Horse Tracks: Denver Broncos met with intriguing trio of defenders at collegiate all-star games

Tulane defensive back Jarius Monroe, Troy cornerback Reddy Steward and Wyoming linebacker Easton Gibbs caught the eye of Denver Broncos.

Good morning, Broncos Country.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Denver Broncos spent quite a bit of time with a trio of defenders during the collegiate all-star games earlier this month.

While there were most certainly more meetings that haven’t been reported, Melo highlighted Tulane defensive back Jarius Monroe, Troy cornerback Reddy Steward and Wyoming linebacker Easton Gibbs as players who the Broncos were interested in.

Monroe was a first-team All-Southland pick in 2021 for Nicholls State. After three years there, he transferred to Tulane where he earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2022 and 2023. He had three interceptions in both seasons and solidified himself as one of the AAC’s best ball-hawking defensive backs.

At 6’2 and 205 pounds, Monroe has tremendous size and length for the position. Based on what I’ve seen, his best fit at the next level is playing the boundary and is solid in off-man and zone coverage—but he could possibly transition to safety as well. He also was a core special teamer for the Green Wave which should help bolster his draft stock come April.

Steward was a multi-year starter and fifth-year senior for Troy who snagged seven interceptions the past two seasons for the Trojans. He earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors and graded out as one of the best corners in the conference. Like Monroe, he has great instincts in zone and off-man coverage and makes a lot of plays on the ball.

While Joseph is known for his man coverage schemes, the Broncos ran a lot of zone last season. Lacking talent up front, the Broncos often had to send extra blitzers to get pressure which likely resulted in the higher number of zone coverages. Given this, it isn’t a surprise they have pegged Monroe and Steward as players on their draft board.

With Josey Jewell and Justin Strnad set to hit free agency, Denver having interest in the aforementioned Gibbs makes sense. They will need another linebacker alongside Alex Singleton, Drew Sanders and Jonas Griffith. Gibbs has been a key cog Wyoming’s defense the past three seasons. In 2022 he had 121 tackles and this past season he registered 109. In his four years with the Cowboys, he had 361 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 interception and 3 forced fumbles. He will be someone to watch for late on Day 3 of the draft or could wind up as a priority undrafted free agent.

Short on draft picks, the Broncos will have to make the most of their selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. It wouldn’t be a surprise if one of the aforementioned finds themselves being introduced to the media in Dove Valley as a future member of the team come April.

As always—thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.

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