Finding Broncos: 5 Defensive Prospects Who May Fall

After trading their first two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Seattle Seahawks in the Russell Wilson deal, the Broncos have to wait until their back-to-back selections at the top of the third round to try to bolster the roster. Fortunately, General Manager George Paton has had early success since coming to Denver, drafting after the first 64 picks.

This year's draft class has a lot of meat on the bone on day two, and there are always a handful of players who could see a slight fallout of the second round.

Nolan Smith | Edge | Georgia

Pros:

Incredibly explosive athlete.
4.39 forty-yard dash, 41-inch vertical, 11-foot broad jump at the Combine.
He is an incredible run defender for a player of his stature.
A practically immovable object on the edge with power in the lower half
Back-side pursuit is relentless when the play goes away from his side of the field.
Bendy pass rusher that wins with speed around the arc.
Powerful hands that strike efficiently.

Cons:

Unrefined as a pass rusher with limited counter moves
Hand technique is lacking to shed blockers and re-align in the gap.
Tends to rely on speed rather than setting up a pass-rush plan.
Undersized athlete for the next level who will need to add 10-15 pounds.
He is coming off of a torn pectoral muscle.

Fit with the Broncos:

Smith is likely a top-40 player in the class, but with deeper edge depth this season and a torn pectoral clouding his medical chart, Smith could fall a bit to get closer to the Broncos range.

If that were to happen, Smith would instantly project as at least the third player from the room on the field, if not become the full-time starter right away over Baron Browning. Smith would be a home run pick for Denver as he continues to develop.

Daiyan Henley | LB | Washington State

Pros:

Fluid mover out in open space.
Uber athletic player with good change of direction ability.
He is a sticky and instinctive coverage defender that understands route concepts due to his time as a receiver in the past.
He is able to make the big play when his defense needs it the most.
Quick to trigger going downhill and sneak into gaps.
Effective as a blitzer due to first step quickness.
He has multi-positional versatility and has shown dynamic special teams ability.

Cons:

Severe lack of experience at the LB position, which hurts his play recognition.
Not enough nuanced ability to work around blockers or shed when they latch on.
A bit undersized going into the next level.
Struggles with physicality as a stack linebacker in the box.
Angular pursuit needs refining when chasing downfield.

Fit with the Broncos:

In the Broncos' linebacker room, athleticism and true coverage ability are easily the most extensive needs. Henley has spectacular athleticism with enough of a knack for understanding route concepts to put himself in a good position as a pure coverage linebacker. However, with his size and lack of experience, Henley would best be suited as a sub-package defender with early dividends coming as a special teams dynamo.

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Jack Campbell | LB | Iowa

Pros:

Ultra instinctive linebacker that utilizes his mind over his athleticism to make plays.
Does a great job maintaining his assignment responsibility and reading his keys.
Not scared to get physical at the point of attack, bringing a high-level thump to the line of scrimmage.
Fluidity to switch from shuffle to sprint and click and close is a plus.
Solid tackling ability with good wrap-up and power to easily finish the rep.
Physical build is prototypical for an NFL linebacker.

Cons:

Not the best athlete for the position

Better moving forward and laterally than backward into coverage.
Stagnant arms and hands that can get him moved easily at the point of attack.
Pass rush ability is not a strong suit in any aspect.
Not enough twitch to succeed as a man coverage defender.

Fit with the Broncos:

When watching Campbell, it was hard not to think of him as a more fluid and stronger version of current Bronco linebacker Josey Jewell. Campbell shows better flexibility in his lower half than Jewell did coming out of the same school and has better athleticism in his overall skill set.

Campbell would be a great addition to a room that needs to have some thumpers that can fill the gap quickly in Vance Joseph’s scheme. Linebackers must read swiftly and react even quicker, particularly in the run fits. Should the Broncos let Alex Singleton walk in free agency, Campbell would make an ideal target to replace him and be able to see the field immediately.

Kelee Ringo | CB | Georgia

Pros:

Height, weight, and speed freak with great length for the position
Nice hip transitions to turn and run with receivers pushing vertically down the field.
Off-man coverage ability is above average
Patient in his back pedal/ shuffle.
Does a good job of keeping depth to prevent receivers from stacking his cushion and creating horizontal separation.
Recovery speed is off the charts.
Decent ball skills with good ball production over the past two seasons. Had 15 pass deflections and four interceptions in that time frame (29 games played).
Stays in phase well, creating tight windows and risky throws.
Battle-tested against top-flight receivers for the majority of his college career with a lot of success.

Cons:

A higher-hipped athlete that suffers in short area change of direction ability.
Not the greatest technical tackler.
Gear down and start footwork is clunky and labored at times.
Despite having a lot of experience, he is much more of an athlete than an actual football player.
Instinctual coverage ability is lacking
Press-man coverage for a player his size is highly disappointing.

Fit with the Broncos:

With Vance Joseph bringing a high percentage of press-man coverage in his defensive scheme, Ringo may not be the best fit for what the Broncos want to do defensively. However, that is a coachable aspect that can be learned as he continues to understand the game.

Ringo has incredible tools, and coaching staffs are willing to bet on players with the pedigree that Ringo brings. Playing in the SEC, Ringo faced off constantly against NFL quality receivers to varying success, making him a prospect that you can put on the field almost immediately to help catalyze his growth as a player. He should be an immediate upgrade over Damarri Mathis, even though Mathis showed a lot of growth down the stretch of last season. Ringo would also be one hell of a special teams player at the next level.

Clark Phillips III | CB | Utah

Pros:

Feisty boundary cornerback with loads of experience.
Plays way above his weight class
Change of direction ability is twitchy and smooth
Enough long speed to ride vertical routes with ease.
Catch point physicality to make plays on the ball is above average for a player his size.
Incredible ball skills with a massive amount of college production. Six interceptions, six passes defended, and two touchdowns in 2022.
Solid tackler that competes at the point of contact.
Showed positive growth from 2021 to 2022 and throughout the year.

Cons:

A smaller player at the position that played only on the boundary. 5-foot-9 inches, 184 pounds with sub-30 inch arms.
He is not a great athlete for a player his size and tested incredibly poorly at the Combine.
The tackling technique needs to be addressed, and can get run over at times.
Can get a little bit grabby and overly physical at times. Potential penalty issues at the next level
Allows early separation on horizontal routes but can get back into phase the longer the play progresses.

Fit with the Broncos:

With his physicality and “dog mentality,” Phillips could be a solid player for the Broncos. He fits the scheme with enough fight to succeed as a press-man coverage cornerback with smooth hips to turn and run with receivers. The big question is his smaller frame and lack of positional versatility on his tape. Phillips rarely played from the slot, so there are some questions there. He and Damarri Mathis would battle it out for playing time on the boundary.

While each player could fall to the Broncos for various reasons, there is no guarantee they will. For most of them, it would be a surprise if they were there when the Broncos are on the clock.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!

Add us as a preferred source on Google