Broncos GM Hints at Plan For New Starter Next to Justin Simmons

What do the Denver Broncos have planned at strong safety?

The 2023 NFL draft saw the Denver Broncos determined to select the best available player with each pick. It's smart thinking when evaluating any draft class, but when you consider that Broncos GM George Paton was shuffling a deck that contained only five cards, he was under pressure to find impactful players.

With the arrival of this new crop of talent, the dynamics at several positions will change, and in some cases, dramatically. At the safety spot, hard-hitting Boise State alumni JL Skinner now joins a unit that may get crowded if long-term starter Kareem Jackson returns to the fold.

While Skinner will be unlikely to start from the get-go, especially since he's recovering from a torn pec suffered just before the NFL Combine, his presence inevitably asks some questions of third-year safety Caden Sterns, the man projected to start as things currently stand next to All-Pro Justin Simmons.

Simmons provides much-needed stability, but the future of the Broncos' starting safety tandem remained unclear until Paton provided an update to 9NEWS' Mike Klis on how things might shake out next to Simmons.

“We feel Caden has starter traits,’’ Paton told Klis. “When he’s had to start he’s played like a starter. We feel really good about Caden. We think Caden will be back for the season, there’s no doubt there. We like the depth we have with (P.J.) Locke and (Delarrin) Turner-Yell and then we just drafted (JL) Skinner.’’

In case fans were wondering if the Skinner draft pick puts the kybosh on re-signing Jackson, Paton revealed that he's still talking to the veteran's camp. 

“We’re talking to Kareem, we love Kareem,’’ Paton told Klis. “Skinner has no impact on Kareem. It’s a free-agent deal. He’s a unique leader, he can still play.”

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Getting Jackson back would provide solid veteran leadership, but it's clear the Broncos want to carry on the type of tone-setting physicality he’s always set at the safety position. Despite Skinner being only a sixth-rounder, Paton spoke glowingly of what his newest center fielder can bring to the table. 

Furthermore, the Broncos' GM offered up an explanation for why the 22-year-old fell so gratefully into their laps with pick No. 183 in the draft.

"We've liked him throughout the process. I think the first thing you see is the size," Paton said of Skinner. "He's almost 6-[foot]-4, and then the athletic ability for that size, we thought was unique. The short-area quickness, the range. You see the ball skills on tape. The thing that really sticks out is his physicality and playing downhill in the run game. You see that all over the tape. He's a fun watch, and Sean [Payton] and I have watched a lot of tape on him. He's a fun watch. I think the injury did impact where he was drafted. We felt very fortunate to get him where we did."

Despite Skinner's pec injury, Paton's obvious excitement that the rookie can add to the mix should give him a serious boost heading into rookie mini-camp. Should Skinner also tap into what his Coach Payton said about giving every player a chance to play, regardless of draft status, he may well be salivating at the opportunities coming his way.

"Once they're sitting in that meeting room, how they arrive is of no importance to us at that point," Payton said. "We're playing the best players... They'll all have a piece of tape on the front of their helmet with their last name, and we're just going to go by what we see."

Sterns will be stiff competition for Skinner, or any safety with eyes on that starting slot. A fifth-round pick in 2021, Sterns has started five games as a Bronco, appearing in 20. 

Sterns has notched 49 combined tackles (36 solo), two sacks, and four interceptions. Talk about bang for buck. However, coming off a season mostly lost to a serious hip injury, his outlook is somewhat cloudy. 

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