ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Early in the Broncos' preseason win over the Packers, Denver's defensive line showed its potential.
Newly added defensive end John Franklin-Myers chased Packers quarterback Sean Clifford out of the pocket, and Zach Allen chased him down for a sack.
The play forced a Packers punt and gave Denver its first look at a defensive line that now features Allen, Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach and a number of other key depth pieces.
As Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph reflected Thursday on seeing Allen and Franklin-Myers on the field together, he noted the importance of the defensive line and edge rushers playing at a high level.
"Obviously, our front should be one of our strengths — the front and outside 'backers," Joseph said. "Those are our deepest, most experienced positions. Those guys have to play well for us to win games this fall."
In addition to a new-look defensive line, the Broncos will feature an outside linebacking corps that includes Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto and rookie Jonah Elliss among the pass-rushing options.
Elliss has posted a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery through two games, and Joseph said the first-year player has been "impressive" during the start to his NFL career.
"His football IQ is very high for a young guy," Joseph said. "His instincts. He just makes plays, and his know-how sometimes surprises me because he hasn't been told a lot of stuff, and he kind of figures it out. That's a special trait that you want all your young players to have. He has it. Rushing the passer, he has counter moves that, again, we hadn't taught him yet and on his own he's kind of done [it]. Dropping in coverage is natural for him. Tackling, chasing, playing hard, being smart. He's been awfully impressive for a rookie."
The talent along the Broncos' defensive front should pair well with what players have described as an "attacking" defense, but Joseph detailed the importance of choosing the right time to send an extra rusher.
"When I'm bringing pressure, I'm not bringing pressure blind," Joseph said. "I'm not just blitzing to blitz. It's blitzing protections, it's blitzing personnel, it's blitzing the back, it's blitzing a part of the field. So every blitz we game-plan is for a purpose. Sometimes the look is just to make them block everybody and run three-man routes. So overload looks or double mug looks, it's sometimes to make them panic, or to make them block every look during the week and never run it. So there's a purpose to it, but you can be reckless sometimes blitzing blind and not blitzing with a reason behind it. I would think I'm experienced enough to not do that anymore as an experienced coordinator. Blitz with a purpose and not just blind."
Between the addition of new talent and Joseph's scheme, the Broncos enter 2024 hoping the defensive front can be one of the team's strengths.
'BO WON IT'
During Broncos Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi's final season with the Chargers, Oregon alum Justin Herbert would mention the team's new quarterback in Eugene.
"He was obviously a big Oregon football fan," Lombardi said Thursday. "You'd hear about the games from him a little bit."
Lombardi, though, didn't watch Nix until he turned on the film in the pre-draft process — and what he saw surprised him.
"The only thing I knew about him is what I'd heard," Lombardi said. "… I guess my impression wasn't what I was seeing. [I] was kind of surprised watching it, and so you're like, 'Wait, that's not what I expected. So let me go back a year. Let me go watch some Auburn film.' Everything I looked at, I liked."
Lombardi said his time with Nix in Denver has "confirmed all the things we've liked about him" in the pre-draft process, and he said Nix has "more arm talent than what I think most people gave him credit for."
The Broncos' offensive coordinator has been impressed by Nix's "veteran presence," and he emphasized that Nix has earned the starting role.
"Bo won it — no one lost it," Lombardi said of the quarterback competition.
And as Nix moves toward the regular season and the inevitable mistakes that will come at some point, Lombardi noted the impressive manner in which Nix is able to improve after an error.
"He learns very quickly," Lombardi said. "He doesn't usually make the same mistake twice. When he sees something, it's something new. When he makes a mistake based on it, he gets it. The next time he sees it, he understands what happened the first time and he corrects it. He's a really quick learner. I think the coach's kid thing gets overplayed sometimes, but, I mean, he's kind of the epitome of that. He loves football. He studies it [and] learns from every rep he gets."
