Broncos 2025 positional review: Safety

Headlined by Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones, the Denver Broncos have a talented group of safeties for the upcoming season.

The Denver Broncos showcase one of the most talented secondaries in the National Football League. This offseason, they added key players at both cornerback and safety to keep the backend of their defense strong for the coming 2025 season.

Talanoa Hufanga was the big-named addition to the safety position. If he can remain healthy and revert to his past form, he and Brandon Jones could be one of the top backend duos in football. Veteran P.J. Locke, who Hufanga is replacing as a starter, is the team’s third safety and an experienced player that gives them a quality depth piece at the position.

Outside of them, five other players are hoping to make the team’s 53-man final roster at the position. Last season, the Broncos kept five safeties on their active roster for most of the season. That’s a trend I expect to continue this year. Let’s take a deeper look at the eight players competing at the position this training camp and preseason.

2025 Denver Broncos Safety Review

Brandon Jones — Starter

Replacing veteran Justin Simmons was a priority for Denver last offseason. After cutting ties with their former third-round pick out of Boston College, they made Brandon Jones one of their splash signings the franchise 2024 free agency period.

The former Miami Dolphins safety had an impactful first season with the Broncos. In 2024, Jones amassed 115 tackles and picked off three passes—career highs for former Texas Longhorn entering his sixth season in the NFL. On top of that, he drastically improved with respect to missed tackles, having a respectable 6.5-percent on the season.

A standout in coverage and against the run, Jones’ play in ‘24 had him recognized as one of the top ten safeties in the league per Pro Football Focus. If he continues to improve and build upon his most successful campaign to date, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear him earn Pro-Bowl or All-Pro accolades in 2025.

Talanoa Hufanga — Starter

Once an All-Pro player in 2022, injuries have hampered Talanoa Hufanga’s ability to make an impact on the field—relegating him to just 17 games played the past two seasons.

The Broncos are hoping the injuries are behind Hufanga who made reward him with a lucrative contract in free agency. This offseason, they signed him to a three-year deal worth $45 million dollars with $20 million in guarantees. A tone-setter on the backend who plays with passion and ferocity, the fifth-year pro should present an upgrade to P.J. Locke who struggled last year in an expanded role in the Broncos’ defense.

When he is on the field, he is a force to be reckoned with. The only concern I have is his availability. If he is able to stay healthy, he should play a focal role in helping shut down opposing team’s passing attacks and form a top-tier tandem alongside Jones.

P.J. Locke — Quality Depth and Special Teams Player

With Jones and Hufanga in the fold as starters, that means P.J Locke is bumped from the starting lineup.

Last season, Locke was second on the team in defensive snaps, logging 1,000 on the season. However, he struggled down the stretch and showed some issues in coverage. On top of playing through a broken thumb last year, he recently revealed on social media that he was playing with a back injury too—serious enough to require spinal fusion surgery at the end of the season. That could definitely explain some of the issues he had on the field and why the Broncos were so quick to sign Hufanga in free agency.

Overall, Locke’s experience on defense and special teams make him a quality third safety in the rotation. In the event any of the starters would miss time, at least the Broncos have a veteran behind them to take their place if called upon. Unfortunately, the big wrench in this forecast is Locke’s health. We are all wishing and hoping for the best with his recovery and hope he can continue his NFL career without issue.

J.L. Skinner — Backup Depth and Special Teams

Entering his third season with the Broncos, J.L. Skinner boasts an impressive size and speed. But what bodes best for his shot at making the roster is the fact he has been a focal part of their special team’s unit. He had the second most special teams’ snaps of any player in ‘24 with 312 and figures to play a big role in that respect this coming season.

Unfortunately, we have yet to witness any impact in defensive snaps from the former Boise State standout. However, it’s important to note he has had a handful of quality safeties ahead of him in his first two years in the league. Nevertheless, his traits and athleticism can’t be taught and his ability to wreak havoc in coverage units is notable. That’s why I have him slated as the fourth safety to make the Broncos’ final 53-man roster.

Everyone Else — Fighting for the Fifth Safety Spot | Special Teams

Outside of the aforementioned, Devon Key, Sam Franklin Jr., Keidron Smith, and Delarrin Turner-Yell are four players battling it out for the presumptive last spot.

Franklin Jr. was signed for his special team’s play after announcing Darren Rizzi as their new Special Teams and Assistant Head Coach. With that in mind, it’s quite possible his prowess on coverage units might give him the one-up on some of the others competing for spots. He has a lot of experience in that regard and has over 2,000 defensive and special teams’ snaps combined in his career.

But I expect it to be a hard-fought battle. It’s worth mentioning Smith and Key shined last preseason and camp. They logged multiple turnovers, and both spent time on the Broncos’ active roster last season. Prior to his knee injury that kept him out all of last season, Turner-Yell was fixture on special teams in his first two seasons in the NFL.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of interesting camp battles at multiple positions, but the competition at safety might be one of the most competitive. If the Broncos opt to follow last year’s roster formula at safety, they will carry five for the 2025 season. With uncertainty around Locke’s health after the news above, it certainly throws a curveball into projecting how the team will finalize the position group.