Finding Broncos: Five Sleeper Interior Defensive Linemen

The Broncos' defensive line was exposed last season on multiple occasions.

The Denver Broncos have plenty of work to do this offseason. While the Broncos have a solid roster overall, which the quarterback position has held back for years, they still have plenty of holes elsewhere on the roster. 

Unfortunately, one of those holes is on the defensive line where Dre'Mont Jones was essentially singlehandedly holding down the fort this past season. He had a good year for the Broncos, but he still needs to show some growth, especially against the run. 

In his third year, Jones didn't get much help from Shelby Harris or Mike Purcell. While Harris made a few plays here and there, he was mostly missing in action, and Purcell often did more harm than good as the two-gap 0/1-technique run defender. 

Even Denver's depth wasn't that much help consistently, which isn't good for 2020 third-round draft pick McTelvin Agim. Agim did alright as a pass rusher, but his run defense remained his most significant concern. 

It takes two to three years for defensive linemen to blossom in the NFL, and Agim is entering Year 3 but he didn't show progress against the run. 

The fact that D-linemen take two to three years on average makes it rough to look to the draft alone in hopes of upgrading the position. The Broncos could use a veteran option to hopefully bring a quicker impact while turning to the draft to support the depth with a more developmental piece. 

This isn't the strongest D-line class but there are some excellent options and a few that are flying under the radar. Here are five to monitor for the Broncos. 

Matt Henningsen | Wisconsin

If you want under-the-radar, not being invited to the NFL Combine is as close as a prospect can get. Henningsen is a strong interior defensive lineman that would work best as a base end in a 3-4 front, meaning 4/4i/5-technique, with the ability to move inside as a 3-technique in an even front. In addition, he does a great job as a single-gap penetrator against the run using his strength, pad level, and leverage. 

There isn't much to work with regarding his twitchiness, athleticism, or even explosion, which shows when chasing plays down and even as a pass rusher. Henningsen's pass-rush ability is a matter of getting under a blocker's pads and using leverage to drive them back and collapse the pocket, but that trait of his presents minimal potential for the NFL. Denver's D-line lacked consistency against the run, and with what Agim offers up as a pass-rusher, Henningsen could be his run defense counterpart. 

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John Ridgeway | Arkansas

Something that stands out with Ridgeway is that he played two seasons of football during 2021 as he was at Illinois State, which played its season in the spring. He then transferred to Arkansas for the fall season serving as the Razorbacks' nose tackle. 

The slate of teams he had to go against was tough with multiple strong offensive lines, but Ridgeway managed to stand out. His natural strength is exceptional, and he has power in his hands that can easily stun blockers on contact. 

What stands out the most with Ridgeway is, despite his size, he plays with such a low pad level, which makes him extremely difficult to move with double teams when adding to his strong anchor. He is not a super athlete, but he has an excellent first step that brings power more than an explosion, but when stretching plays out, he can get caught up on his footwork. There isn't much versatility with Ridgeway, but he does fit the Broncos scheme and gives them a younger and cheaper option than what the team currently has in Purcell. 

Zachary Carter | Florida

A former basketball player, Carter ended up at Florida despite a lot of interest elsewhere and worked his way to being a two-year starter on the defensive line. Carter isn't the most natural fit for what the Broncos run, or at least are expected to run, because he is slightly undersized. However, his size is comparable to the aforementioned Jones, who works just fine as a 4i/5-technique in the Broncos defense. 

Carter plays with good balance and a low pad level, and his fit with Denver comes with his ability to shoot gaps and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He is a strong run defender as a result, but when he has to move laterally, he can get into trouble. There is some similarity there to Jones, and the question would be whether Denver would want to pair the two or find a more complementary piece to what Jones brings to the table. 

D.J. Davidson | Arizona State

For his size, Davidson is a solid athlete, and while he offers up versatility in the scheme he can work in, he is limited to a 0/1-technique nose tackle in the NFL. His power is excellent, and that is how he wins as a run defender and pass rusher. However, the problems show up with his movement skills, and he isn't exactly explosive enough to shoot gaps to make a play quickly behind the line of scrimmage. 

There are times he can be late off the snap, and against the run, he has the sheer strength to make up for it. Unfortunately, that isn't the case when he is late off the snap against the run. That leads to many similarities to Purcell, so it would be a move to get younger and cheaper at the position and hope that the coaching staff can develop him into something more.

Otito Ogbonnia | UCLA

Ogbonnia has decent versatility with the scheme and could be moved around the defensive line in order to work from a few different techniques. For example, during the 2021 season at UCLA, he was moved around to attack from other techniques, and he saw success from everywhere. Now, for the NFL, he would be best suited to working from 0- to 4i-technique depending on the front, and even a 5-technique in specific jumbo packages. 

Ogbonnia's best traits are his length and power, making him extremely difficult to drive off the line of scrimmage with a double team and nearly impossible with a single block. He also offers good pass rush ability when working off stunts or clearing out blockers for the stunter. There is also a high football IQ, which is revealed when he fires off the snap a little late. 

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