The Denver Broncos defensive line is one area that has to drastically improve this upcoming season if they hope to find sustained success inside the trenches. After losing defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, the team promoted another assistant from within to fill the void.

Denver Broncos name Jamar Cain as the team’s next defensive line coach

Marcus Dixon was one of only two assistant coaches that Sean Payton brought back when he was hired as the team’s head coach. Defensive backs coach Christian Parker was the other.

Both coaches departed the team for new opportunities, with Parker going to the Philadelphia Eagles and Dixon heading to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Broncos announced on Thursday that they have promoted Jamar Cain to defensive line coach. Cain was the Broncos pass rush specialist last season, where he helped aid in the team’s 42 sacks, which was the team’s highest total in four years.

2024 will be his 22nd season coaching and second season with the Broncos. Previously, he was the defensive line coach and run game coordinator for LSU in 2022. In 2021, he was an outside linebacker and defensive end coach for Oklahoma, where he worked with current Broncos players Nik Bonitto and Ronnie Perkins.

Zach Allen and D.J. Jones are two starters who are set to return this upcoming season, but Cain will have to play an instrumental role in helping the defensive line find more success than they did last season.

One of the bigger questions surrounding the position room is how the team plans to address the interior defensive line, where the Broncos have struggled with stopping the run consistently and generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

He has a strong understanding of the scheme and knows how to teach various stunts that could help create a difference in Denver’s defensive line getting home a lot more next season.

“We feel like we need to be better in the run, and we need to stop the run better,” Broncos GM George Paton said this week at the NFL Combine. “We were inconsistent, a lot of things we did.  Week 1 through [Week] 6 or one through the first six games, we were the worst defense in the league and then the final 11 [games] we were in the Top 10, Top 5 in a lot of metrics so really just be more consistent. I think we need to get better inside, stopping the run. Just be more disciplined at times and you saw that earlier. I saw that a little late with some of the busted coverages. You can always use help in the secondary, but I feel good about the young core on defense, and we will just continue to add depth.”

Cain is a good in-house hire for the Broncos, and the hope is that he’ll be able to help the defensive line improve.