Denver Broncos' Vance Joseph raising bar for top-ranked defense: 'Let's start over again'

When the dust settled on Vance Josephs second season as the defensive coordinator in Denver, the Broncos had set a record with 63 sacks.

They finished first in defensive efficiency, according to TruMedias expected points added metric.

They boasted the NFLs defensive player of the year in cornerback Pat Surtain II and two other All-Pro selections in outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive end Zach Allen.

Advertisement However, the victory lap for Joseph and the Broncos braintrust was brief if it existed at all.

A 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs shoved the Broncos back to the drawing board.

We watched every clip from last year, and once you watch it all, you get a clear idea of how teams attacked you, Joseph said Wednesday during his lone meeting with the media before training camp.

It was obvious.

I wont share that, but it was obvious how teams attacked us.

You have to go to work to try to prevent some of that stuff.

Thats what you do in the offseason, and thats every year.

You have to change and adjust.

Another day of minicamp in the pic.twitter.com/MChxcUcmyg Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 11, 2025 What followed was an offseason of major additions for an already talented defense.

The Broncos signed a pair of former San Francisco 49ers standouts in safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

They then used their first-round pick on versatile defensive back Jahdae Barron, who was coached by Josephs cousin, Terry Joseph, for three seasons at Texas.

The additions provided a window into how the Broncos viewed their shortcomings last season defensively.

Despite Surtains lockdown brilliance, the Broncos had too many breakdowns in the secondary, particularly during late-season losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals.

They struggled at times to cover running backs.

Denver opponents produced a 122.1 passer rating when targeting the position last season.

Only the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans yielded a higher opponent rating.

Hufanga and Greenlaw physical, experienced players brought in to fortify the spine of the defense are expected to help with those issues.

But the addition of those players goes beyond the schematic adjustments the Broncos are trying to make.

Joseph noted that Denver still has a relatively young defense.

The playoff game in Buffalo was the first taste of the postseason for the bulk of Denvers defensive starters, and it showed.

Hufanga and Greenlaw, meanwhile, have played in 17 combined playoff games.

Greenlaw has played in two Super Bowls.

Advertisement Both guys bring experience of being in big games and being on dominant defenses, Joseph said.

Thats an attitude in practice and in meetings every day.

You see it with those guys.

Those guys love football.

To add them to our mix has been tremendous.

Were looking forward to the fall.

Greenlaw has not participated in the on-field portion of Denvers offseason program, which concludes Thursday with the final practice of mandatory minicamp.

He suffered a quad injury while training on his own before the NFL Draft and is expected to be cleared for team activity by the time training camp begins.

In the meantime, Greenlaw has been a constant presence on the sidelines at practices and in meetings.

Hufanga, who intercepted Broncos quarterback Bo Nix at the end of last weeks OTA practice attended by the media, has been part of a new soundtrack for Denvers defense.

He has provided a vocal presence in the back end of the defense that has already been apparent.

You are going to see how special they are, said nose tackle D.J.

Jones, who played with both players in San Francisco before signing with the Broncos in 2022.

Youre going to see why they brought them here.

First look at @TalanoaHufanga pic.twitter.com/OebNjSZxkw Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 29, 2025 The additions of Greenlaw, Hufanga and Barron, whom Joseph called a cant-miss prospect for us, have helped create massive expectations for a defense that was one of the leagues best last season.

There is a certain microscope on a unit that is suddenly loaded with top-level talent.

But head coach Sean Payton provided a reminder about the calendar on Tuesday.

The Broncos, he said, have a chance to be a real good defense, but this is a different group that is still in the building stages.

Joseph has conveyed the same message.

Advertisement We had a great defense.

That was last year, Joseph said.

This year is totally different.

My entire sell this entire offseason has been, Lets start over again.

Lets keep improving.

Last year counts, but it doesnt matter moving forward.

We have to continue to improve.

Here are some other takeaways from sessions with the Broncos coordinators and their newest player, running back JK Dobbins: Dobbins thrilled after stressful free agency Payton answered questions about Dobbins after a third straight practice.

The running back officially signed a one-year deal with the Broncos after initially visiting the teams headquarters last week.

On Wednesday, it was time to hear from the man himself about his decision to join the Broncos nearly four months after his free-agent process began.

It felt amazing, Dobbins said about his first day as a member of the Broncos, which mostly included work on a side field as he got acclimated to his new surroundings.

Its a true blessing to me.

Im so happy to be here.

Were going to do some great things this year.

Dobbins rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns during his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, a breakout that came after he missed all but nine games across the previous three seasons due to multiple significant injuries.

The Chargers placed a seldom-used unrestricted free agent tender on Dobbins in April, which would have given them exclusive negotiating rights with Dobbins had he not joined a team by the start of training camp.

That made for a unique free agency as Dobbins weighed his options before and after the draft, one Dobbins called stressful at times.

With a smile plastered to his face following his first Broncos practice, it was clear Dobbins was glad to have the process behind him.

Im a pretty patient person, and I was just feeling it out, he said.

(I was) letting everything play out how its supposed to be.

It was a little stressful with some things that happened in there, but I knew I was going to get to where I needed to be.

I am where I need to be.

JK Dobbins: Its a true blessing.

Im so glad to be here.

Were going to do some great things this year.

pic.twitter.com/kU6eX3srXs Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) June 11, 2025 Payton has made it clear there is not yet a defined pecking order in Denvers backfield, which also includes rookie second-round pick RJ Harvey and returning players Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime and Tyler Badie.

Dont try to figure out the club right now, Payton said.

Its way too early.

But Dobbins, who has been in the NFL since joining the Baltimore Ravens as a second-round pick in 2020, brings an experienced veteran presence the Broncos didnt have in the room.

That was an important part of the equation for Denver as it works to find the right mix at a position that must be more productive in 2025.

Advertisement That is a guy whos had a lot of success in his career, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said.

Its someone weve always had a lot of respect for.

It adds talent and competition to that room.

Obviously, hes been a very productive runner and hes a good pass protector.

I think it will help the competition in that room and help the team.

Rizzi: Re-joining Payton was easy match Darren Rizzi hoped to be named the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints after serving as the teams interim coach for the second half of the 2024 season.

The job went instead to Kellen Moore, leaving Rizzi in search of the next opportunity.

Not that there was a lot of suspense about where the veteran coach would end up.

With Payton having an opening for a special teams coordinator after firing Ben Kotwica, a reunion with Rizzi, who previously served the same role for Payton in New Orleans, was not a challenging dot to connect.

I just think it was an easy match, Rizzi said Wednesday.

Obviously, having worked for Sean for three years and having been under him and learned, were on the same page with a lot of things.

He mentioned the word compatibility.

I would say the three years I was with Sean, it was definitely that.

Even when, obviously, he left the Saints, he still had a big stamp on that organization, so we continued to do a lot of the same things that he did when he was there.

Just familiar with the coach, familiar with the person.

We always got along great off the field as well, so for me it was an easy choice.

Rizzi has already had a noticeable imprint on the Broncos.

Denver signed two potential special teams stalwarts during free agency in wide receiver Trent Sherfield Jr.

and safety Sam Franklin.

The Broncos used their fourth-round pick on Que Robinson, an outside linebacker who was a prolific special teams player at Alabama.

They were also the only team to draft a punter, using their sixth-round selection on Floridas Jeremy Crawshaw, who has already made a strong impression on his new coach.

Heres a guy that came from Australia, went to an SEC school, a top-level college program, had a ton of success, Rizzi said.

His maturity level, hes kind of beyond his years.

When we were kind of evaluating all the punters in this draft, his name came up.

I really feel like his intangibles, his off-the-field stuff, was A-plus.

Now, his talent level is tremendous as well.

I really believe that at that position, at a specialist position, your demeanor might be just as important as your ability because its a one-play-and-done (job).

You have to have the mentality of kind of a batter in baseball, if you will, or a golfer.

You have to go on to the next swing.

I really like his level-headedness.

(Photo: Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images).

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