Broncos Have Glaring Need Not Yet Filled in Free Agency

The NFL world has been buzzing with news over the past week as the free agency frenzy officially got underway, seeing massive contracts, landscape-changing trades, and a failed physical erase a deal that sent shockwaves across the league.

Through all that, however, the Denver Broncos seem keen on running it back with a roster that was one half of the AFC Championship Game from going to the Super Bowl.

The Broncos have retained 17 of their own 20 free agents and are the only team that hasn’t acquired an outside player, much to the dismay of the fan base. Several analysts have questioned their approach to team building, citing a need to improve at wide receiver, tight end, running back, and linebacker, despite retaining the services of Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Adam Trautman, and JK Dobbins, respectively.

Though the roster is mostly intact -- safety PJ Locke and defensive lineman Jonathan Franklin-Myers both departed in free agency -- there are still needs that must be addressed.

Denver has already restructured the contracts of Quinn Meinerz, Jonathan Cooper, and Ben Powers, opening nearly $22 million in salary cap space, according to Over The Cap, so a move should be made.

And there's one glaring area for which they should make it.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones (22) warms up prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Broncos Should Focus Attenton at Safety

The Broncos' safety room, as it's currently constructed, could become a significant problem. Last year, the team brought in Talanoa Hufanga in free agency as a chess piece for Vance Joseph’s defense. His presence was felt every week at the second level, and he quickly morphed into a locker room leader. Aside from Hufanga, though, there isn’t another safety on the roster with a contract that runs past the 2026 season.

Brandon Jones, quietly one of the better safeties in the league, is coming off a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him for the majority of last season. He's in the last year of his three-year contract, and he may be a salary cap casualty during training camp. If the Broncos were to release him, they'd save almost $7.5 million in salary cap space while adding just north of $1 million in dead money. Depending on his recover from injury and how the team attacks the rest of the offseason, they could move on from Jones and not think twice about it.

Devon Key, an All-Pro special teams player and backup for the defense, was retained on an exclusive rights free-agent tender, and it’s been widely reported that the team loves his development. He could be a player with a long-term future because of his financial impact compared to his on-field performance, but that remains to be seen.

JL Skinner has been another impactful special teams player for Denver, especially on the kickoff team. Outside of that, Skinner has rarely seen the field defensively and has had injury concerns in his own right.

Free-Agent/Draft Options

The Broncos have to address this situation sooner rather than later, both with a possible veteran free agent and in the NFL Draft. Fortunately, there are still a handful of players who could bring some starting quality upside and offer depth to the unit, and this year’s draft class features several prospects who can provide immediate impact in the early rounds.

Kyle Dugger is still available (as of this writing) as a versatile swiss-army knide who can play single-high in coverage or slide down in the box as a run defender. While he does have some coverage issues at times, he's a solid run defender.

Xavier Woods, a 30-year-old free safety who most recently played in Tennessee, could be a quality coverage defender on the back end for Joseph's unit and boost the team’s depth, should they keep Jones for the 2026 campaign.

Denver has been linked to multiple safety prospects in the Draft, with Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren a popular pick in mock drafts. Dillon Thieneman from Oregon, AJ Haulcy from LSU, and Kamari Ramsay from USC are all viable options on the early days of the draft, and the late rounds feature several prospects who are capable of taking the ball away -- primarily Bud Clark from TCU.

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