The Denver Broncos are preparing to have an aggressive and swarming defense once again in 2016. Last year, the Broncos defense led the team to victory in Super Bowl 50, and now comes the time to defend the championship.In order to put together the best defense possible, the Broncos will need to be solid up front.Arguably the biggest loss in free agency for the Super Bowl champs came on the defensive line. Defensive end Malik Jackson chose to move on to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, and he will be missed for his tenacity, energy and ability as a pass-rusher.Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak knows the team has to find a way to win with defense.Obviously, coming off a Super bowl win, how do we go about it' Were going to have a lot of new faces," Kubiak said. "My approach is going to be that we have to have to same standard in what we do and how we do it.In addition to finding Jacksons replacement, the Broncos need continued improvement from starters Derek Wolfe and Sylvester Williams. Last season, Wolfe showed better as a pass-rusher, but can he continue his upward trend' Williams was solid as a nose tackle in 2015, but can he finally start playing up to his draft status'Here is the full position breakdown and depth chart analysis of the defensive linemen on the Broncos roster.Right Defensive EndStarter: Jared CrickBackups: Vance Walker, Kenny Anunike Jared Crick was signed in free agency to help fill the gap on the defensive line left by Jacksons departure. The former Houston Texans defensive end has worked under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips for years, and he can step right in and start if needed. The Broncos wont hand him the job, but Crick should be considered the front-runner as training camp starts.Crick knows the system like the back of his hand, and that familiarity helped him when making a decision to sign with the Broncos.I know the schemes, what they expect of me and I know what to expect of them," Crick said. "To come back and play for them again, it was a huge part of the decision.Crick not only has worked under Phillips previously, but hes also learned a lot from legendary defensive line coach Bill Kollar.He brings the best out of you," Crick said. "Every year that I played under Coach Kollar, I got better and improved as a football player. I expect playing for him again that Ill continue progressing as a football player and improve my skill and my game.Denver added Vance Walker in free agency last offseason, and he did a good job as a part-time player for the Broncos in 2015. He played 337 snaps last year in 15 games, and he ended the season with a couple of sacks and 33 total tackles. Walker may not be the run defender Crick is, but he may have a bit more burst as a pass-rusher. This is why we could see Walker earn time even if hes not the starter.Kenny Anunike has great upside. He has flashed for two years in practice, but injuries have prevented him from making the 53-man roster. Undrafted out of Duke in 2014, Anunike has the length and burst to be disruptive from the edge. If he can stay healthy, Anunike could easily work his way into the rotation on the defensive lineespecially in obvious passing situations.Nose TackleStarter: Sylvester WilliamsBackups: Phil Taylor, Darius Kilgo, Kyle Peko, David Moala, Calvin HeurtelouPhillips has worked with all sorts of nose tackles during his coaching career. Hes worked with big, space-eating run-stuffers, and Phillips has also been able to use smaller, penetrating nose tackles effectively.Williams is more of a space-eater, but he does have the ability to knife through the line on his way to the passer. The team added Williams in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, but it did not pick up his fifth-year option earlier this offseason. That means Williams is in the final year of his rookie contract in 2016.Williams explained what the Broncos told him when they decided not to pick up his option.Pretty much they just said they love me and they love what I did last year and they thought the number was high for my position and the amount of snaps that I played," Williams said. "They pretty much just told me to keep working.So with no contract after the 2016 season, Williams has a lot to do: I have to go out there and prove myself again. At the end of the day, the way I look at it is it benefited me. Im just looking forward to the challenge of going out there and playing the best I can.Williams isnt the only first-round pick the Broncos have at nose tackle. Phil Taylor was signed in free agency earlier this year with the idea he could give the team valuable veteran depth at the position.A first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2011, Taylor has flashed briefly during his pro career. Injuries and inconsistencies have held back his time in the NFL. In 2015, Taylor missed the season due to chronic knee problems. Now hes trying to get his career back on track with the Broncos. If healthy, Taylor can be a disruptive player and at least a solid contributor in a rotation.Darius Kilgo was a sixth-round pick by the Broncos in the 2015 NFL draft out of Maryland. Hes a mountain of a man who saw the field for 108 snaps in nine games as a rookie. Hes nearly immovable in the middle of the line, and Kilgo does a good job of holding his ground at the point of attack. Hes a raw prospect who has not yet developed pass-rushing skills.There are a couple of 2016 UDFAs to watch in training camp. Kyle Peko and David Moala are similar prospects, and one of them may be able to make the 53-man roster. Both rookies understand leverage and can fire off the ball quickly after the snap.Left Defensive EndStarter: Derek WolfeBackups: Adam Gotsis, Eddie Yarbrough, Shaneil Jenkins Wolfe has transformed into one of the best at his positionnot only on the team, but in the entire NFL. He entered the league as a run-stuffer, but it was his pass-rushing ability that really stood out last season. Beginning in Week 14, Wolfe recorded at least a half-sack (if not a full sack) for every game after that.Throughout the teams playoff run, Wolfe was a dominant force. Opponents already have their hands full with the Broncos pass-rushing linebackers, but getting extra pressure from Wolfe helps make the defense even more dangerous.Phillips understands that Wolfe can start this year where he ended last year.He really came on toward the end of the year and was really our dominant inside player," Phillips said. "Hes always been a good run player, at least for us this last year he was a tremendous run player. Toward the end of the year, he was getting after the quarterback really well. I look for him to take up where he left off.In the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Broncos selected a Kollar favorite in Adam Gotsis from Georgia Tech. Gotsis reminds some in the scouting community of Wolfe, and the Broncos would love for him to develop in the same way. Gotsis is currently recovering from a knee injury that ended his final season in college.Gotsis admitted hes got to be patient during his recovery.Its tough," Gotsis said. "Really you just have to visualize yourself being out there in the position of the guys that are out there. Thats all Im doing at the moment. I feel like Ive got a pretty good hold of things so far. Its going to be exciting to see when I can be out there and how I pick it up.The Broncos picked up a UDFA with the upside to one day be a starter when they added Eddie Yarbrough from Wyoming. Yarbrough lacks the bulk of other defensive ends on the roster, but he plays with a high motor and is known as a tenacious player. Hes technically sound and relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback. He could be yet another fine undrafted player the Broncos add from the college free-agent pool.SummaryThe Broncos had the best defense in the league last year, and theyre out to prove they can be even better in 2016. The first line of defense is the defensive line, and they need to maintain strength up front so they can be more aggressive at the linebacker level and in the secondary.Losing Jackson stings, but the Broncos should have enough talent to rotate in at least two players to pick up the slack. While Crick may start at right defensive end, theres a good chance that someone else will be on the field in obvious passing situations. Walker did good things last year, but it could be Anunike who gets to rush the passer more often from that spot.In the middle of the defensive line, Williams will get to prove that hes worth considering as a long-term option. In a contract year, Williams would do himself a lot of good if he was able to be more disruptive from the nose tackle position.Wolfe will continue to dominate as a run-stuffer, and his ability as a pass-rusher in the Phillips scheme may grow as well. In fact, Wolfe may be so good as a pass-rusher that the team moves him from left to right end. Either way, he should continue to be a key player on the defensive side of the ball.Kubiak expects a lot from his defenders this yearand every year.The nucleus of our teamthere are a lot of guys coming back that were very successful and played extremely well," Kubiak said. "Weve got to show them, along with the guys were bringing in, that were going to continue to help them get better and give them a chance to go back out this year and put themselves in position again. My approach will be about our standard more than anything.The winning formula for the Broncos as they defend their title looks a lot like the recipe used in the postseason. Winning the battle in the trenches will go a long way in helping the Broncos to once again prove the old saying that defense wins championships.All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand.Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.Contract and salary-cap information provided bySpotrac. Transaction history provided byPro Sports Transactions.
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