Broncos' Run-Stopping Woes are Over With DL Malcolm Roach in the Fold

Vance Joseph has no excuses this year. The Denver Broncos gave VJ the horses to stop the run.

Jan 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Malcolm Roach (97) celebrate a stop on fourth down during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

When the Denver Broncos made the strategic move to sign Malcolm Roach, it was a clear demonstration of their unwavering commitment to strengthening their run defense — a key area of concern from the previous season after the team finished 30th in the NFL. The Broncos' defensive line, in particular, was a challenge, with multiple players frequently on the ground, adding extra pressure on their running backs.

With Roach in the fold, there's no doubt he'll bring a significant and immediate upgrade. At the time of the signing, Roach joined D.J. Jones and Zach Allen, forming a stronger starting unit than Denver had the previous year.

However, the Broncos still faced concerns due to the redundancy between Roach and Jones, both best suited for the same position. The Broncos, however, swiftly resolved this by adding John Franklin-Myers. This strategic move ensures a sound rotation on the defensive line, with either Roach or Jones coming off the bench. 

The Broncos can substitute them both on the field in apparent run-downs, pulling one off for Franklin-Myers, Allen, or a player at another position in obvious passing downs. It can help the unit stay fresh, which seemed another problem for the Broncos last year, especially with Jones. As the games continued, he appeared to lose some stem when watching back over the games. 

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Roach was a good value signing for the Broncos to target a specific area of need they had to fill out. Plus, two of Roach's first four years with the New Orleans Saints were with Payton, which gives the Broncos that familiarity. While Payton is an offensive-focused head coach, it's still good to have personal experience with a player on defense as you're trying to see the unit vastly improve from last year. 

Compared to the 105 NFL defensive linemen with at least 135 run defense snaps last year, Roach's performance stands out. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked ninth in run defense grade, first in run-stop percentage, 14th in the lowest average depth of tackle (1.5 yards), and 32nd in the lowest missed tackle percentage. These are all exceptional metrics, especially when compared to the Broncos' performance last season. 

Roach’s run defense grade was 72.5, while the highest-graded Bronco in this department was the aforementioned Allen at 66.6. Roach's 5.6 missed tackle percentage would’ve been the second lowest for the Broncos last year, behind Jonathan Harris, but he had three fewer total tackles while playing 93 fewer snaps against the run.

Allen led the Broncos in stop percentage at 8.8, while Roach was almost double that at 17.4. Lastly, Roach made his tackles on average after 1.5 yards were picked up; Allen was at 1.8 which led the Broncos, while Harris was 4.2 yards, ranking third-worst in the NFL. Harris is no longer with the Broncos.

Looking at the numbers, it's clear that Roach should significantly boost the Broncos' run defense on paper. Of course, it also matters about going out there and performing. Every year, there are players signed by a team to fill a clear role that doesn’t pan out.

The Broncos can’t afford Roach to be one of those misses, which means defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has to be clever with his schemes and rotation. There isn’t much from Roach as a pass rusher, but he isn’t a liability in that department, either. He can eat up blocks and generate some push up the middle, but that is where Franklin-Myers and Allen should be doing the most damage from the defensive line. 

Bottom Line

The Roach signing has a chance to flip the script regarding the Broncos' run defense entirely. He's so good in that area of the game that Denver could go from being a bottom-five defense against the run to a top-10 unit, especilly considering the other additions the team made.

There are no excuses for Joseph’s run defense to be so poor again. The Broncos couldn't afford another bottom-three run-defense ranking, so they invested wisely in the D-line.

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!