Finding Broncos: Five Interior Defensive Linemen for Added Size and Depth

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of defensive linemen who can bring added size and depth to the unit.

The Denver Broncos brought in Zach Allen to replace Dre'Mont Jones, but they still need help on their defensive line. DeShawn Williams followed Ejiro Evero to Carolina as a free agent; that is 598 snaps on defense that has yet to be replaced. They do have Matt Henningsen and Eyioma Uwazurike, which can have an increased role, but more help is still needed to improve the depth and add more competition for the open starting job. 

Mazi Smith | NT | Michigan

© Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

• He has good size and is built quite well. 
• He has good length, a huge plus for a nose tackle. 
• He is a tremendous run defender who can clog running lanes. 
• He was clean with penalties, with no penalties against him. 
• There are moments he shows solid quickness with his feet to shoot a gap. 
• His hand technique is quite suitable for controlling and moving blockers. 
• There is plenty of power in his punch, with good leverage, to get under blockers' pads and drive. 

Cons

• His get-off isn't ideal, and there are too many instances of being late off the snap. 
• There are clear conditioning issues with the gaps running out as the game progresses. 
• There isn't enough to anchor and be a typical two-gapping nose tackle. 
• He is limited as a run-defending nose tackle. 
• There is;t great experience, with only two seasons under his belt playing just over 1,100 snaps. 
• He lacks hand counters to his arsenal, making getting off of blocks difficult. 
• He can be extremely late to react to a change of direction on offense. 

Fit with Broncos

Mazi Smith would be a good choice if the Broncos want to look for a replacement for Mike Purcell. There isn't much there as a pass rusher, but he has the skill to contribute immediately as a run defender on the defensive line. 

Siaki Ika | NT | Baylor

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Pros

• He is a big-bodied nose tackle.
• He had a massive year as a pass rusher in 2021, with six sacks and 33 total pressures. 
• There is great strength that needs to be better utilized with technique. 
• There is a path to cleaning up his weight, which could make him more effective. 
• There is strength to jolt blockers when he engages. 
• He attacks the hands of blockers to keep them off his frame. 
• He knows how to eat up space and blockers to keep linebackers clean. 
• There is surprising quickness to shoot gaps. 

Cons

• He carries plenty of weight but needs to clean up the build. 
• He isn't a good athlete, even for his size. 
• He lacks experience, with only 920 snaps played over the last two seasons and 1,241 snaps total in his career. 
• The missed tackle percentage of 20.7 in his career is not ideal for a nose tackle. 
• There isn't ideal length, which creates issues keeping blockers off of his frame. 
• He is taken out of the play when handling double teams, lacking technique and consistency. 
• There isn't any versatility to move outside the 0/1 technique. 
• He has a bad habit of lowering his head and his awareness going out the window. 
• There are too many technical inconsistencies to handle run defense in the NFL. 
• He plays with poor balance and body control. 

Fit with Broncos

Siaki Ika is a frustrating prospect as he has excellent size, great power, and surprising quickness to be a great all-around defender. However, he struggled consistently as a run defender in college. If he can slim down and see significant improvement in his technique, he could be a great nose tackle in the NFL. Unfortunately, he is more of a project before being ready, and the Broncos may be unable to afford a draft pick on a developmental nose tackle. 

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Jaquelin Roy | IDL | LSU

© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has good size and a good build on the frame. 
• There is good strength and physicality as a defender. 
• He has an ideal frame for a 3-technique defensive lineman. 
• He has solid production as a pass rusher with 78 pressures over three seasons. 
• Some good moves in his arsenal take advantage of his power. 
• There is good conditioning, and his motor never stalls. 
• There is surprising quickness off the snap that he can be used to shoot gaps. 
• There is great awareness, and he does well following the flow of the play. 

Cons

• Overall, he is a poor athlete that is lacking everywhere. 
• There is solid experience over three seasons, but he only was a starter for one season.
• He lacks that closing burst to finish pressures with sacks, where he picked up only five in his career. 
• He plays with a high pad level and poor body control. 
• He struggles to hold up at the point of attack due to leverage issues. 
• He plays open, giving blockers access to his chest. 

Fit with Broncos

There isn't great versatility with Roy, and that will limit him with his scheme and role in the NFL. He is a pure 3-technique that doesn't have enough quickness or athleticism to work farther outside. 

What the Broncos do on defense isn't a great fit for Roy unless they change how they use their defensive line or want him in a specific role as a depth piece. 

Cory Durden | IDL | North Carolina State

© William Howard-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• The size, build, and length are all good. 
• He has good explosion. 
• There is good experience with 2,420 snaps played over five seasons, and the experience came all along the defensive front. 
• His best work came as a 3/4/5 technique, where he held up against the run, and as a pass rusher. 
• He has good quickness to shoot gaps. 
• There are plenty of moves in his arsenal. 
• He does well to get leverage on blockers and sustain it through the rep. 

Cons

• The overall athleticism is lacking, with poor burst and agility. 
• There were more missed tackles in his career than ideal. 
• He has a bad habit of being late off the snap. 
• There isn't great agility to work laterally. 
• He is tight in the lower half, which could catch him when dealing with the change of direction from the offense. 
• He doesn't have the strength to hold up consistently against double teams. 

Fit with Broncos

There is a chance Durden goes undrafted, and he could be a good get for the Broncos. His versatility is a boost to the defensive line that likes to move guys around. While he won't compete to replace DeShawn Williams, he does raise the floor in the room and bring a solid depth option with some room for development. 

Taron Vincent | IDL | Ohio State

© Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has a good build on his frame. 
• He got playing time up and down the unit. 
• There is good quickness to his game. 
• He consistently fires off the snap with good timing.
• There is decent lateral movement to scrape along the line. 
• There is good hand technique and quickness in his hands. 

Cons

• He is a little undersized for a defensive lineman. 
• The athleticism isn't there, lacking burst, explosion, and agility in his game. 
• There isn't ideal experience with 1,117 snaps played in his career. 
• He lacks production as a pass rusher, with 31 career pressures and three sacks. 
• There are too many instances of him being bullied to the ground. 

Fit with Broncos

Vincent is a versatile defensive lineman who can play multiple spots on the line, and moving him around is the best thing to do. However, there isn't a lot of upside there, and he may not develop into a starter. He would need to be an undrafted pickup for the Broncos as a developmental option for down the road, more than a pickup for this season. 

This isn't a great class for defensive line help, so it may be better to try and bring in another veteran on a cheaper deal. Then, if they go towards the draft, hopefully, someone falls or they find a hidden gem. 

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