee Titans who the Broncos will see in week one. Dre Greenlaw's career high in tackles, Cody, 127 and 15 games. But how about Alex single? Is it bold to say he'll lead the team in tackles coming off the ACL injury? Maybe the last time he played a full season, 177 total tackles.
Starting point is 00:13:28 The guy flies around the field. He makes plays. I think that there's a bold aspect of this to say that Alex can come back from the ACL and defeat kind of the idea that, man, he's in competition for a starting job. Like last time he was a full-time starter, dude had 177 tackles. and now the talk is, well, he's in competition for a job, which I think is reasonable at this point. But at the same time, maybe he comes out and maybe he just blows us all away with another 175 plus total tackles. And I think that here's where I'll go with a bold prediction.
Starting point is 00:14:03 I'll say that the two linebackers for the Denver Broncos will not only start and play the whole year, but I think Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton combined for over 300 total tackles this coming season. Okay. That would be huge. And yeah, who's going to be the leading chunk gitter of that? I mean, you mentioned the 177 from Alex Singleton in 2023. The year prior in 22, it was 163 tackles there with 100 and one of them being solo tackles. In 2023, he had 106 solo tackles. 2021 in Philadelphia, he appeared in 16 games. He started eight, but appeared in 16. He had 137 tackles, 81 solo, and then in 11 games had 100. and 20 tackles there in 2020 for that Philadelphia Eagles defense. So this is a guy, as we know, Alex Singleton, wherever the football is, he is there. I feel like it would be a safe bet to kind of assume and signal that Drake Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, if healthy, will be the starting linebacker duo for the Broncos defense
Starting point is 00:15:00 this upcoming season. And I like that if they both stay healthy, let's say they both get 15, 16 games between them, I think we could very well see them hit combined 300 tackles between the two of them. Now, I'm also factoring into this equation, too. could a safety maybe throw their name of the hat because Brandon Jones last year led the Broncos in tackles last season, which, you know, I don't think that was a surprise to us. I think we were a little more surprised at how well-balanced Brandon was, right? He was a good tackler, but I think he impressed us more as a ball hawk. And it's like, all right, this is a guy who can do both at a high level,
Starting point is 00:15:37 whereas coming into it when the Broncos signed him in free agency, we weren't necessarily sure if he's just going to be a box player that is going to help in the run or if he was going to be a guy that you really have to account for in the secondary. The addition to Talanoho Fonga, you know, in Brandon Jones, these two guys here, health obviously being factored into it. But when you watch Dre Greenlaw's tape, Talao Hufanga is right next to him in a lot of those categories up in tackles. Could, could maybe the safety duo of Brandon Jones and Hufanga challenge this linebacker
Starting point is 00:16:06 unit a little bit as well, especially if they rolled him into the box a little bit more? I think it's possible, right? I mean, we saw back a couple years ago when Hufanga was a first team all pro. He had 97 total tackles. And like you mentioned, and we've talked about Brandon Jones had 115 total tackles last season to lead the Broncos. So I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility because of how often these guys attack the line of scrimmage as well. It's, yeah, you want to see the second level of defense get to the ball carriers before your safeties do. But at the same time, we know these guys are going to be in attack mode.
Starting point is 00:16:39 and we know Vance Joseph likes to have his defensive backs in attack mode as well. So I would not be shocked if one of, I mean, you could pick four or five different guys to lead this Broncos team in total tackles this season, Cody. And it wouldn't shock me. But I think that out of the four of these guys, it would be the most surprising to me if Brandon Jones repeated as the team's leader in tackles, which that would be interesting if you have all these guys added to the mix
Starting point is 00:17:07 and assuming they stay healthy, which we hope happens to have Brandon Jones lead them in tackles again would probably be a pretty significant development. I think if he stays healthy, I think Alex Singleton will definitely probably take the mantle there, right? Because think about this. Singleton played in three games last year for Denver, okay? Three games, 31 tackles in those three games, 17 of them being solo, 14 assisted, one tackle for loss, one QB hit. That right there, I mean, he was on track once again to probably have over 170. tackles again if he would have played all 17 games if he didn't tear his ACL.
Starting point is 00:17:42 So I find that to be an interesting number. But Broncos country, when it comes to the linebacker position or who is going to lead the team in tackles, it doesn't have to be lineback. It would be safety. It could be defensive linemen. Who do you think will lead the team and tackles this upcoming season? And can the Broncos linebacker duo of Dre Greenland, whoever, can they maybe combine for 300 total tackles this upcoming season?
Starting point is 00:18:02 Make sure you share your thoughts with us as we're having fun with our bold predictions on today's episode of the show. But we're not done yet, Broncos country. Still have a lot to discuss here. We're going to transition and pivot to the secondary, which Broncos players will lead the team and passes defense this upcoming season and interceptions. Could Riley Moss with the volume of targets we expect him to get?
Starting point is 00:18:21 Can he lead the team in I&T's in 2025? We'll share our thoughts on that more here on today's episode of the show. As we continue our bold prediction on today's episode, Locked on Broncos, we'll go through the secondary who will lead the team and takeaways, passes, defense, and more here. I'm going to say thank you once again to everyone. Broncos country. Thanks for tuning in, making us your first listen. However, you choose to do so. Sarah, I always feel like the secondary, in my opinion, it's one of the more well-rounded positions
Starting point is 00:18:50 you have to play right, because the Broncos, as we know, their safeties can tackle, their safeties can play the football in the air. They're really good at that. The Broncos corner group that they have as well, they're very good at playing the football when it's in the air, and they're also very good at coming up and tackling in the run game. Now, this year, I think obviously with Pat Certan coming off of the defensive player of the year award in 2024. He is going to be a guy that isn't going to get a lot of targets once again, which means that the guy opposite to him, which is Riley Moss. I know a lot of people want to question that.
Starting point is 00:19:20 That's where Riley was working all off season program. And nobody was ever taking Riley off the field. No other guy was mixing in where Riley was. So read into that what you want, Broncos Country. But that's what we've seen at practice here. Who will lead the team in interceptions this upcoming season? Sarah, you look at the guys in the secondary, at the safety position. you look at the three level corners there at the outside and inside the nickel.
Starting point is 00:19:43 Who is going to lead the team in I&Ts and what is that going to be? I want Riley Moss to lead this team in the interceptions, Cody, and I want it to be a big number, right? I think you could make an argument that so many different guys could lead this team in interceptions, which is a great discussion to be able to have because you have so many playmakers in that group. But like you said, he's going to still get a high volume of targets coming his direction. and I think he's primed to make teams pay for that a little bit more this coming season.
Starting point is 00:20:12 I think there's going to be a bit of an added chip on his shoulder. I think we're going to see the game slowed down for him a little bit this coming season. More plays on the football, more interceptions, doing more of what we saw him do at Iowa, where he was absolutely a ball magnet. Every time the ball was in the air, every time it hit the ground, it felt like Riley Moss was finding a way to make a play. And I think that's what we're going to see as he gets just, more and more comfortable in the NFL.
Starting point is 00:20:39 Last year was pretty much a red shirt rookie season for him, right? So he was out there playing extremely well with his first extensive snaps on the field against NFL wide receivers. Now this year, I think things are going to slow down. I'm saying seven picks for Riley Moss this year to lead the team.
Starting point is 00:20:56 I think he's going to be big time. That would be huge if that was the case. And you know, that would just slam the door on the narrative that I think, you know, a lot of Broncos fans have about Riley, which I feel like it's still an unfair narrative considering the Cincinnati game, because you talk to anybody, that's the only thing they bring up. Well, the Cincinnati game. Well, okay, what about the other games in which we saw Riley Moss playing at a high level? So if he were to come out there and look, he's going to get targeted quite a bit.
Starting point is 00:21:22 You know, I think he and Jayquan Macmill and they saw the most targets overall on the team. Jayquan inside the nickel. Last year, he was targeted 101 times, according to our friends over there at Pro Football Reference, gave up 65 catches for 688 yards. TDs in that regard there. If you look at Riley Moss on Pro Football reference, you know, you look at their numbers. They have the advanced analytics too,
Starting point is 00:21:44 and I'm very curious where they get this, because you look at them and you look at NFL next-gen stats, and they seem to be differing with each other a little bit. Riley Moss last year was targeted 103 times, gave up 67 catches for 747 yards and four touchdowns, obviously two to T. Higgins, one to, I think, Jalen Coker and the Carolina game, and then one, two, I think it was Chris Godwin.
Starting point is 00:22:06 in week three. So, I mean, you look at the overall number there, not bad, that two touchdowns given up against T. Higgins is something that will always loom there. I think because of that, right, if he's going to be the most targeted cornerback on this team, you want more takeaways. And I think that's something we're going to see an emphasis this upcoming season with. So I like that bold prediction. The Broncos haven't had a guy, I think, get close to seven interceptions in a season since really Justin Simmons and his career high in a year, I think, was six if I'm not mistaken. So I would be the first, like, high number there. And I think in today's game, sir, I think intercepting the football or, you know, remember the chant Bailey
Starting point is 00:22:42 year where he was just getting all the interceptions and you've had other guys like Richard Sherman getting all the interceptions that those guys have? I feel like we're not seeing it at that rate there. Look, I think what Brian Branch was one guy, Xavier McKinney last year, those guys had a ton of interceptions here. It is hard, I think, for corners to be able to get that in today's game just because teams love to attack the middle of the field. a lot more. So I'm with you on that. What about pass, passes defense this upcoming season? Who do you think we'll have the most passes defense out of everybody that we've talked about in the secondary so far? I'm going to go with another bold name here. And I'm going to say Jada
Starting point is 00:23:18 Barron, because I do think that he's going to, if he's going to be the number one guy in the slot, Cody, I do think he's going to be the most targeted player on this team because he's a rookie. And teams are going to say, all right, you're going to have to prove to us that we shouldn't throw at you. And I think he's going to come through. I think he's going to probably have at least 12 passes defense. Now, is that going to be more than Pat Sertan? I don't mean to sell Pat Sertan short, Cody. I think that if we want to get really bold predictions with a guy like Pat Sertan, it would almost have to be another segment entirely where we start saying like, all right, I think he can, I think he can break Champ Bailey's mark. Like if teams are going to throw it his direction,
Starting point is 00:23:57 like we talked about in our previous discussion about Pat, like he's going to have to go out and make more plays on the ball and make teams pay for throwing his direction. Just simply put, I mean, he had the interceptions that he did last year, game changing plays, shut receivers down, holds him to low yards per completion, et cetera. But I don't know. Do you struggle with that as well? And maybe any of the listeners can agree because it's like, okay, we want to talk
Starting point is 00:24:23 about bold predictions for the defensive backs. I almost struggle to include Pat because I don't anticipate him getting tested all that much. No, I think it's very valid because you look at the overall volume of targets that he gets in comparison to everybody else. It's like, all right, teams are going to do whatever they can. They're like, we're not going to throw whatever number two is. We're going to not throw to that side of the field or we're going to try to throw somewhere else in the vicinity, but not to his targeted guy that he's going to be on.
Starting point is 00:24:50 That's hard. I mean, it is hard to say like, hey, Pat's going to, you know, get eight or nine intersections a year. I think I would say that if teams targeted, pats are 10 as much as like Riley, Moss and J-Quain Macmillan got targeted last season. If Pat had over 100 targets on him or 105, I think very much so, he would probably have seven or eight picks on that. I think that's something we'd look at. Now, in terms of passes defense tier, you know, for Jaude, Baron, I wonder what that number
Starting point is 00:25:19 would be because passer tan, the most he's had in a season was 14. And when you talk about the most, pass's defense by a, you know, by a corner, I think, in a rookie in franchise history, I think it came from Bradley Robey initially. That was 13. But then 2017, he followed that up with 17. So I think Pat was the second most targeted corner as a rookie overall in his career when that happened.
Starting point is 00:25:46 Bradley Robey had it in a season, though, with 17 passes, defensed in 2017. So we'll Jaude Barron have 10 plus? I think, yes, that's probably feasible here at this point. I'm with you. For me, I've got Pat leading. the team in interceptions with five this upcoming season, which I know you hear the number five interceptions and you think about, okay, well, if that's going to lead the team, that
Starting point is 00:26:07 means that the Broncos defense isn't necessarily getting as many takeaways. I think when you add more numbers to other guys, like I've got Rodley Moss, I've got him with at least four interceptions this upcoming season. I've got Jaquan Macmillan with three, Cufongo with two. I got Brandon Jones with four and can Jada Baron get one or two? And we're not in factoring in linebackers. Can the linebackers get one or two at this? point. I think Denver can get to that point here, Sarah, that we talked about, I think,
Starting point is 00:26:33 in an episode last week where can the Broncos defense get 20 interceptions on the season, whereas they had 15 last year, I think it's more feasible in this manner. I like that. I do. I like that a lot. I think back to the 2013 season when the Broncos offense had five guys that had, I think it was 10 plus touchdowns overall. It was no Sean Moreno, late grade Demarius Thomas. Yeah, it was just silly out there. there, West Welker, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas, they all had 10 plus touchdowns that year. How cool would it be to see four different guys or more on this Denver Broncos defense here in 2025 with four plus turnovers?
Starting point is 00:27:14 Like not just interceptions, but force fumbles. I think that that could be, I mean, that could be within the realm of possibility, Cody. Like Talenoa, Hufanga, we expect him to always be around. He's a turnover machine. Brandon Jones, Ballhawk, Pat Sertan, Ballhawk. Riley Moss, even in what was perceived as a down year for Riley. I mean, he still had a pair of turnovers forced as well as a recovered fumble. So I think that there's definitely an opportunity there.
Starting point is 00:27:41 Jayquan, Macmillan, he forced a lot of turnovers in his first two seasons. So I think the defensive front is going to get the ball out more this year. That was something that I think they could work on compared to last year, as well as tipping the ball at the line of scrimmage when they don't get home as pass rushers. that's something that can create more turnover. So how about four or more guys with four plus turnovers this season? And maybe that's even selling these guys short a little bit. I like it.
Starting point is 00:28:08 I think when you factor in the mentality of this defense, they want to be violent, they want to be aggressive. That fits into what Vance Joseph wants these guys to do. And I think you have the guys that embody that mindset as well on this team. You mentioned the selflessness of these guys on the defensive line, the pass-wrest unit, and how they open things up for one another.
Starting point is 00:28:25 It's the same exact thing that leads to opportunities for those guys on the back end or that second level of the fielded inside linebacker. I'm with it. This was a fun exercise. In Broncos Country, want you to get involved as well. Make sure you share with us your defensive bold predictions this upcoming season. Who will lead the team in sacks this upcoming year?
Starting point is 00:28:41 Who will lead the team in tackles, takeaways, interceptions, passes defense, you name it. Let us know. We are always excited for that here, Broncos Country, as we get ready for the start of our training camp previews beginning next week. Tomorrow's episode of the show, here's what you can expect. Sarah and I, we're going to sit down and we're going to go through the top three. position battles that are going to headline training camp
Starting point is 00:29:00 beginning later on this month, starting off with Jada Baron versus J-Quan-McMillan inside the nickel. You'll get all that and much more on tomorrow's episode, Lockdown Broncos.

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