Going into the draft the Denver Broncos have one of the best, if not the best, secondaries in the NFL, thanks in large part to two very good starting safeties — T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart. However, outside of those two, the depth could be better.
The two safeties on the books for next year, besides Ward and Stewart, are Ryan Murphy — who very well could have seen his last days as a Bronco — and Shiloh Keo. Murphy was on the Broncos’ practice squad for a part of last year and was the player sent home during the Super Bowl week for being caught up in a prostitution sting.
Even though he was not arrested, Murphy most likely is not the high caliber of player that gets to live through an incident like this, especially because it brought negative press to the Broncos during Super Bowl week.
Keo returns to the Broncos after playing a reserve role down the stretch, joining the team on Dec. 9. The five-year veteran played a solid role in picking up the defense quickly, but isn’t an elite backup.
Having done nothing but lose safeties in free agency — Omar Bolden to the Bears, David Bruton to the Redskins and Josh Bush unsigned — it is almost certain the Broncos will turn to the draft to add safety depth.
For having such a glaring need, the Broncos are actually in a fairly good situation going into the draft. While they desperately need safety depth, it’s not something that they need to reach on, and, in fact, they can wait until the right player(s) falls to them.
Here are five safeties the Broncos could go after in the draft:
5. Jayron Kearse, SS, Clemson
Experience: Junior
Height/Weight: 6-4/216
Projected Round: 4-5
2015 Stats: 62 tackles; 6.5 tackles for loss; 1 interception; 6 passes defended; 1 forced fumble; 1 fumble recovery
Nephew of former Titan and Eagle great Jevon “The Freak” Kearse, Jayron Kearse brings a similar athletic ability to the NFL as his uncle. At 6-4, Jayron is exceptionally tall as a safety and possess freakish speed.
With all of the ability in the world, Jayron still has a significant amount of growth until he can live up to his abilities. The most concerning part of Jayron’s game is the effort level he brings, or doesn’t bring, to each and every play. His effort has been questioned throughout college and that is a major concern because it is something that cannot be coached. This has caused Jayron to coast on certain plays, take poor angles and have wasted steps due to lack of focus.
Other concerns in Jayron’s game revolve around his size. In order to develop into his height, he will need to bulk up and add muscle in order to not be abused by the ball carriers. He also needs to develop his footwork in order to improve his coverage skills, specifically against smaller quick receivers.
If Jayron is able to consistently bring a high effort level and add the proper weight, he has a chance to be a very good safety. His ceiling is incredibly high and he brings explosive hitting, the ability to create turnovers and can anticipate routes early.
With two stud veteran players playing in front of him, Jayron would have all of the motivation in the world to play at a high level and learn behind them. On the Broncos, Jayron would have an opportunity to have playing time his rookie year and develop into a very good player, if he is willing to work for it.