The Broncos need better from their defensive line in 2024.
DJ Jones, 29, and Zach Allen, 26, are the anchors of the group. They’re solid options you don’t need to worry about.
The big addition this offseason was run-stuffer Malcolm Roach, 25, who is likely to earn a starting job for the first time in his career.
Some combination of Angelo Blackson, 31, Rashard Lawrance, 25, Matt Henningsen, 24, Elijah Garcia, 26, and Jordan Jackson, 26, will round out the rotation. There’s an outside chance Eyioma Uwazurike, 25, will be reinstated from a sports-betting suspsension over the summer, too.
The Broncos will probably need six viable options on a week-to-week basis, which means they need a couple of guys to step up. Adding another option via the draft, would turn the odds of better depth for the Broncos in 2024 than 2023 in the right direction.
Denver could justify a first-round defensive lineman who would be an instant starter. They could justify a late-rounder who is ready to plug-and-play, too.
Here’s who I think they should consider in this year’s draft…
Byron Murphy, Texas
Range: First Round
The most valuable interior defensive linemen are pass rushers, and that’s why Murphy is the heavy favorite to be the first one off the board.
Murphy’s numbers don’t jump off the page. He had 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season. Both were career highs.
But Murphy is a special athlete. He’s explosive. He has a strong upper body. He overpowers smaller linemen and runs right by the bigger ones. He earned a place on Bruce Feldman’s freaks list because of his rare blend of athleticism.
Murphy isn’t the perfect prospect. He’s under 6-foot-1. He’s right around 300 pounds. His arms are a little bit short. With a little more size, Murphy would be a top-10 lock.
But Murphy has almost maximized the frame that he was given, despite only being 21 years old. There may be room for more physical development, but he’s so chiseled that it’s tough to imagine he can tack on much more.
Murphy is the top interior rush option, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he could post a few 10-sack seasons over the next decade or more.
Johnny Newton, Illinois
Range: Likely Day 1
Like the majority of this year’s defensive line class, Newton doesn’t have the freaky size that NFL teams often covet.
Instead, Newton can pitch teams on the production that helped him to back-to-back All-America nods.
Newton breezes off of blocks. With one hand, he can shove a guard off of him and find his way into the backfield. He’s strong and he’s explosive. He gets off the line in an instant. He has the most pressures of any FBS lineman over the past two years. He’ll be a playmaker from the three-technique spot immediately.
T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
Range: Day 2
Sweat is the type of defensive lineman that offensive linemen hate to play.
He’s between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5. He’s 366 pounds. He can lean on just about any center and slowly push him back Ito the quarterback’s lap.
Sweat is a run-defender first, as you’d guess given his size. He won’t get many sacks. But he’ll command a double-team on most plays and he collapses the line of scrimmage often enough to change games.
The concerns are mostly off-field. He’ll need to focus to keep weight off. He was arrested a few weeks before the draft for driving while impaired. His decision-making makes him a riskier prospect. He’s only 22, so maybe he’ll mature.
But big men like sweat who have quick enough feet to make plays at the lie of scrimmage are rare. If he pans out, he could be one of the league’s top nose tackles for a decade.
Braden Fiske, Florida State
Range: Day 2
In Braden Fiske’s first four years at Western Michigan, he didn’t earn all-conference honors. In his fifth season, he made 12 tackles for loss with six sacks, which got him a second-team All-MAC nod.
Fiske transferred to Florida State for his final year of eligibility, where he became a star. He made six sacks. He earned All-ACC honors.
Fiske is an older prospect. He turned 24 this year. He doesn’t fit in the physical freak category at 6-foot-3 and 292 pounds, but he’s got plenty of upper-body strength and he’ll be able to outmuscle plenty of NFL linemen. He’ll outhustle just about all of them.
Fiske is an old-school three-technique who can make plays in any phase of the game if he’s asked to get upfield.
Tyler Davis, Clemson
Range: Day 3
If the Broncos don’t end up with a defensive lineman in either of the first two days of the draft, Davis could be the perfect option on Day 3.
Despite his blue-chip recruiting status, Davis doesn’t have the physical tools to be a special player in the NFL. He has average size, length and burst. He might have better-than-average strength, but that might be a stretch.
But Davis has started 52 collegiate games and is prepared to fill a role in the defensive line rotation right away. He’s a four-time All-ACC performer and a one-time All-American.
Davis can play across the defensive line. He’s clean in the run game. He reads plays well as they develop. He can eat up the snaps and round out the Broncos’ defensive line rotation.
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