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Aug 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos Must Make Three Personnel Changes to Get Defense on Track

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 12:48 PM ET

The expectations surrounding the Denver Broncos' defense entering this season were obviously set too high. That's what the last two games suggest.

Although the Broncos bounced back somewhat against the Los Angeles Chargers, lingering issues should prompt changes for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Let's examine three player situations that the Broncos would be remiss not to examine entering Week 4, with the extra day of preparation before Monday Night Football's tilt vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Alex Singleton | LB

The problems that need to be addressed start with Singleton, who has been a complete liability at linebacker for this defense through three games. Returning from the torn ACL that claimed most of his 2024 season, the soon-to-be 32-year-old lacks the necessary movement to excel as a run defender or in coverage, and his play downhill, where he once shone, has been subpar at best.

With Dre Greenlaw now on injured reserve, it's hard to make a change at the linebacker position, but the Broncos must. They cannot keep trotting Singleton out there and expect things to be any different. To put it simply, he is nowhere near the player he once was.

Justin Strnad has been significantly better, and he is much better suited for the role that Joseph has Singleton playing rather than Greenlaw’s role. The issue would then be replacing that Greenlaw role, which is something Singleton definitely cannot do.

It's hard to trust undrafted rookies, but the Broncos kept Karene Reid on the roster because of his special teams play and coverage play, both of which are better than Levelle Bailey, who is on the practice squad. So, there are two options available to get Singleton off the field.

Option one involves benching Singleton, assigning the role to Strnad, and inserting Reid in Strnad's place, which is intended originally for Greenlaw. Alternatively, the Broncos could sign Bailey to the active roster, bench Singleton for Bailey, and retain Strnad in Greenlaw’s role. Either way, it isn’t an ideal scenario, but Singleton's play has not only been bench-level but also cuttable-level, though his contract doesn’t allow for that.

Getting the Draft Picks Involved

Another change that needs to be made is getting rookie defensive lineman Sai’vion Jones on the field. That goes for rookie rush linebacker Que Robinson, too, though Robinson is more for special teams than defense.

The Broncos' coaching staff struggles to trust rookies, particularly due to their weaknesses as run defenders. However, the defense's strengths lie in its pass rush, and there's potential for even more.

Both have been a healthy scratch all three weeks thus far, but Jones should be active at the very least. The Broncos need to determine whether they can rely on Jones to replace John Franklin-Myers after this season or if they need to look elsewhere. They won't get that answer ifJones remains inactive.

It was understandable to have Jones inactive up to this point, but Jordan Jackson has continued to be an issue for this defense, and he's also turned in a benchable level of play. So, it's time to bench Jackson, activate Jones, and see what Jones can bring to the table. Can he improve the rushing defense while being thrown to the wolves?

As for Robinson, the way to use him on defense is as an off-ball blitzer. He offers enough coverage ability to be effective with simulated pressures and adds to the Broncos' ability to mug the A-gaps. You know what the Broncos were wanting out of Drew Sanders, but they had to put it on the back burner when he went to injured reserve.

Robinson was the best special teams player Nick Saban said he ever coached at Alabama, and the Broncos' coverage units have been inconsistent so far this season. Robinson also being active could help in this area while adding more to the defense in a specific and limited role that the Broncos currently don’t have available.

The Takeaway

It can be difficult to make changes when you don’t have a bye week or a mini-bye week after a Thursday night game, but these are defensive changes that need to be made. The biggest one is benching Singleton, but there isn’t any other option at this point.