Broncos Draft: The best player at his position looks good in orange
The Denver Broncos need so much this off-season. Last offseason we thought they would be pretty much set on both sides of the ball, which is why this season was such a cruel realization. The offense needs the most work, and I don't think there is any disputing that as they finished last in points […]
The Denver Broncos need so much this off-season. Last offseason we thought they would be pretty much set on both sides of the ball, which is why this season was such a cruel realization.
The offense needs the most work, and I don't think there is any disputing that as they finished last in points per game. The defense is very good, as they were the 14th ranked defense to end the year, but were top five for the majority of it. In their last three games, they gave up 106 points.
So, there is always room to improve there too. More specifically, there is room to improve in the linebacker room. Luckily for the Broncos, they can get the highest-ranked guy at that position in the entire draft, even at pick number 29.
With Alex Singleton, Dakota Allen, and Jonas Griffith set to hit free agency this offseason, the Broncos will need a guy to come in and fill that potential void. Obviously, we don't know quite yet where they will go, whether that be back in Denver or not, but if they decided to go elsewhere, the Broncos should draft this prospect.
Trenton Simpson, the linebacker from Clemson, is the best, or highest-rated linebacker, I should say, in the draft. He is the 29th-ranked prospect in the draft and the number-one-ranked linebacker in the draft.
Simpson is that linebacker that everyone is looking for these days, the guy that can play multiple roles and is versatile. He played the slot role at Clemson in 2021 and was pretty good too. He’s only allowed 406 yards in his career on 612 coverage snaps, Per Pro Football Focus.
Simpson had a 70 pass rush grade on the year, but he didn't play enough snaps in the season to get a feel for if he was a great pass rusher or not with just 109 in 2022. However, he does have the speed and bend to get to the quarterback, if the Broncos ever wanted to use him that way.
His run defense grade was 66, which yes, needs to be better, but then again he only played 230 run defense snaps out of 622 total defensive snaps. He has the speed to go sideline to sideline.
But, Simpson's ceiling may be high, as he could be one of the best at his position in a few years, but he also has a high bust rate in my opinion.
He didn't have a game that just makes him stand out by any means. But, the tape is there, the potential is there, and the Broncos can develop him into an elite defender.
Featured Image Via Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
