2020 NFL Draft: Late-Round targets for the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos mainly run a 3-4 defensive scheme which has long relied on Von Miller and the pass-rushers disrupting the quarterback. It was not as effective as it should’ve been last year but that will change with Bradley Chubb expected to come back in time from injury.

On the interior, Jurrell Casey is a solid addition and will start day one. However, the depth lacks greatly behind him and nose tackle Mike Purcell. Luckily, if Miller or Chubb was to go down, newcomer Jurrell Casey owns the versatility to slide over to the edge. Somebody will obviously need to step in Casey’s place at defensive tackle and It’s hard to trust the current personnel on the bench.

Benito Jones is an overlooked player who packs a strong, beefy frame in the trenches. His 316-pound weight finished in the 89th percentile for defensive lineman at the combine and he takes advantage of every ounce. At Ole Miss, he typically lined up at the zero technique, ferociously controlling the A gaps. Moves fairly well for his size and is able to effectively maneuver laterally to make an impact on runs directed outside the tackles.

Safety is a position of minor concern for the Denver Broncos in the 2020 NFL Draft. This is all thanks to Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson establishing themselves as one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. Denver was able to secure Simmons for next season with the franchise tag, allowing the two to focus on getting a long-term deal done.

Teams are usually supposed to address depth in the late rounds of the draft. However, organizations will seek value over need on day three in hopes of getting a lucky fit. Things aren’t any different with Geno Stone to the Denver Broncos here. Kareem Jackson is 31-years-old and won’t be around for much longer. Stone has immense potential to develop into a starting-caliber player.

If required, Stone obtains the capability to fill that void even earlier if Simmons or Jackson were to be injured. He displays tremendous range and would be an ideal option for defensive coordinator Ed Donatell to use in dime sub-packages. Stone is an absolute ballhawk from the secondary as he only allowed a minuscule nine first downs since 2017, the least out of all players in the NCAA.

To add to his impressive box scores, Smith had a B1G-best 27.3 forced incompletion percentage and 88.4 PFF grade among safeties in the Big Ten. The big question is, can he live up to his outrageous statistics at the next level?

Even though they’re vastly improving, the Denver Broncos linebacker unit is no doubt the weakest link of their defense. Although, interior linebacker Todd Davis did a fantastic job at keeping the foundation together with his ability to attack the ball, racking up 134 total tackles (eighth in the NFL) in just 14 games. The team is fortunate that they were able to bring him back in the mix for 2020.

The other inside linebacker, Alexander Johnson, does a fine job at providing production in the passing game but opposing tight ends still averaged over 60 yards a game against the Broncos. Simply put, it would be smart for the Denver Broncos to add another linebacker who can cover from the box and halt AFC West tight end threats such as Travis Kelce and Darren Waller.

Justin Strnad is a player that can do just that. Strnad owns the desired length, quickness and motor to assist him in coverage in the NFL. He demonstrates proper awareness of his surroundings in the open field and was able to create a handful of turnovers in college.

Strnad also revealed that he can disrupt the offensive backfield as he snagged eight sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss during his time at Wake Forest. I see him fitting this system and he could very well find himself in the starting rotation sooner rather than later with the blue and orange.