ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' commitment to improving their defensive line took another step on Saturday.
Following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, General Manager George Paton announced the Broncos traded for Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers. The addition of the five-year veteran was Denver's latest move to solidify its front seven.
"It is something we have been working on the past couple of weeks," Paton said. "He is a player that we have always respected. He is durable. [He has] four straight years of 54-plus pressures. He can play all down the line of scrimmage. The one thing that sticks out on tape is the relentless motor this guy plays with. We are excited to get him. It took a bit, but he was here today in the building. He is going to help our defensive line."
Franklin-Myers has started 50 of a possible 51 games over the last three seasons for the Jets, and he has posted at least three sacks in each of the last four seasons. The 2018 fourth-round pick has recorded 135 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 61 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 19.5 sacks in his career.
He joins a group that already features a pair of key contributors in Zach Allen and D.J. Jones and received a series of offseason additions. Denver signed Rashard Lawrence to a future contract and added Malcolm Roach and Angelo Blackson in free agency.
"We wanted to be better against the run," Paton said. "We went and got Roach. Then we signed Blackson, obviously another big run stuffer, then made the trade for 'JFM'. So they're not only good against the run, they can push the pocket. All these guys play really hard, and they have great football character, so obviously that helps with the front."
Paton said the Broncos also like the depth they have at the position, with Matt Henningsen and Elijah Garcia among several options on Denver's roster.
That the Broncos' upgrades to the line of scrimmage came through free agency and a trade was not necessarily a coincidence, according to Head Coach Sean Payton.
"It's one of the balances between free agency, players in our league and then where the draft is," Payton said. "I think we felt going into this draft, every year it's thick or heavy somewhere. This year, it was a little thinner at offensive guard, maybe a little thinner at defensive tackle. A lot of that, you have to take that into account as you're forecasting where you might be like right now. That can change from year to year."
On Saturday, it led the Broncos to make a key veteran addition.
'IT'S A REALLY GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE'
The Broncos added second-team All-American cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine in the fifth round on Saturday as Denver continues to bolster its cornerback group.
Denver now features a slew of potential options to play opposite Pat Surtain II, with Abrams-Draine joining a group that also features recent draft picks Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis and veteran addition Levi Wallace.
"It's a really good problem to have," Paton said. "I've mentioned before, you can't have enough pass rushers, you really can't have enough corners. So we know we're going to have good depth, young depth. You can't ask for anything for more, especially that Pat is kind of the leader of the group, and he's only 24 years old. So it's going to be a young group. They'll have growing pains like all of them, but we feel like it's a talented group."
Payton said Abrams-Draine was "someone we had a lot of exposure with in the offseason. He has really good versatility. He is kind of an outside-in corner flex."
'FITS OUR MOLD'
The Broncos used their last selection of the draft on Nick Gargiulo, who spent the 2023 season at South Carolina. The 256th-overall pick started seven games at center and five games at left guard, but the Broncos will have him begin his career at guard.
"I think that he is a guard who can swing inside," Paton said. "He's played center. [He is a] Yale transfer, really smart, tough, physical. [He] kind of fits our mold. So we think it's a good get for where we got him."
