Broncos Must Rethink Their D-Line Rotation Post-JFM

While the Denver Broncos are keeping the majority of their roster intact, they still have 569 snaps to replace on the defensive line due to the loss of John Franklin-Myers. That means the Broncos need a new starter and will likely work out a new rotation for their unit.

When it comes to replacing Franklin-Myers, the Broncos have some options. They could go with a different build on their line with Malcolm Roach, have Eyioma Uwazurike, Sai’vion Jones, Jordan Jackson, and the rookie Tyler Onyedim all potentially competing for those reps.

Following the final day of Broncos OTAs, head coach Sean Payton said it could be either an individual player or a rotation to replace JFM in the starting lineup. It's still up in the air and won't be decided until training camp, in all likelihood.

“The answer to the question is it could be either," Payton said on Thursday. "With the way we’re rotating those guys, if it happens to be one individual when training camp comes, great. If it happens to be some total of the group, so be it.”

Those 569 snaps don’t all have to go to one player; they can be split among multiple players. Roach had 481 snaps last year, and Uwazurike had 471, so depending on the looks, they could pick up some of those snaps.

If Uwazurike takes the starting job, someone will need to step in to replace those snaps, and that will likely fall to a combination of Onyedim and Jones. However, when considering the candidates' strengths and weaknesses, the Broncos' best bet would be a six-man rotation.

To get to that six-man rotation, the Broncos will need to figure out their roster math to keep six defensive linemen active on the 48-man game-day active roster. The Broncos had seven defensive linemen on their 53-man roster from Week 6 on.

When Roach was activated from injured reserve, the Broncos had only five active players for all but two games. Those two games were the season finale and the divisional round of the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills.

Franklin-Myers was inactive in the season finale, and Uwazurike stepped up in his place. Sai’vion Jones played 17 of his 33 snaps this season, while Jackson saw 25 snaps. In the divisional round, Jackson was active but didn’t play, while Jones was the lone inactive.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Jordan Jackson, Eyioma Uwazurike, and Sai'vion Jones — Denver Broncos defensive tackle Jordan Jackson (94) and defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike (96) and defensive end Sai'vion Jones (95) at the line of scrimmage. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

So, what is the ideal rotation for Denver based on its strengths and weaknesses? Obviously, Zach Allen is a starter who played 888 snaps last year, but Denver could improve his efficiency by
cutting into his snap count by 50-100 snaps, Deploying a six-man rotation could also help with that.

D.J. Jones and Roach have a good rotation on the inside as the Broncos' 0-2 techniques (nose tackles), so there is no reason to mess with that setup. Even with both extended on good-sized deals, Jones played 17 more snaps than Roach, and that worked for what the Broncos' defense does, with a little under 1,000 snaps combined.

The question is the starter opposite Allen, which is the JFM spot. While many push Uwazurike, he was less efficient working as a 4i-technique and when lined up against the left tackle/guard compared to the right side. Uwazurike could work into the rotation within the unit, but shouldn’t be the starter replacement unless Onyedim and Jones are clearly not ready for it.

The Ideal Rotation

The ideal rotation is to take those Franklin-Myers snaps and split them between Onyedim and Jones. Onyedim was highly regarded as a run defender in the draft and could be a boost to the Broncos' defense there, while Jones helped replace the pass-rush ability the unit lost.

From there, the Broncos could move Uwazurike down depending on down and distance, as he is also the heaviest defensive lineman on the roster and can be used to cut down on Allen’s snap count some. In obvious run-down situations, the Broncos can look at a five-man line with Onyedim, Roach, D.J. Jones, Uwazurike, and Allen.

In obvious passing downs, you can look at a two- or three-man line with Sai’vion Jones, Allen, and one of the others, with Onyedim even able to sink inside against guards and centers in passing situations. There are plenty of options for the unit in passing situations, especially with the edge rusher room built the way it is.

The Takeaway

The D-line rotation isn’t something that should be set in stone, obviously, as it has to be fluid against the opponent each week and based on their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. But this year, there is more reason to build the unit for a six-man rotation during games, instead of a five-man rotation like last year.

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