Broncos Finally Get Justified Placement in PFF's Safety Rankings

The Denver Broncos are poised to field an excellent safety duo with Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga. The two safeties complement each other well, but they need Hufanga to stay healthy, which has been a significant question for him in his short career so far. 

As we continue the offseason, Pro Football Focus' Zultan Buday continued the site's position rankings, and it's the safeties' turn. For the first time in PFF's offseason position rankings, there's nothing for Broncos fans to complain about.

Jones was the higher-rated safety of the two Broncos, checking in at ninth, followed by Hufanga at No. 22. First, let's examine what Buday wrote of Jones.

"Durability was an issue for Jones during his years with the Dolphins, but while he never topped 650 snaps with Miami, he logged 1,042 snaps in his first season with the Broncos," Buday wrote. "He further elevated his play, too, especially in coverage. He earned an 89.8 PFF coverage grade, which ranked third among safeties, similar to his 84.8 PFF overall grade."

When looking at the eight safeties ranked ahead of Jones, it's hard to argue putting him over them. There are some arguments about the safeties after him, but they could go either way depending on preference.

The question for Jones is whether he will build on his 2024 campaign or if it may have been an outlier season. It was an exceptional season, but his resume, including his medical history, raises concerns over the viability of expecting another season like that. It's a fair question to have, but come this time next year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jones make a play for a top-five safety. 

As for Hufanga, he checked in at No. 22, and that may raise some eyebrows, but Buday’s logic makes sense.

“Hufanga has had trouble staying on the field and consistently playing at a high level since his breakout 2022 season. While he logged 1,216 snaps in that campaign, he was on the field for just 885 snaps over the past two seasons," Buday wrote. "He still earned a 70.5 PFF overall grade in 2023, which ranked 29th, but his 57.8 mark in 2024 placed only 73rd. With Hufanga being just 26 years old, there is no reason he can't return to form in Denver if healthy.”

Hufanga's injury history is lengthy and severe, which obviously raises significant concerns about his ability to play the whole season. Since becoming a Bronco, he has addressed his injury history, but those concerns will persist until he proves he can stay on the field. Given his limited playing time over the past two years, checking in at 22 is actually more than fair.

Can Hufanga return to form? He's well under 30, so it's definitely a possibility. The exciting thing is, if he does return to form, he's easily a top-10 safety in the NFL.

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The issue is that there is as much of a chance of Hufanga returning to form and staying healthy as there is of him not being the same player he was in his All-Pro 2022 season. As with Jones, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hufanga featured much higher in these rankings a year from now.