The Denver Broncos shocked the NFL world last season by making the playoffs. The Broncos were considered one of the worst teams in the NFL entering last season, with a Vegas over/under set at just 5.5 wins.
Led by head coach Sean Payton, rookie quarterback Bo Nix, and perhaps the most surprising units in football — Denver’s defense — the Broncos did just enough to earn the seventh and final seed in the AFC and break the franchise’s eight-year playoff drought.
That stingy Broncos defense won’t shock anyone this season, though. After adding the likes of linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency as well as drafting defensive back Jahdae Barron in the first round, the question isn’t “will Denver’s defense be good?” but rather, “just how good can they be in 2025?”
According to Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman, the biggest takeaway from the Broncos’ roster following the 2025 draft is whether or not the Broncos will field the best defense in the NFL next season.
"After drafting cornerback Jahdae Barron and adding depth along the edge, the Broncos may have assembled one of the league’s most formidable defenses heading into 2025. Barron, who earned an elite 91.1 coverage grade in his final season at Texas, joins reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II to form a potentially dominant cornerback tandem," Wasserman wrote.
"Denver didn’t stop there — the additions of free agents Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga further strengthen the second and third levels of the defense. With elite talent across the board and reinforcements at key positions, the Broncos could very well contend for the title of the NFL’s best defense this season."
Already One of the Best
The Broncos already entered the offseason with one of the better defenses in the league. After finishing No. 4 in defensive EPA/play (expected points added) last season at -0.056 (excluding garbage time by only including plays with a win probability of 10-90%) and finishing No. 4 in FTN’s DVOA statistic (defense-adjusted value over average), the Broncos did not have the best defense in the NFL last season, trailing the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Houston Texans in both renowned advanced metrics, but they were certainly close.
Historically, defense can be rather volatile year-to-year. In comparison to offensive stability, which is mainly driven by the quality of the quarterback, continuity between the passer and play-caller, and health across the offensive line, defense can be far more fickle.
This is likely because on the defensive side of the ball, it’s harder to dictate matchups and where the ball is going. On offense, good schemers can “hide” players and compensate for weaknesses. On defense, especially against quality offensive lines or quarterbacks, a weakness will be rooted out and picked on time and time again.
New Additions
Can the additions to the defense vault the Broncos into the NFL's best unit? It’s certainly possible, but the fortification of Denver’s back seven could lead to statistical regression from the Broncos’ defensive front and pass rush. While Denver did not lose anyone in free agency, to simply expect that its pass rush to match last season's franchise record-breaking sack total of 63 (nine more than the second-place Baltimore Ravens) might not be realistic.
However, the additions in the back seven should make it so that Denver doesn’t have to match its franchise-best sack season again and still field a top defense. Can the Broncos’ defense be the best in the NFL in 2025?
Outmatched vs. Top Competition
While Denver was able to beat up on bad teams with poor offensive lines and bad quarterbacks, the defense played rather poorly against a majority of the better offenses in the AFC last season, and specifically down the stretch. Giving up 30-plus points in four of their final six games (probably should consider it four of the final five, given the no-contest bout that occurred with the Broncos annihilating the Kansas City Chiefs’ backups) would indicate that while Denver’s defense was good, it still had ample room to grow, especially considering how thoroughly outmatched the unit was versus some top AFC foes like the Ravens and Buffalo Bills.
If the Broncos are to finish as the best defense in the NFL this season, it probably will come down to the overall health of the unit. The Broncos have stayed remarkably healthy over the last two seasons, but adding both Greenlaw and Hufanga, both of whom have an injury history on top of keeping everyone else healthy, will prove paramount to just how good this defense can be.
The Takeaway
The best defense in the NFL in 2025? Perhaps. Another year of a top 5-10 defense with growth from the offensive side of the ball resulting in a better overall team? That feels more likely at this point in time.
