Finding Broncos: 5 Edges for Developmental Depth and Special Teams

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of edge defenders to bring additional depth and competition to the special teams unit.

While the Denver Broncos have potential with their edge room, they have concerns about their ability to stay on the field. Therefore, they need to improve their depth with quality options because edge rusher is vital for the team's success. 

Robert Beal Jr. | Edge | Georgia

© John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• The length is excellent. 
• He has the burst and speed for the NFL. 
• He has proven success as a rotational pass rusher, picking up nine sacks over the last two seasons. 
• There is discipline in his play, getting penalized only twice in his career. 
• He is smooth and fluid with his movement and changes direction easily. 

Cons

• There isn't a great build on his frame, and he can use more mass. 
• He doesn't have a wide arsenal of pass-rush moves, and the ones he has are underdeveloped. 
• He only started 10 games in his career. 
• There are issues holding up against the run, and he lacks power in his frame. 

Fit with Broncos

Beal is a limited edge defender who will struggle against the run due to a lack of power. His play as a pass rusher has potential, but he has to develop his plan of attack and arsenal. The Broncos need more from their depth at the position, especially if they are going to use a draft pick. 

Lonnie Phelps | Edge | Kansas

© William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• There is good athleticism to work with. 
• He fires off the snap quickly with an explosive first step. 
• He has a combination of speed and power as a pass rusher and mixes it up in his attack. 
• There is good agility, and closing burst to finish plays with the splash. 
• He is an energetic defender and can easily overwhelm blockers. 

Cons

• He doesn't have the ideal size for the NFL and lacks length. 
• The timing with his pass rush moves and attack plan is consistently off. 
• There is a lack of discipline and freelancing with his play. 
• He doesn't have great experience on special teams. 
• His attacks as a pass rusher lack consistency. 

Fit with Broncos

Phelps' energy is contagious, and he does a lot to bring energy to the defense. He can be a value pick somewhere on day three for the Broncos. With his traits, he has a decent floor to contribute as a rookie and raise the floor of the room. 

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Thomas Incoom | Edge | Central Michigan

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• There is decent length and mass. 
• He is a good athlete with speed, burst, and agility. 
• He is physical and brings plenty of violence into his pass rush. 
• There are some solid moves in his arsenal that are well-developed. 
• He sets a strong edge against the run with consistency. 

Cons

• He can use some molding with his build on his lower half. 
• There is a lack of experience at a higher level. 
• He doesn't have a developed plan with his pass rush. 
• There are almost no counters to his game. 
• The creativity as a pass rusher isn't there. 

Fit with Broncos

Thomas Incoom is the type of value and prospect the Broncos could look at on day three. He has reliability against the run and as a pass rusher. There isn't a lot of creativity or counters to his game, but his ability to raise the floor as a depth piece is what the Broncos need. 

Viliami Fehoko | Edge | San Jose State

© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has the length and mass for the NFL. 
• There is solid athleticism to work with. 
• He has a great technical foundation with his play and won't need much development. 
• He showed improvements each season with his technique, which resulted in improved production. 
• There is excellent energy, which is contagious with his teammates; it also can overwhelm blockers. 

Cons

• With his size and traits, he is a tweener in the NFL. 
• He doesn't have the elite athleticism teams love to see with their edge defenders. 
• There is a lack of discipline in his play that has drawn many flags. 
• He can struggle to get off blocks. 
• The missed tackle rate is higher than you like to see. 

Fit with Broncos

The technical refinement that Fehoko has can ease his transition to the NFL. However, when it comes to the Broncos, there is a question about the value of where he is projected to go. If Denver can land him later in the draft, round six or seven, then the value could be well worth using one of their handful of picks. 

Brenton Cox Jr. | Edge | Florida

© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

• He has good length. 
• He is a solid, straightforward athlete. 
• There is good usage with his hands, and he does well to maximize his length. 
• There is good production in the backfield. 
• When his pass rush stalls, he transitions to batting down passes well. 

Cons

• A ton of character red flags have to be dug into. 
• He is lean and long, without much power to his frame. 
• His movement isn't refined when working as a pass rusher. 
• He is a linear athlete and can struggle to change direction. 
• Powerful blockers won't have much difficulty dealing with him. 

Fit with Broncos

There is good talent and potential to work with, but the character stuff is extremely concerning. Unfortunately, those character issues can keep the Broncos from looking his way. 

This is a great class for edge defenders with good depth. The class quality at the top of the position will see guys get pushed down, creating great potential for value picks. 

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