Broncos Film Room: How Jurrell Casey can elevate Denver’s defense

John Elway is no stranger to fourth-quarter comebacks. With options dwindling on the open market for starting defensive lineman, old No. 7 pulled off the move his team needed by swapping a seventh-round pick for five-time Pro Bowler, Jurrell Casey.

Here’s what Casey brings to the Broncos, as we went back to the tape to see why his production has dipped the past two seasons and how he’ll fit in Vic Fangio’s defense.

What to expect

Right off the bat, the first thing you notice about Jurrell Casey is that he’s a true pro, a player who’s going to compete no matter what he’s asked to do. He consistently plays with a high motor and will rarely make negative plays.

So while he doesn’t have tons of flash, Casey is still a key starter who’ll consistently be in the right spots and do his job. For a veteran coach staff having a trustworthy, tone-setting presence upfront like Casey is invaluable.

No. 99 is most impactful defending the run where he’s a menacing presence due to his football IQ, discipline and power.

 

The Long Beach, California native possesses violent hands, plays with great natural leverage, is a sound tackler, and can keep blockers at bay on two-gap schemes, extending his arms to then shed blocks and pounce at the right moment.

Sometimes bullying blockers and tossing them like rag dolls, something he did regularly while playing more inside.

 

The five-time defensive captain also has burst to shoot gaps when given the green light, making him a handful for guards and centers to keep up with.

 

Because of this, he’s rarely beat in the run game, as he’s tough to move off his spot and can battle and knockback even the strongest guards—see his handling of Quenton Nelson below.

 

Extremely sturdy, the former Trojan doesn’t get turned around or moved off his spot like a young rookie would, bringing stability and significantly more power to Denver’s front. 

Strong at the point of attack, Casey has a solid wide base allowing him to take on double teams, which combined with his awareness and motor allow him to work back towards the ball to make plays around the line of scrimmage.

 

He’s can also split double teams and penetrate rushing lanes if that’s what he asked to do.

 

Always working in pursuit and tracking down backside runs, Casey is a gritty competitor you don’t look forward to playing against with his constant motor.

 

Part of why he’s so reliable defending the run is that Casey is a smart, read-and-react defender with great gap contain. Considering the five-time Pro Bowler has lined up all over the formation, that’s particularly important as he sets a strong edge outside and is smart enough to hold up in space despite being over 300 pounds. 

While Casey can help anchor Denver’s run defense, that’s not why he’s a five-time Pro Bowler or is making over $11 million per year. To earn that in the modern NFL, you need to impact the pass.

Casey gets after quarterbacks with his ability to always be the low man, bullying blockers with his strong hands and putting lineman on skates with his bull rush. The former Tennessee Titans defensive captain plays with a constant motor, always working his way forward to pursue the quarterback.

Just look at the big man as a stand-up edge getting after it.

 

Under head coach Mike Vrabel, who was hired in 2018, Casey’s production dropped off in part because he was lined up just about everywhere, including as a stand-up rusher and playing out on the edge far too often.

Here was a fun package where Casey was lined up over center as a stand-up rusher.

 

To his credit, even when lined up outside, Casey kept coming and could bend pretty well around the edge for a big guy.

 

Deceptively athletic, Casey can be tough to stop with a head of steam on stunts—which could be a fun little wrinkle to throw in with Bradley Chubb, who’s also pretty effective on stunts.

 

While it’s a nice feather in his cap to be able to rush the quarterback from anywhere, Casey is most efficient when lined up closer to center, as he still has some quickness off the line, which combined with his power and violent hands, allow him to slip blocks or stun blockers.

 

While not a dynamic pass rusher with elite production, Casey impacts the game and will force quarterbacks off their spots and crash pockets on the interior, which is huge in Denver—not to mention, the key to limiting Patrick Mahomes.

 

On Denver’s front, with this coaching staff, a veteran like Casey who’ll get after the quarterback lined up anywhere from a zero to a 9-technique is a huge asset.

 

With those tools combined with his veteran savvy, Casey’s biggest asset rushing the passer remains his motor, constantly pursuing and working to get after the quarterback. Hold on to the ball too long, and No. 99 will be coming. 

So while his production might’ve gone down the last two seasons, as he was used in more exotic fronts, Casey paired with the Broncos’ edge rushers should maximize his impact, as offensive lines will dedicate less attention to him and he’s given more opportunities to rush the passer from the interior. 

A versatile tone-setting rusher who’s reliable against the run, Casey will be a stabilizing force for most of the game and make winning plays when the moment is right. His tape might not have always popped, but he grows on you as the winning plays keep stacking up, and the losses are few and far between.

What not to expect

With a solid veteran like Casey, there are two primary concerns; what he still has left in the tank and what his impact can truly be as a pass rusher.

With him being used in unconventional ways and in a fairly heavy front-three rotation, his value as a third-down defender fluctuated the last two seasons. Part of this were the simple opportunities as Casey was rotated out on third-down packages or asked to rush off the edge, limiting his opportunities to get after the QB in obvious passing situations.

Casey doesn’t succeed because he’s an Aaron Donald or Chris Jones-type with elite athleticism. He can get a little sloppy breaking through the line, you’ll see him trip or fall on himself at times, as his feet aren’t super light or quick. 

In fact, he’s a slight tweeter who isn’t going to be a dynamic force as a true end and isn’t a gap clogger as a defensive tackle up the middle. So while he can do just about everything, putting him in the best spot to maximize his skills, depending on the in-game situation, will be crucial.

To unlock the nine-year veteran’s ability as a rusher, he’ll need to be moved around the interior waiting for his motor to shine through on any extended or broken plays. 

As a pass rusher, he can, at times, wastes valuable momentum trying to go around linemen instead of getting upfield. He also isn’t a great finisher when he has to pounce on a quarterback and close a play, nor does he make a ton of plays on the ball in forcing strips. 

In 2019, Casey wasn’t penetrating and slipping blocks as seamlessly as in the past, but he was still a force in the run game with his ability to hold up blockers and still presented plenty of versatility as a pass rusher.

His ceiling remains undoubtedly high, but if the Broncos are hoping to get a couple more years of prime form, they’ll have to help Casey by putting him in the right looks to get back to reach peak production. 

Worth the risk?

As far as acquiring Casey, the risk lies entirely on his contract as simply swapping him for a seventh-round pick was a no brainer. To justify his contract, Casey will have to at least be as advertised; a solid, reliable tone-setting defender, though the hope, of course, is that in a much more favorable scenario, he can take Denver’s front to another stratosphere.

On a cheaper deal than the younger D.J. Reader, Casey brings more pass-rushing ability and versatility, allowing Fangio a bit more flexibility without having to lose too much when it comes to defending the run. That seems like a pretty solid trade-off. 

As far s fit within the Broncos defense and roster, having Casey as a natural 3-4 defensive end to plug into base looks will be ideal for all parties involved. Maybe more intriguing is how Casey can operate in four-man fronts as a defensive tackle paired with Dre’Mont Jones, as the vet is a powerful enough run defender and gap clogger to complement the slippery, athletic second-year lineman.

This is about as safe an addition as you can make at this time of the NFL calendar, but the real gamble here for Denver, like so many of their moves this offseason, will come down to if Casey can extend his prime and turn back the clock to 2017.