Tenth in a series previewing the Broncos’ 2025 roster in the weeks leading up to the start of training camp in late July. Today: Safeties. Previously: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line | Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks
On the roster (8): Sam Franklin Jr., Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Devon Key, Keidron Smith
How many on the 53?: Four to five.
Denver had five safeties on last year’s 53-man roster, but if there’s an area from the secondary they might cut down in ’25, it’s here. They’ve got a wealth of viable cornerbacks, and the Broncos have enough proven talent at safety to avoid taking a ton of bodies on the active roster. Free-agent signee Hufanga and Jones are the all-but-minted starting duo, and Locke should factor into the mix heavily again after finishing second on Denver’s defense in snaps last year. The Broncos will need to take at least one more body on the 53; maybe that’s the steady Key, new special-teams gunner Franklin, or both.
Most impactful offseason move: Signing Hufanga.
You take the risk with the reward. Hufanga is, in simplest terms, prone to injury. Has been his entire career. It’s also what makes him great. When healthy, he will line up in the box and shoot his 200-pound frame against dudes in a different weight class, or crack some helmets in the secondary. He’s wired that way.
In a deal that both recognized his upside and availability, the Broncos nabbed the former San Francisco standout on a three-year, $45 million deal at the start of free agency. He was a priority target, one of the best safeties on the market, and adds a dash of lightning to a defense already crackling with electricity. It’s unreasonable, maybe, to expect Hufanga to instantly replicate his 17-game, All-Pro self from 2022, but it’s entirely reasonable to expect him to have a great year playing next to Pat Surtain II.
Biggest question to answer in camp: How healthy is Locke?
At the start of July, Locke dropped a bombshell in a video on his YouTube channel announcing he had spinal-fusion surgery in the offseason. It’s one of the more daunting procedures for an athlete to undergo. Miraculously, though, Locke will be full-go for training camp and healthy for 2025.
Spinal surgery has advanced leaps and bounds in recent years, and Locke’s grit has been well-documented throughout an impressive NFL journey. If he’s able to work off any rust in camp and looks solid for Week 1, the Broncos have themselves a dynamic safety rotation in he, Jones and Hufanga. If Locke needs time to ramp up, that could offer more opportunity for Key, Turner-Yell or Skinner to make their case for the 53.
Battle to watch: Skinner vs. Turner-Yell vs. Key vs. Smith for a roster spot.
Key is the frontrunner here after working his way up from years as a practice-squad player to solid work in a couple of spot starts last fall. Turner-Yell and Skinner, meanwhile, are fifth-round and sixth-round selections from years past still looking to establish a foothold beyond special teams. Smith was one of the biggest surprises on last year’s initial 53-man roster — a 2023 UDFA signee by the Dolphins who impressed in the 2024 preseason, but found just a handful of defensive snaps in the regular season.
Skinner and Key were both key special-teams contributors last year, and Franklin also brings in a strong special teams resume on a one-year deal. That’ll leave an uphill battle for Turner-Yell, who spent much of last year on the PUP list with a knee injury.
Under the radar player: Franklin
We’ve covered pretty much everyone else, so let’s imagine a scenario here in which Franklin isn’t a Darren Rizzi specialist and actually contributes on defense. He started four games at safety for the Panthers in 2023, with three pass deflections and some decent results in coverage. If the Broncos see him in a rotational defensive role beyond an ST ace, there’s two roster spots in one.
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