Early in training camp, Denver Broncos secondary looks legit

The best thing to do during training camp is avoid overreactions, especially when the Broncos have only been in pads for a week. But man, this secondary has been legit to the point where it isn’t hard to imagine them being one of the best in the NFL this season.

Just ask quarterback Russell Wilson. He has been a victim of the defensive backs’ airtight coverage since the start of camp. On Tuesday, Wilson tried to find wide receiver Courtland Sutton down the middle when safety Justin Simmons jumped in front of the throw for an interception. A day later, Simmons made Wilson pay for throwing in triple coverage, recording his third interception since the start of camp.

The secondary’s dominance didn’t stop there. In the red zone, cornerback K’Waun Williams batted down Wilson’s pass at the line of scrimmage, then later picked him off mid-air.

“When I watch them, the first thing you see is that they have ball skills, they’re smart, and they’re experienced,” head coach Sean Payton said. “It’s hard to find completions in some of these drills.”

It’s not surprising to see Denver’s secondary perform at a high level. Simmons and cornerback Pat Surtain II, who was voted into the NFL Top 100 players list for 2023, are among the league’s elite at their positions. While Simmons continues to show why he is one of the best ball-hawking safeties in the sport, Surtain has made playing cornerback look effortless.

But what has stood out the most is the depth of the position. Safety Caden Sterns recorded an interception during the first day of camp. Cornerbacks Damarri Mathis and Faion Hicks have blanketed wide receivers in one-on-one drills, while Ja’Quan McMillian, an undrafted rookie in 2022, has stood out as well.

“The room that we have is crazy,” Sterns said. “Honestly, I think we have one of the best secondaries in the league.”

Indeed, Denver’s secondary has arguably been the best position group on the field. But their dominance has made it hard to evaluate whether the Broncos passing game will improve after struggling in 2022. For Denver’s wide receivers, separation has been hard to come by. They’ve had to grind to get open. There have been multiple occasions during team scrimmages where quarterbacks couldn’t find anyone down the field, forcing them to tuck and run.

“You have to focus on all the little details to (create) that separation,” said wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Payton isn’t looking too deeply into the offensive struggles since they’ve only had a handful of practices. At the same time, he feels the reps against players like Surtain and Simmons can be beneficial.

“A lot goes into that when you play an opponent that you feel has one of those elite corners,” Payton said. “You do have to pay attention to the matchup, the split, the route especially when a guy has good ball skills.”

Sterns said communication with Simmons and the rest of the group has been essential. They are feeding off each other while figuring out how to get better.

“That’s why I feel like the defense is so good,” said Sterns, who has 49 tackles, four interceptions and nine passes defended in 20 career games. “We are always communicating after a play. (With) the connection that we have, we are able to be in each other’s minds.”

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s return led to mixed reactions after a failed head coaching stint in Denver, but the upside in the secondary should provide optimism he can make things work in his second act with the organization.

Sterns said Joseph has leaned on what the secondary has done well in previous seasons, only making slight adjustments.

“(Joseph) has been keeping the same principles of what we do pretty well (in) base coverages,” Sterns said. “(There are) just minor things that he thinks we can do better, especially with the versatility that we have on defense.”

Frustration began to creep over Broncos’ fans on Wednesday when Wilson threw his fifth interception of training camp. Those mistakes could be a precursor of what’s to come in the regular season. Or maybe the secondary is just that good.

“They force you (with) some of their seven-and-a-half man fronts to be patient and run the ball,” Payton said. “They’re a challenge.”

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