Most Underrated Offseason Move the Broncos Made

While the Denver Broncos didn’t make many moves during the offseason, they were very calculated. Jaylen Waddle arrived via trade, and he should be a big boost to the offense.

The only outside free-agent signing the Broncos made was safety Tycen Anderson. He will help with special teams after Denver lost P.J. Locke in free agency.

After that quiet free-agent period, the Broncos shifted to the NFL draft to fill the rest of their holes and selected several good prospects: running back Jonah Coleman, offensive lineman Kage Casey, and tight end Justin Joly.

But Denver's most underrated move of the offseason was drafting defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim. Broncos fans knew little about Onyedim, so he's kind of flown under the radar.

JFM Replacement

The Broncos lost John Franklin-Myers, who was a great interior pass rusher for them, and they drafted Sai’vion Jones last year to potentially be the replacement. What the Broncos didn’t have was a reliable, true 4i/5-technique defensive lineman to help address the issues they’ve had against the run.

For as good a pass rusher as Franklin-Myers was, he had some issues against the run, and putting him in front of Nik Bonitto, well, teams knew they had a spot to attack in the run game. Opponents did, with great success, and putting Jones there won't alleviate those issues, as his run defense is the biggest question mark in his development. 

Even though the Broncos had Eyioma Uwazurike and Malcolm Roach on the roster, they're both more effective elsewhere on the D-line. So, Onyedim is a great fit for what the Broncos needed on the D-line, and he's not getting the attention he deserves for how good a pick he was. 

Elite Run Defender

Most credible draft analysts had Onyedim in their top 100 or top 115, all with a third-round grade on him. With his long arms and solid athleticism, he was quietly one of the most effective and efficient run defenders in college football last year, where he ranked in the top 3 in most run-defense analytics. 

Onyedim's run-defense capabilities could be a major boost to the defense, especially when you go back and see where the Broncos struggled last year. The Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots were highly effective in attacking from the left side of their offensive line, where Franklin-Myers would line up. 

The Broncos needed reliability in the run game from that alignment, and Onyedim should bring it. For college players making the pro leap, run defense is easier to translate to the NFL than pass rushing is, especially for defensive linemen, and Onyedim's high floor has put him in the conversation to be a starter for the Broncos as a rookie. 

With all the additions the Broncos made, there are only two who can be considered potential Year-1 starters without an injury befalling their depth chart: Waddle and Onyedim. Sure, Coleman, Casey, or even Joly have the potential to be, but they would need a veteran to go down with an injury for that to happen. Anderson's only chance at being a starter is on special teams. 

Onyedim was an excellent choice for the Broncos, given what they needed on their D-line, but when people talk about what the team did this offseason, the conversation centers on Waddle or Coleman, and rarely about Onyedim.

Sure, there is a chance Onyedim fails to launch in the NFL, as he now has to develop and grow into an NFL player, but he is being underrated and perhaps underappreciated as an addition to this Broncos roster.

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