Denver Broncos Defensive End Competition

With Elvis Dumervil leaving during free agency with a contract snafu, the Broncos defensive end situation has become cloudy. Derek Wolfe started last season and will likely keep his starting spot. He was a good run defender, but could use some work on his pass rush. He had five sacks last season, but some of them were either coverage sacks or the QB just simply ran into him. He needs to diversify his pass rushing moves also. He seemed to only have power rushing moves. If he does not change that, he will have a really hard time gathering up sacks in the future.

Robert Ayers seemed to improve during his limited playing time last season. He, like Wolfe, is more of a run stopper, rather than a pass rusher. He has a better pass rushing repertoire than Wolfe, but he has not gotten the opportunities that Wolfe has. I think Ayers will show his worth during the season. Much like Moreno, he is nowhere near worth where he was drafted, but that does not mean that he is not worth something.

Malik Jackson showed he could be a really good player last season. He is mostly a pass rusher, but he showed strides in his run blocking. He is talented, but I think he would have a hard time cracking the starting lineup. He will be a instrumental role player, especially if anyone above him goes down to injury.

Shaun Phillips was brought in for pass rushing only. He had 9.5 sacks last season and he should be able to get around the same amount since he will have Von Miller coming from the other end. He will not be a starter and might not even be listed as a DE, but that is where he will spend most of his time on the defense.

Quanterus Smith was drafted as a pass rush specialist in the 5ht round of the draft. He was dominant last season until he suffered a season ending ACL tear in November. I would like it if the Broncos stuck him on IR for the year. That way they can see if they want to bring back Ayers or Phillips. If not Smith would be a likely candidate to take their spots.

Wolfe and Ayers would likely start, but when it comes to passing downs, Wolfe will likely slide inside while Phiilps and Miller man the end positions. Jackson makes a very good backup. He will continue to make strides this year. Look for him to get more and more snaps as the season goes on. Smith will likely at least land on the PUP list, if not the IR. If he is stashed, it would be the best for him as it gives him time to develop. Without Dumervil, the defensive end group got more competitive. It will show this season when there could be a name or two that pop up that we have never heard of. They will miss his pass rushing abilities, but the run stopping should improve.