‘We have a defense full of young guys who are mostly self-made’: Fueled by a young and hungry roster, Denver’s defense continues to make strides

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos’ defense is no longer flying under the radar.

Entering the 2024 season, Denver’s defense may have been easy to overlook. The unit features only one first-round draft pick in cornerback Pat Surtain II and is made up of many late-round picks and undrafted players.

But for Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph, this is not a limiting factor. Rather, it’s part of what he believes is allowing the unit to find so much success.

“We have a defense full of just young guys who are mostly self-made,” Joseph said Thursday. “We have one first-round pick, and that’s Patrick, who’s a really good player. Everyone else, [they] are pretty self-made guys who are just grinders. And that’s helped our process of working hard and being smart, studying and just doing it right. Playing together and being team-first guys. It’s a group of self-aware, young hungry guys who are still trying to reach for more. I don’t have a problem of motivating guys [or] keeping guys humble, because it’s there every day.”

For Joseph, there are few better examples of this than outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper. A former seventh-round draft pick in 2021, Cooper currently leads the Broncos with three of the team’s 16 sacks this season. And while Cooper has certainly made his presence known on game days, Joseph stressed that his impact is one that can be felt day in and day out.

“He’s the same person every day,” Joseph said. “His energy, his toughness [and] his focus is always on point. So, he’s a guy that allows you to change the culture because how he works every day on and off the field is contagious, and guys have to match his intensity. He’s been that way for two years I’ve been here, and it doesn’t change on game day. He is a fully engaged, full speed, physical player.”

Cooper said there’s “no secret” to how the defense has been performing this season; it comes down to developing culture by bringing that mindset to practice each and every day.

“It’s how we show up today at practice,” Cooper said Wednesday. “… Show up and make sure we execute the game plan that Coach [Joseph] just installed. Go out there, practice hard. If you practice hard and take care of the stuff that you’re supposed to during the week, then the game becomes a little bit easier, and that’s what we have to do every day.”

Cornerback Riley Moss, a former third-round draft pick in 2023, is a player that seems to have bought into this mindset. Moss has played opposite Surtain in Denver’s first four games of the season, and he has regularly spoken of his desire to study the game and his commitment to self-improvement. While Moss has shown steady progression throughout the season — recording a forced fumble in Week 3, as well as a fumble recovery in Week 4— the young and hungry culture of the defense is one that resonates. Moss noted that there is still plenty of work to be done as Denver looks to reset each week.

“My goal is to take one thing every week and get better at it,” Moss said Wednesday. “Keep building and chipping away. I think as the season has progressed — it’s Week 5 — I think I’ve gotten better as the season has gone on. It’s good, but it’s not great. There [are] still things to work on.”

As Denver’s defense currently ranks second in the league in sacks and total defense, the unit may no longer be being overlooked. But the way the players approach their preparation has remained unchanged — with a desire to continue to get better and reach their full potential each time they have the opportunity to step on the field.

“I think there’s always going to be room for growth, no matter how well you’re doing or what kind of defense that you have,” Cooper said. “There’s always going to be areas that you need to improve on. Even the areas that have been our strengths, we can make them even more efficient. Just making our strengths more prevalent out there when we’re out there. … It just comes back to doing work.”