One Safety Target for Broncos in Each Round of the Draft

How much longer is Brandon Jones going to be in a Denver Broncos uniform? That is the driving factor in determining how much the Broncos may or may not need a new safety.

Even after losing P.J. Locke in free agency, finding a third safety is easier than replacing a starter, even one coming off a pectoral injury and a down year before the injury, like Jones.

Either way, Denver needs safety help, and after the Los Angeles Rams re-signed Kamren Curl, the signs point to the safety market getting expensive this year. If it does get expensive for the mid-tier players, Denver may be better suited to look to the draft, so that's why we're looking at one safety prospect in each round for the Broncos.

Round 1 Option: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | Toledo

The Broncos no longer have a first-round pick after trading for Jaylen Waddle, but you never know what could happen on draft day.

There were two options here with McNeil-Warren and Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon. McNeil-Warren has been a popular mock draft choice for Denver before the Waddle trade, but either one of them would work well in the system next to Talanoa Hufanga. McNeil-Warren got the nod, though.

McNeil-Warren is a do-it-all safety with great ball skills and a nose for the ball. He can help generate takeaways directly and is rarely caught out of position. There are some timing and angle issues when working downhill, and tackling can be cleaned up, but there's a lot to like with his tape.

Round 2 Option: A.J. Haulcy | LSU

A lot of folks will look at Haulcy and peg him as a box safety, but he is far more than that. While he isn’t quite as talented as Derwin James is, that is the style of player Haulcy is.

He is a hash safety that can work in the box, in the nickel, and in the deep half of the field. In fact, some of his best tape in college comes working farther from the line of scrimmage instead of closer to it.

While there are concerns about Haulcy's overall speed on tape, he makes up for it with great instincts and football IQ. He also doesn’t have ideal length, and it does show up as a tackler at times, leaving a smaller margin for error. But he has good playmaking skills on the back end and plays with a ferocity few match in this class.

Round 3 Option: Jalen Kilgore | South Carolina

Jalen Kilgore targets Jalen Milroe — Oct 12, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) carries the ball for a first down as he gets around South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Jalon Kilgore (24) during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Alas, the Broncos no longer have a third-round pick, thanks to the Waddle trade. Again, though, the draft is unpredictable and the Broncos could package future picks to maneuver up the board.

Kilgore may be a corner for some teams, a nickel for others, and or a safety. He has great versatility in the secondary, and his best position may be as a hash safety. Pairing him with Hufanga and the rest of the Broncos' secondary could help them be far more multiple with their coverages.

With his size, Kilgore can have issues getting caught on blocks when working downhill, but working a safety can help hide some of those issues, along with his play speed. There is a lot of projecting for Kilgore into a safety role, but he can be a fun addition to the Broncos' secondary with the traits he shows on tape.

Round 4 Option: Bud Clark | TCU

There are a lot of durability and medical concerns with Clark, and he doesn’t have an ideal build or ideal strength, even for a safety. What he does have are great instincts and ball skills, and he can generate takeaways at a good rate as a result.

Clark has developed an overconfidence in himself when it comes to reading plays, which has led to some big plays being given up. But with averaging nearly four interceptions in a season and two pick-sixes, teams are going to bet on his knack for interceptions.

Round 5 Option: Louis Moore | Indiana

Moore is a disciplined safety in his technique, movement, and reads, but he will be an older rookie with questionable athleticism at best. He has the makings of a depth safety who can contribute on special teams because he is reliable and disciplined, but doesn’t have those upside traits.

Not only that, Moore doesn’t have the ideal size and can be late with his reads, which can lead to him being late to trigger. He has the traits to be a great NFL coach one day, and he could stick in the league for a while because of those intangible qualities.

Round 6 Option: Bishop Fitzgerald | USC

If your goal is to generate better coverage plays and takeaways, Fitzgerald could be a shot worth taking. There are many issues with his game when working downhill, but he does well in coverage and can even drop into the nickel when needed.

For as good as he is in coverage, Fitzgerald doesn’t have the attributes to be a single-high safety, and that makes some of his other issues a little more worrisome. His eyes, when reading plays, can also get stuck on the quarterback and make him late to rotate, which isn’t ideal for a ballhawking safety.

Round 7 Option: VJ Payne | Kansas State

Payne being this low on the Consensus Big Board is a surprise, and it's doubtful he'll still be on the board this late when the draft happens. He is a versatile safety who works a little better close to the line of scrimmage than farther away, but he checks a lot of the boxes with his play and intangibles.

The size is there with Payne to drop him in the nickel against big slot players, and he has proof of concept on his tape by shutting down some big slot tight ends over the past couple of seasons. He can be a little passive and late to react to plays behind the line of scrimmage, but there are a lot of great traits in his game.

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