Coming into training camp and the preseason, the Denver Broncos’ starters on defense were already solidified at nearly all 11 spots, and the depth behind them became notably stronger. After two weeks of preseason play, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is pleased with where his unit is ahead of the regular season.
Denver Broncos defense in a good place ahead of regular season
While the NFL Preseason is the perfect platform to get starters a few snaps here and there, it’s more important to identify the impact and depth behind the starting group.
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This year’s preseason slate for the Denver Broncos has highlighted just how important that depth is, and paints an exciting picture about where this defensive unit can go in 2025.
In Denver’s first two preseason games, they’ve held opposing offenses to a combined 3-of-25 on third down (12%) and have only allowed two touchdowns total. The Broncos defense has also held offenses to a combined 338 net yards in two games, which showcases how dominant the unit has been, ranging from the first team, second team, and third team units.
Denver’s first team defense had one drive vs. San Francisco where they allowed a big play on third down, which ultimately led to a red zone score, but they buckled up right after that and dominated the next series. Their second and third unit players have been on the field for a majority of the preseason and have been suffocating.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph discussed the success of the defense early on in the preseason and highlighted the team’s trend of third-down dominance.
“It’s still in evaluation, obviously,” Joseph said. “It’s never perfect. You don’t play perfect games in this league, but I’m happy that guys can come back and have success after we fixed some things, and we played better after the scoring drives. Obviously, in the scoring drives both weeks, it was third downs. We gave up two third downs last week, and the third down against the Niners, and that’s the only three we’re giving up the whole preseason. So it speaks to if you’re winning third downs, you’re winning series and no one scores.”
Right now, one of the Broncos’ biggest strengths defensively has to do with their depth at the cornerback position and how it creates flexibility in how Joseph can dial up different blitz and pressure looks, because of that room’s ability to cover and the other positions’ abilities to get after the quarterback and clog run lanes.
“I think it gives us just depth in this league,” Joseph said. “Having corners, rushers, defensive linemen, having guys who can finish games who can start for a month for you, and the standard doesn’t change. That’s important for us. Right now at corner, we have some guys who are playing good football. That’s a good sign. Obviously, packaging during the week, having dime and nickel packages, it’s going to be part of what we do. So the more guys who can rush and cover at a high level, the more we can scheme around those guys.”
With the slate of skill players the Broncos will have to face this year, having that versatility in the rush and coverage game is going to be one of the most important things to watch for on a weekly basis.
The Denver Broncos will conclude the preseason on Saturday when they face the New Orleans Saints at 11:00 a.m. MT, with the Saints still trying to identify their starting quarterback for the regular season, they’ll throw their best looks at Joseph’s defense.
