On Monday, the Denver Broncos got Dre Greenlaw. He’s a huge upgrade at the inside linebacker position for one of the best defenses in the NFL.
And while he’s no one-trick pony, Greenlaw is the coverage backer they’ve been needing for years.
Denver Broncos got Dre Greenlaw, shoring up the middle of the defense
Looking at both sides of the ball, the Broncos have been soft in the middle of the field.
They have lacked a talented tight end who can be a quarterback’s go-to guy and move the chains. Defensively, they’ve been eaten alive by opposing tight ends between the seams.
Now, finally, Greenlaw looks to be the perfect coverage linebacker the Broncos need.
The Denver Broncos got Dre Greenlaw to agree to a 3-year, $35 million contract yesterday, bringing him to the Mile High City. And as long as he can stay healthy, Vance Joseph and Co. got a great backer. He’s a run-stuffer, a sideline-to-sideline all-effort tackler, and is very good in pass coverage.
The health part plays in because he missed all but two games in 2024 after tearing his Achilles tendon during Super Bowl LVIII while running off the sideline. He recovered and played for the 49ers in Weeks 15-16, but then was shut down due to calf tightness.
The Broncos must be confident in his health, though, to give him such a beefy deal.
According to Pro Football Focus, Greenlaw earned an 81.2 and 72.1 coverage grades in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Meanwhile, Alex Singleton earned a terrible 42.9 in 2023 and a 53.5 in 2024 for coverage grades. And Justin Strnad earned a paltry 51.5 coverage grade last year. So Greenlaw is a huge upgrade in pass coverage, which is a vital component of defensive play in this day and age.
The Broncos were already solid on the outside–headlined by Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain–and now they’ve strengthened the middle of the D.
Denver’s been dominated by opposing tight ends for years
Over the last decade or so, the tight end position has continued to morph more into a receiver role. And the Broncos defense never seems to have an answer.
Travis Kelce has been earning first downs and touchdowns as Patrick Mahomes’ safety blanket for nearly a decade. And even though he’s slowing down, he still caught one of his three touchdowns last year against the Broncos.
His monster 2020 game against Denver, in which he had eight receptions for 136 yards, included the game-winning touchdown late.
It’s not just Kelce the Broncos have to worry about, though.
Brock Bowers exploded onto the NFL scene last year for the Raiders. He was the eighth-leading receiver in the NFL, tied with CeeDee Lamb with 1,194 yards and 5 touchdowns. Bowers is going to be a problem with the Raiders for years, no matter who they have for a QB.
He enjoyed an 8-catch, 97-yard and 1-TD day against the Broncos last season.
In 2023, Dalton Kincaid caught five balls for 51 yards and a touchdown for the Bills, who ended Denver’s season this year. And Sam LaPorta of the Lions roasted Denver to the tune of 3 touchdowns in 2023, too.
This issue of being utterly unable to slow down opposing tight ends dates back to at least 2018 when George Kittle racked up 210 yards and a score against Vance Joseph’s Broncos.
Joseph, now the defensive coordinator, was the head coach in 2018.
“We had one blown coverage and we had a couple where we just didn’t cover him,” Joseph said. “He beat us one-on-one. He’s a great player. We knew coming into the game that he’s the guy we had to stop and we didn’t get it done.”
Broncos Country has to hope Greenlaw can be Green-lockdown starting in 2025.