You have to rewind all the way back to 1989 to discover the last time the Denver Broncos took a safety in the first round of the NFL draft. Of course, the late Dan Reeves' due diligence on Arkansas' Steve Atwater was spot on, as the hard-hitting safety went on to have a prolific Hall-of-Fame career, helping lead the Broncos to back-to-back World Championships in the late '90s.
Despite having hit so spectacularly on their last first-round safety, don't expect the Broncos to target the position with pick No. 12 in the 2024 draft. The Broncos have too many other pressing roster needs, but that doesn't preclude the possibility of addressing the safety position in the later rounds.
With uncertainty surrounding the future of incumbent starting duo Justin Simmons and P.J. Locke — the latter of whom is set to be an unrestricted free agent — unearthing another safety gem would use up Denver's precious draft capital.
Enter Caden Sterns. The Broncos drafted Sterns in the fifth round back in 2021 out of Texas. It seemed the team felt it could phase out tenured veteran Kareem Jackson due to Sterns' emergence. Alas, the 24-year-old Sterns suffered a ligament tear in his knee just two snaps into the season opener.
Coming on the heels of missing most of the 2022 campaign due to a hip injury, Sterns has now spent more time watching the Broncos rather than playing, which has hurt his career momentum. Sterns' extended time spent on the sideline and in the training room has led to serious frustration.
"It sucked. It really sucked not being out there," Sterns said via Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. "Especially when you expect so much out of yourself and then you watch how this team kind of come together and overcome everything going on early in the season and going on that streak. You just kind of feel useless. And I don't wish that on anyone."
Injured players tend to deal with the mental side of their rehabilitation in contrasting ways, depending on their frame of mind. While injured Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick was a regular feature around the team and on the sidelines, Sterns felt he needed to stay away to heal body and mind.
"I've been here, but not really necessarily around the team because, like I said, it sucked for me and kind of being around hurt," Sterns said via Gabriel.
Sterns' decision to separate himself was an effort to protect his sanity. Being absent from the game for such long stretches can manifest itself in many different ways. However, any notion that Sterns was somehow less invested in his team should be dismissed.
Case in point is Sterns' support of Locke, his old collegiate teammate, who excelled in his absence, specifically in the wake of Jackson's pair of multi-game suspensions that cost him nearly half of the season. The Broncos waived Jackson in December, and he was claimed by his former team, the Houston Texans, who continue to romp through the AFC playoffs.
"Oh my god, man... I'm just so happy for him," Sterns said of Locke's performances this past season. "And just the type of teammate he is... We've kind of grown together as far as mentally playing safety because in college, he played nickel at Texas. I'm just extremely proud of him. I said from the beginning that I thought we had a deep safety room and for him to come out there and show what he's capable of, I'm just so happy for him."
There are anxieties over the possibility of Simmons, a Pro Bowler, All-Pro, and team captain, being a high-profile cap casualty in Denver. If the Broncos make the shocking decision to move on from the All-Pro, any notion of the team having "a deep safety room" will be thrown out the window.
However, a Simmons departure would kick the door open for Sterns to return to the Broncos' starting lineup. By virtue of the 2023 season, Locke now has more NFL starting experience than Sterns.
But the Broncos have long envisioned Sterns as a starter, and health willing, he'll be given the opportunity to win such a role back in 2024, even if Simmons stays put and Locke is re-signed. Enter a contract year, Sterns understands well how NFL opportunities can go up in smoke in the blink of an eye.
"I'm so confident, and that's what's frustrating to me," Sterns said via Gabriel. "I expect so much out of myself, and I spent so much time in the offseason just to have my season taken like that. You kind of take it for granted. You work so hard through training and not to be able to experience the season and all the ups and downs with my teammates. Man, it wasn't fun at all."
Locke entered the NFL as a college free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2019. Vic Fangio's Broncos claimed Locke off waivers that December. Two years later, Sterns followed Locke to Denver as a 2021 fifth-round pick.
Both Locke and Sterns have shown an uncanny knack for game-changing plays. But Sterns, in particular, has a true nose for the ball. With just five career starts, he has four interceptions, all of which came in 2021 and 2022.
Locke's true opportunity came this past season, starting eight games for the Broncos and finishing with two forced fumbles, an interception, and three sacks to go along with 53 tackles (33 solo) and five pass break-ups. In five career starts, Sterns has 49 tackles (36 solo), the four aforementioned interceptions, nine pass break-ups, and two sacks.
However, questions about Sterns' durability as a pro will persist until he can prove to stay on the field. But the same could be said of the Broncos' outlook at safety and the team's attempts to retool a position of considerable need.
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