Broncos OLB Room Has Potential But There's One Drawback

Every NFL team has those players that are guaranteed to make the roster. They're the easiest ones to project onto the 53-man roster, and even a team that went 5-12 the year before, like the Denver Broncos, has them.

It was good of the Broncos to bring in Frank Clark because the position was still a mystery. The group is filled with possibilities, but it's had issues staying on the field. There is also a lack of proven depth, which makes the room even more questionable.

Even with the addition of Clark, it still isn't a great room but a room full of possibilities. Clark gives them solid reliability as a defender but mainly as a pass rusher when he is on the field. The defense will need the players working the edges to step up and stay on the field because they have to be able to get after the quarterback.

As I break down the Broncos' edge room, players will be placed into three tiers based on their chances of making the roster. Here's a quick explanation of the three tiers that reflect the different percentage ranges that each player will fall into.

Let's examine each player's roster outlook.

Tier 1: 70-100%

Randy Gregory | Frank Clark | Baron Browning

There is so much potential here if they can stay on the field. Gregory has never played an entire season, and Clark has missed at least one game in all but two seasons of his career. This duo is capable of getting after the quarterback, but defending the run isn't their strong suit. Each has an over-aggressive habit of getting upfield and leading their lane open.

Browning had a great game against the Indianapolis Colts, picking up 10 total pressures with two sacks. That was one game, and in the 13 other games he played, Browning only managed 28 pressures and four sacks. There is also the fact he missed three games.

All three can cause havoc against opposing offensive lines, and they have shown it during their careers. The issue is keeping them on the field, and of the three, only Clark has shown close to that reliability missing one to three games for most of his career.

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Tier 2: 40-69%

Nik Bonitto | Jonathon Cooper | Thomas Incoom

When this is the top of your depth piece, it isn't inspiring. Cooper showed he could be a solid fifth option during the 2022 season, doing alright against the run for most of his reps, and picking up 19 pressures and two sacks on 199 pass-rush snaps. He had to start due to injuries, and it was made clear he isn't a starter, but he can work as part of a rotation.

Bonitto is a huge question mark for the rotation of the unit. He appeared in 15 games, and after a one-snap game in Week 13, the then-Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero took a clear shot at the then-rookie last year. When Evero was asked where Bonitto had to get better, his response was, "All around," but he added some reassurance saying he was getting better and continuing to work to improve.

After that, Bonitto played at least 20 snaps in the final five games, picking up nine of his 19 pressures on the season. The flashes as a pass rusher were there, and they were apparent, but his play as a run defender was terrible. It was so bad that the Broncos did everything they could to keep him off the field in obvious running situations.

Bonitto has to take a huge step forward, as the new coaching staff isn't the one that drafted him with the final pick of the second round in 2022. With Sean Payton's history regarding pass rushers, if Bonitto doesn't step up, he could be gone. Payton is highly aggressive when it comes to pass rushers.

The final member is Thomas Incoom, the undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan. He is at the lower end of this tier, with Cooper and Bonitto near the top. Incoom was a solid run defender and pass rusher, but he was great on special teams in college. If the Broncos keep six edge rushers, the sixth one will have to be a core special teams player, and Incoom has that ability, though there is competition.

READ: Broncos Roster Prediction: Revealing Each QB's Odds of Making it

Tier 3: 0-39%

Aaron Patrick | Christopher Allen | Marcus Haynes

Patrick was the Broncos' special teams ace for the Broncos last year and has played 56 total snaps on defense the previous two seasons. The time on defense hasn't been great, so he is betting on special teams to make it.

However, Patrick suffered a nasty injury in Week 6 last season. He might be behind the curve for special teams due to the injury, so Incoom is in a tier above.

Allen has a lot of hype because he was a great pass rusher when he was on the field in college. The issue is he was hardly on the field and redshirt his rookie season last year.

Over four years at Alabama, Allen played 902 snaps on defense, with 595 coming in the 2020 season. That season he picked up 36 pressures and six sacks as part of a strong Crimson Tide defense.

Allen doesn't have the ideal size for the position in the NFL, which can make it more challenging to stick on the roster. However, sticking on the practice squad is highly likely if he can show some flashes.

Haynes is an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion. He seems to be a camp body with the lowest odds of making the roster. There is a chance he does enough to stick on the practice squad.

The Takeaway

The Broncos' edge rushing stable is full of potential, but they haven't been able to stay on the field. Clark is a solid addition to help add some reliability to stay on the field, but that may not be enough.

Gregory, Browning, and Bonitto must stay on the field, take a significant step forward with their development, or take both steps. This defense will rely on the pass rush, so they're desperately needed.

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