Inside the Denver Broncos' Roster: The Nose Tackles

In 2008, the Denver Broncos ranked 27th against the rush, allowing 146.1 yards per game on the ground. The only teams who were worse (Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Oakland, and Detroit) all ended up with selections in the top seven of the 2009 NFL Draft. In this league, success usually goes hand-in-hand with two things: effective running, and stopping the run effectively. The Denver Broncos have struggled mightily with the latter over the past two seasons. For what it's worth, the lack of success stopping the run cannot be attributed to lack of personnel and coaching change, as the Broncos have had three different defensive coordinators in the past three seasons, and thus, three new defensive schemes. The newest defense will be coordinated by former San Francisco 49ers head coach and longtime defensive guru Mike Nolan, who will implement the first 3-4 system the Broncos will have had in over two decades. For this particular scheme, it's well-documented that arguably the...