When the Denver Broncos became just the 15th team in NFL history to record at least 63 sacks in a single season, it was proof that they had one of the best units on that side of the ball across the entire league. While they wavered a bit towards the end of the season after getting off to an outstanding start, they still proved that they had the coordinator in Vance Joseph and the players to compete with the league’s best.
Highlighted by Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, the Broncos had the third-best scoring defense and the third-best run defense in the NFL. While the pass statistics took a hit late after Joe Burrow and Jameis Winston torched them in December, the 63 sacks showed that it was still a nightmare for any opposing QB to get the ball out of their hands.
In the latest episode of “The Mina Kimes Show” that was released on Wednesday, Kimes, one of ESPN’s top NFL analysts, had the Broncos as the best defense in the NFL on her list.
“There was nothing fake about this defense … every single defensive lineman they have is at minimum very good … the biggest weakness was linebacker and they addressed that,” Kimes said.
A healthy Dre Greenlaw would be a massive boost to the already dominant Denver defense. pic.twitter.com/6qJzjN0cuU
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) March 11, 2025
She also went on to say that Denver’s depth chart is ‘stacked’ on defense.
Remember, Denver is adding Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Jahdae Barron this season while also getting Alex Singleton back from the ACL injury he suffered early on last season. They have the ability to take an already great defense and blow it out of the water with the new roster additions they made throughout the offseason.
“I would argue they upgraded at multiple important positions,” Kimes said.
For anyone who forgot, Denver’s defense allowed 20 or fewer points in 11 of the 18 games they played last season. Especially at the start of the season when Bo Nix was still getting his feet under him and the offense was sputtering, the defense carried the orange and blue until the offense was able to somewhat catch up.
The Broncos defense will play another massive role in the team’s success this season, as the offense will still be growing with Bo Nix. With Surtain and Barron holding down the secondary with Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen rushing the passer again, the continuity of this group has it poised for an even better season in 2025.
YouTube video