Broncos' Secondary Receives Questionable 2025 Ranking via PFF

Patrick Surtain II is a cheat code for the Denver Broncos defense, and when you have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, your whole secondary benefits. However, there's a lot of talent throughout Denver's defensive backfield that helps make it one of the best secondaries in the NFL. 

How good is this unit? Pro Football Focus' John Kosko ranked the Broncos as the third-best secondary in the NFL. Ahead of the Broncos are the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs, both of which are questionable.

Now, before getting into the Broncos, Kosko wrote one thing under the Chiefs that deserves mentioning.

“Trent McDuffie leads the group and is arguably the NFL’s best cornerback, topping all players at the position in advanced coverage grade over the past two seasons,” Kosko wrote.

So, McDuffie, who has never been in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and often goes unnamed when talking about top cornerbacks in the league, is arguably the best? That's questionable logic. 

What Kosko wrote about the Broncos also has questionable takes.

“A unit that could contend for the league’s top spot by year’s end, the Broncos return Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II and selected Jahdae Barron — PFF’s No. 11 overall player and No. 2 cornerback — at No. 20 in the NFL Draft," Kosko wrote. "The safety spot opposite Brandon Jones remains a question mark, but the depth and strength of Denver’s cornerbacks should give this unit a high floor in 2025.” 

Did Kosko forget that the Broncos added Talanoa Hufanga? Sure, Hufanga is coming off an injury, and there are concerns about the number of injuries he has dealt with over his career, but none of them raise lingering or long-term concerns about his play. 

If you're concerned about Hufanga's medicals, one would also think you'd be concerned about Riley Moss as well, and that impacts the depth of the Broncos' cornerback room. In two years, Moss has missed time from three different injuries, though none of them have been a significant setback. 

Either way, the Broncos have an extremely talented secondary, headlined by Surtain. Both Hufanga and Jones are high-quality starters who should bring about an improvement to the room compared to last year. If Moss can stay healthy and Jahdae Barron proves his value, and the Broncos' decision to use the 20th pick on him is justified, this secondary has serious boom potential. 

The Takeaway

Being the third-best secondary is a bit insulting. After this season, it could be viewed as even more ridiculous.

The Broncos have the pieces to have the best secondary in the NFL, with a potential no other team can come close to. The Broncos have a high floor, thanks to Surtain and Jones, but Barron, Moss, and Hufanga give them a high ceiling as well.

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Even with secondary play being volatile year to year, the Broncos are young enough not to have to worry too much about a significant drop-off. Fielding the NFL's third-best secondary is more of a floor for this unit.