After having previewed options for the Denver Broncos on the offensive side of the ball, it’s time to get back to the defensive side. An underrated area of need in Denver is greater depth at outside linebacker, where—after Von Miller—the rotation of Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett could use more help and the future for both of those players is uncertain.

The Broncos have said as much this offseason, and with an abundance of picks in the draft, it’s likely they’ll address the position at some point. With that, here are several names to keep an eye on for the Orange & Blue.

We’ve already addressed the need areas at quarterback, running back, receivers and tight ends, offensive tackle, guard, and inside linebacker as well, so click on those links if you need to get caught up.

Without further ado, let’s get into the options at edge rusher.

The lone option at five

Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State

Chubb is the one edge rusher in this class who merits consideration in the top five. In fact, the Broncos might be lucky if he drops to their fifth pick, as both the New York Giants at two, and Cleveland Browns at four will strongly consider him.

Chubb’s an almost perfect edge, with few glaring weaknesses. He’s strong and sets a nice edge against the run. He also has a great motor and can attack the passer from several different spots. Chubb might be at his best attacking a tackle’s inside shoulder or blitzing from the interior. 

The NC State product is a good athlete, uses his hands well and was quite productive the last two seasons, especially in 2017, where he was one of the best at getting after the quarterback in all of the NCAA.

His only downfall is his bendiness, as he’s not a freak turning the edge the way Von or other elite talents at the position are. He isn’t a special athlete, either, but solid nonetheless. His production this past season is also a product of playing on a line that was made up of only NFL prospects, so offenses couldn’t focus in on him.

In the league, if he’s asked to be a teams top pass rusher, he might disappoint a tad, however, with the Broncos, he’d be great opposite Von in a rotation. His ability against the run would be a big bonus in Denver as well. 

Second-round options

Arden Key, EDGE, LSU

Key was considered a top talent in the class coming into the season and seemed destined for a top-10 selection. That’s all changed now, between an odd leave of absence from LSU last offseason, and an injury that held him out the first half of the season, his stock has plummeted.

He’s also had issues with his weight that’s gone from the mid 260s to under 240 pounds. On top of all of that, Key didn’t perform as well as his tape would suggest he should’ve at the combine either. 

All that has made him very likely to still be around in the second round, with lots of uncertainty surrounding him. However, if the Broncos are comfortable with his off-field concerns and think they can get him back to being the dominant player he was in 2016, this could be a phenomenal selection.

Only a year ago, Key was college football’s best pass rusher with elite length, explosiveness and bend. He’s potentially a special player who could be an elite pass rusher. However, there’s some real risk with him. 

Lorenzo Carter, OLB/EDGE, Georgia

Carter is far from a finished product and was only scratching the surface in what was a great season for he and the Bulldogs defense in 2017. He’s a splendid athlete with exceptional size at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds. 

At Georgia this past season, he played as a 4-3 outside linebacker and showed a well-rounded game. He can even do some things in coverage and is rangy sideline to sideline. Even though he might be a bit light taking on the run, he’s shown promise there, as well—just watch him beat Quenton Nelson for a tackle for a loss below.

All that is nice, but the reason Carter promises to be a top-50 selection is his upside rushing the passer, which is probably the area of his game in which he needs to be developed most. If he can do that, the sky’s the limit for this young talent, who could even be a surprise pick in the first round.

The Broncos have already brought him in for a private workout, and if he’s around by the 40th pick, he’ll certainly be considered. 

Josh Sweat, EDGE, Florida State

Sweat fits in perfectly with this group, as he’s another high-upside, big-school kid, who’s still a work in progress at this stage in his career. He’s more stout than Key or Carter against the run, but wasn’t nearly as productive rushing the passer this past season.

The Seminoles defensive end had a stellar combine, and if you watch his tape, you’ll see some of the explosiveness he showed in his testing in Indy. 

He just needs to show more consistent pursuit, and be more productive beating blockers off the line. At times he seems rigid, even if he’s athletic in a straight line. Given his athleticism, he’ll likely go high, but his tape isn’t worthy of a top-50 pick, in my opinion. 

Third-round steals

Uchenna Nwosu, OLB/EDGE, USC

Nwosu’s a bit of a forgotten man, despite a spectacular 2017 season. The Trojans star can rush the passer very effectively, but he’s also very well-rounded and reminds me a bit of T.J. Watt. He’s particularly talented in deflecting passes at the line and can drop in coverage as well.

He’d be a steal in the early third, if he’s still around, and could be very productive in a rotational role.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, OLB/EDGE, Oklahoma

Okoronkwo was devastating last season, harassing opposing quarterbacks at will. He has an electric first step, with a non-stop motor and a strong lower base. Oko’s knack for closing down on QBs can’t be taught and is what could make him a steal in the third round. He plays with natural leverage and bends the edge well.

Based on his tape, he’d merit first-round buzz, but he’s just not a special athlete nor does he have great size, which knocks him a bit. In round three, he’d be a steal, especially in a 3-4 front where he’d be perfectly suited. 4-3 teams won’t like him as much, as he’s more of a hybrid between a linebacker and defensive end.

Jeff Holland, EDGE, Auburn

Holland was a stellar pass rusher in the SEC this past season. He wins with speed and agility and has a knack for closing on plays. He’s a bit light and won’t dominate the run, but he’s deceptively hard to block and can be effective in that area, too.

He seemed destined to light up the combine but was only okay, which is why he’ll likely still be around by round three. If he is, he’d be a really nice rotational piece, even if he might be a bit similar to Ray in some ways.

Dorance Armstrong Jr., EDGE, Kansas

Physically speaking, Armstrong is similar to Key, as he’s long and lanky. Also like Key, he’s coming off a down year that really hurt his stock. His motor and commitment didn’t look great this year, either. 

However, if he can get back to his 2016 form, he can get sacks with ease, which will allow teams to overlook him being a bit of a one-trick pony. By round three, he could be great value for the Broncos rotation, with some really intriguing upside. 

Late-round finds

Hercules Mata’afa, EDGE, Washington State

Mata’afa is one of the most interesting prospects in the entire draft. Based on production alone, he’d be a first rounder, but questions about his fit as a true edge rusher have seriously hindered his stock. 

The Cougars standout was a dominant pass rusher in college but was used primarily as a hand-in-the-ground rusher on the interior. At 250 pounds, that won’t fly in the NFL, which is why he needed a big combine and disappointed a bit. Thus, his stock is all over the board, but his talent getting after the quarterback is undeniable. He plays low to the ground, has an incredible motor, and is just as much of a force against the run.

If he can be had with one of the four picks the Broncos have in rounds four and five, he’d be a great selection.

Tyquan Lewis, DE, Ohio State

Lewis was very productive at Ohio State in a deep rotation. He’s bigger than most of the prospects on this list but has undeniable talent rushing the passer. Lewis isn’t a spectacular athlete but he was impressive at the Senior Bowl. 

He’s not an ideal fit in a 3-4 but is good enough to make it work as a situational pass rusher—he’s not that different from Barrett, actually. Lewis is solid in a lot of areas, plays with good power and is effective against the run, as well. He’s already used to making the most of limited snaps and would fit right into a rotational role. 

Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, EDGE, Toledo

The Toledo standout was one of the nation’s best pass rushers off the edge in 2017, amassing 20 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. His performance against Chukwuma Okorafor and Western Michigan showed exactly the type of talent he has against NFL-level tackles. He also totaled two TFLs against Miami this season and is a big-game player.

After a big season, he somewhat unexpectedly declared for the draft, and at only 248 pounds didn’t light up the combine, which is why he’ll be around this late. His natural skill, leverage, power against the run, and motor make him really enticing. He could be a steal in rounds four through five. 

Kemoko Turay, EDGE, Rutgers

Turay has seemingly been talked about in draft circles for four years now after he had a terrific freshman season. He’s never found that same form, though, which is why he’s down here. 

When he’s got everything going for him, Turay has great strength and some pretty nice athletic traits. He just needs to put it all together consistently and be productive. He’d be an intriguing gamble on day three.