Finding Broncos: 5 Safeties for Added Competition

While Denver Broncos have improved their roster, they still have a need at safety. Caden Sterns is penciled in as a starter, but they can use more competition for the job. They also need more competition among their depth safeties. Right now, they have four safeties on the roster, with Sterns, Justin Simmons, P.J. Locke, and Delarrin Turner-Yell, and that is not enough.

Christian Izien | S | Rutgers

Pros

He has a compact build on his frame.
He is a good athlete, checking all of the boxes.
He has good experience on special teams, with 572 snaps spread over the different phases.
There is great experienced with 2,755 snaps over four seasons.
He is aggressive and physical when triggering downhill against the run.
He is durable and stays on the field, never missing a game in four seasons.

Cons

There is a lack of size and length, without room on his frame for more mass.
Missed tackles have been an issue, with a 16.4 missed tackle rate in his career.
Penalties have been an issue with 15 over his career.
While he has four interceptions in his career, they all came in 2020.
There are only nine passes broken up over the last two seasons.
He struggles to get off blocks and may not have room for improvement with his lack of size.
He doesn't have great instincts or awareness.

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos need safety help and help on special teams. Izien has enough to compete for the third safety spot right away, but he can be a huge boost as a special teams player as a rookie.

Jerrick Reed II | S | New Mexico

Pros

He has a solid build on his frame.
He is a solid athlete overall, with good speed and burst.
There is great experience on special teams, with 594 snaps played.
He has the versatility to play in the slot and hold his own.
He has an exceptional range to play a single high role if needed.
He has shown exceptional ball skills with seven interceptions and 13 passes broken up in his career.
He kept things clean with penalties, with five in his career.
There is a quick processor and good football IQ.

Cons

He is an undersized safety lacking length.
Tackling can be an issue, largely due to his lack of length, with 26 missed tackles in the last two seasons.
The size will be a concern forcing defensive coordinators to watch the matchups.
He can struggle to stay leveraged against receivers in coverage.

Fit with Broncos

There is a lot to work with to develop Reed, but his size may be an issue. His versatility in the secondary would be a boost for the Broncos, but his size may be an issue.

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Jaydon Grant | S | Oregon State

Pros

He has good experience on special teams to help right away.
He has good ball skills to break up passes (15) or snag an interception (9).
He kept it clean and disciplined on the field, with only nine penalties in his career.
He is aggressive when firing downhill against the run.
He is patient and stays disciplined with the play and his role in the play.

Cons

He is a poor athlete with a lack of length and a poor build on his frame.
He will be older as a rookie with six seasons under his belt.
Missed tackles are a severe issue, and his lack of length is a big culprit.
He can be overaggressive with his play.

Fit with Broncos

Grant can contribute on special teams, but he doesn't offer up a lot of upside on defense. The safety depth has to contribute on special teams, but Denver needs more ability in defense than Grant can potentially offer up.

Quindell Johnson | S | Memphis

Pros

He is a solid athlete.
He has a solid size and build, with great length.
He has exceptional experience on special teams, with 685 snaps played over the four phases.
He was a multi-year starter playing over 3,000 snaps on defense.
Missed tackles were not a severe issue for most of his career.
He has shown excellent ball skills snagging 10 interceptions and 16 passes broken up.
There is discipline in his play, both with sticking to the play and avoiding penalties, with only two in his career.

Cons

There isn't an elite athletic trait to work with.
His missed tackle percentage jumped from 9.8% to 18.9% from 2021 to 2022.
He isn't overly fluid or smooth, which can be problematic when changing direction.
There is an issue with coming to balance for his tackling attempts.

Fit with Broncos

Johnson has the straight-line speed and tenacity to thrive on special teams, with added development. His play on defense may keep him from a major role, but he can develop into a solid depth option. The Broncos could use this type of safety, and he fits with what they do.

Kaevon Merriweather | S | Iowa

Pros

He has solid size and build.
He is a solid athlete with great short-area burst.
He does well keeping his missed tackles down.
He flashed solid ball skills with four interceptions and eight passes broken up.
There were only two flags thrown against him.
He has the experience to work in different schemes and roles.
He is praised for his intangibles.

Cons

There isn't good fluidity with his movement.
The athleticism he showed with his testing isn't there on tape consistently.
He lacks instincts and awareness on the backend.
There isn't good experience on special teams, and he only played 201 snaps over five seasons.
The tackling technique is lacking, and he doesn't come to balance consistently.

Fit with Broncos

Merriweather can develop into a solid backup safety, but his lack of athleticism and instincts work against him. He fits with the Broncos' scheme, but his lack of experience on special teams hurts. It isn't clear if he can help on special teams, which is vital for depth safeties.

The Broncos could go the veteran route, with Kareem Jackson being a familiar face. They have options with other free agents, but the draft would be the cheap way to go. It isn't the strongest class, but maybe they can find a hidden gem later or as an undrafted free agent.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

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