Broncos Training Camp powered by Ford is mere weeks away, and that means it’s time to take a position-by-position look at the Broncos’ roster.
The categories are refreshed and a little different this season, but we’re still going to take a close look at each position group that’s set to take the field in late July.
We continue with the secondary, which saw an influx of talent in the offseason.
How do Denver’s offseason additions elevate the secondary?
After posting the third-ranked scoring defense in 2024, the Broncos added even more pieces to an already talented secondary.
Denver signed former first-team All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency before drafting do-it-all cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The hard-hitting Hufanga and dynamic Barron join reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, a Pro Bowl alternate in Brandon Jones, a proven young cornerback in Riley Moss, a play-making slot in Ja’Quan McMillian and several other key contributors.
As training camp nears, the Broncos will now look to turn that talent into results. Hufanga and Jones — presumably Denver’s starting safety duo — seem to complement each other well and have already developed a strong connection on the back of Denver’s defense.
“I would say both of us are really good at multitasking,” Jones said In June. “We can do a lot of different things, whatever is asked of us. We can just have a lot of freedom and feel comfortable with whoever goes down in certain situations. We have a lot of faith and trust in each other. I think that goes a long way.”
At cornerback, Barron figures to compete for playing time — but those snaps could come at a variety of spots. Head Coach Sean Payton has discussed working Barron both inside in the slot and at the outside cornerback position, and the competition between Moss, McMillian and Barron figures to be one of the highlights of training camp.
“His instincts are real, real high,” Payton said of Barron. “You can give him more than maybe some other younger player at the same position. Some guys, you might say, ‘Let’s just leave him at left corner or right corner.’ I think he’s one of those players that can handle volume.”
No matter which players start, the Broncos’ talent in the secondary is evident — and training camp should offer the first glimpse at how dominant this group can be in 2025.
Sticking with Barron here, as he got plenty of run during the offseason program. The first-round pick wasn’t linked to Denver in many — if any — mock drafts, but his talent was too good for the Broncos to ignore.
“I think when you watch his game in college, you see a very intelligent player,” Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said. “You see a guy who played multiple positions in college. Corner, he played some safety, he played some nickel. He’s a very mature, smart football player. … He was a can’t-miss prospect for us.”
Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back in 2024, and his versatility makes him an intriguing addition to Denver’s secondary. There are a number of other players worthy of watching — Surtain in his follow-up performance, Moss after a year as a starter, P.J. Locke at safety — but the potential of Barron wins out.
If Barron can quickly turn his potential into production, this Denver secondary could be scary good.
Surtain turned in the best season of his still-young career in 2024, as he became just the second player in franchise history to win AP Defensive Player of the Year honors. He tied a career high in interceptions while also ranking first among cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps in yards allowed (206), yards allowed per coverage snap (0.6) and air yards per target (7.1), according to Next Gen Stats. Against top competition, Surtain was up for the challenge; in 92 coverage snaps against Pro Bowlers Ja’Marr Chase, Travis Kelce, Brock Bowers, Zay Flowers and Jerry Jeudy, he gave up just six catches for 52 yards and an 8.3 passer rating on 16 targets. Surtain also picked off two of those passes, and he didn’t give up a score.
So what’s next for Surtain? While there’s more room in the trophy case, Surtain is focused on team goals.
“There’s always something out there to do better,” Surtain said in late June. “Why not get another one? Why not get more All-Pros? … But I think the main goal is to win the Super Bowl, at the end of the day. That’s why I play the game, is to win. I think that’s the end goal for me.”
Perhaps overlooked in the discussion about all the talent in Denver’s secondary is that we’re likely poised to watch some intense competition in training camp.
At safety, there could be a battle for roles behind the presumptive starters in Jones and Hufanga. Locke is a proven player with 23 starts over the last two seasons, while Denver added veteran Sam Franklin Jr. in free agency. JL Skinner, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Devon Key and Keidron Smith also all have experience at the position and should battle for roles.
At cornerback, there may be even more competition. In addition to the battle for starting spots and playing time, the team’s depth should be on display. Damarri Mathis, Kris Abrams-Draine and Reese Taylor all have seen regular-season action for Denver, while young players in Quinton Newsome, Joshua Pickett, Jaden Robinson and newly signed Mario Goodrich will also have their chance to state their case.
There’s plenty of talent across this Denver secondary, which should make it a compelling few weeks when training camp arrives.
