Finding Broncos: Five Edge Defenders to Improve the Depth

While the Denver Broncos have solid starters at the edge position, their reliability on the field hasn't been there. As a result of the injury history at the position, the Broncos should take advantage of a strong draft class at the position to improve their depth.

Jose Ramirez | Edge | Eastern Michigan

Pros

Good athlete with great change of direction skills.
The production is there, with 20 sacks over the last two seasons and 86 total pressures.
Didn't miss a lot of tackles, with 12 total over the last three seasons.
He can handle tight ends at the point of attack and keeps them off his body well.
There are some well-developed moves in his pass-rush arsenal.
There is no doubt about his motor; he has a radar-like sense of where the football is.
There is solid bend and a good change of direction ability.
When asked to drop into coverage, he did well.

Cons

Ramirez doesn't have an ideal size or length.
He isn't overly smooth with his change of direction.
Penalties weren't an issue to start, but the count exploded in 2022 with seven of 13 in his career.
He will need to get stronger if he wants to hold up at the point of attack.
He didn't face a high level of competition.
His hand technique is lacking and can lead to hitches when chaining pass rush moves together.
There isn't consistent aggression when holding the point of attack.

Fit with Broncos

There is room to develop Ramirez as a pass rusher, but the early part of his career will likely come as a pass rush specialist and special teams player. The Broncos need a boost with their pass rush, but Ramirez having issues against the run is a slight concern. That is an also area the Broncos need improvement from with their edge room.

Ikenna Enechukwu | Edge | Rice

Pros

His size and build is solid overall, but he has good length.
Modest athlete who has good burst.
His production was solid, with 63 pressures and eight sacks over the last two years.
He is a physical defender and can be relentless.
He does well to generate a push for a good bull rush.

Cons

His change of direction is rough with heavy feet.
He still has to put the technique together as a pass rusher.
He missed nine tackles over the last two seasons, with a 16.7 missed tackle percentage in 2022.
No counters are developed and will stall consistently as a result.
He struggles to detach from blocks.
He didn't face the toughest of tackles, and he didn't dominate.

Fit with Broncos

There is a lot of work to be done with Enechukwu to get him where he needs to be as a defender. He has good versatility to work inside and out but may be better suited to adding mass and being inside consistently. While he is a good fit for the Broncos, they may not be in a position to use one of their few picks on someone who needs to be completely built up.

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MJ Anderson | Edge | Iowa State

Pros

He transferred from Minnesota to Iowa State for 2022 and did well, playing 365 snaps.
As a rotational piece in 2022, he picked up 19 pressures and four sacks on 192 pass-rush snaps.
He is a powerful rusher with excellent strength in his hands to control blockers.
There are a few well-developed pass-rush moves, including an excellent inside spin.
He creates good angles for himself as a rusher and when pursuing the run.
There is good power to hold up at the point of attack.

Cons

He lacks experience, with only 609 snaps played on defense.
With his little experience, there are issues with his awareness, and reading plays as they develop.
There needs to be improved body control and balance.
He creates openings for blockers to recover and take control of the rep.
Sometimes, his motor will start to run cold as the rep goes on.

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos need depth, and despite the lack of experience, Anderson has a solid foundation to work with. Anderson fits what the Broncos do on defense and what they're looking for. However, outside of taking a shot as an undrafted free agent, the Broncos may have better options with their draft picks.

Yaya Diaby | Edge | Louisville

Pros

He has good size and build with good length.
Good athlete with plenty of burst and explosion as a pass rusher.
There is natural strength in his body, and he uses it well.
He showed consistent technical improvements in his technique as the season went on.
The production is fine, with 36 of 72 pressures and 10 of 12 sacks coming in 2022.
He kept things clean and was only called for one penalty in his career.
He does well holding up at the point of attack.
There is good length, and he uses it to get extension and keep blockers off his frame.

Cons

He isn't the most fluid mover with his change of direction.
He can do with added counters as a pass rusher to limit the number of stalls he has as a pass rusher.
His hand technique is lacking, which leads to stalled rushes the most.
There isn't much of a plan with his pass rush.
His pass rush is built around his natural strength, and he lacks creativity or other skills to weaponize the power better.

Fit with Broncos

Yaya Diaby offers up a lot as a run defender early, with plenty of tools to work with as a pass rusher. He fits with what the Broncos need and is precisely the type of edge defender that is worth a shot to improve the depth for Denver. Diaby would help raise the floor and the ceiling in the room.

Tavius Robinson | Edge | Ole Miss

Pros

Tall with a frame that has room to add mass.
Good athlete overall.
He has solid production and experience over three seasons with 68 pressures and 13 sacks.
He kept it clean with only two penalties in his career.
There is no doubting his motor, and he plays through the whistle.
There is good lateral agility that helps shooting gaps.
He does well to keep his pad level low and generate leverage.
He does well in converting his initial burst/explosion into power to get blockers on their heels.

Cons

He is a little lanky and can do with a little more mass.
His change of direction can be clunky.
There isn't enough power in his game, which leads to issues at the point of attack.
He is a tweener player that doesn't have a set position he fits naturally.
He will likely be asked to add 10-20 pounds to his frame with a lot of work in the weight room.
There isn't much there to get off blocks.
He lacks developed weapons in his arsenal, and his game has no counters.

Fit with Broncos

Robinson is a tweener who may be better suited working inside than as a true edge. He has athletic and technical tools to work with, but he has to add strength to his game to be a bigger threat as a pass rusher. Nevertheless, he is a good prospect that can add as a pass rusher, and that may put where he goes higher than where the value is for the Broncos.

There is a need at the position, and the draft class is extremely strong at the position. Therefore, it is an ideal situation for the Broncos to take advantage, even with their few draft picks.

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