Broncos Hire Jim Leonhard to Turn Around Lackluster Secondary
Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch, USA Today Sports
The Denver Broncos announced recently that Jim Leonhard would be taking over as the team’s defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Leonhard, 41, has been with the Wisconsin Badgers on their defensive staff so far in the early stages of his coaching career, and is now tasked with leading a defensive backs unit that has some great talent in spots, and players that need to improve drastically in others.
Leonhard’s coaching career began at Wisconsin back in 2016. He started out as the defensive backs coach, then became the defensive coordinator in 2017, and finally became the team’s interim head coach in 2022. He posted a 4-3 record as the interim head coach but was not hired as the official HC after the 2022 season. He then spent last year as a senior football analyst for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and now finds himself in Denver for his first job at the professional level.
From 2017-2021, Leonhard’s defense at Wisconsin ranked in the top-10 in total defense in four out of the five years, with his team finishing first in 2021.
Looking at the Broncos, Leonhard is taking over a unit that ranked 22nd in pass defense in 2023, and had a few rough showings highlighted by Miami trampling them 70-20 early in the season. Denver allowed 233.6 passing yards per game and 29 touchdowns through the air over the course of the season.
What must change for this Broncos defense if they want to get back to the roots that won them a Super Bowl almost ten years ago? It must start with the depth. This team was plagued by injuries all season long, with the bad omen starting on the second snap of the season when safety Caden Sterns went down with a season-ending knee injury. Kareem Jackson’s multiple suspensions didn’t help either.
His absence, along with games missed here and there from other contributors, made 2023 an inconsistent year for Denver’s secondary. However, when they needed to step up to the plate, many players such as Damarri Mathis, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and Fabian Moreau couldn’t produce at the level the team needed them to.
However, if this unit can stay healthy in 2024, they have a lot of pieces who would perform together with another year of experience and congruency. Patrick Surtain II (if they don’t trade him) and Justin Simmons are the All-Pro leaders of this secondary, and if they’re accompanied by Riley Moss, Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke, and the blossoming star in Ja’Quan MacMillian, this secondary has the potential to make some noise with Leonhard in charge.
To add to those returning players, with the 12th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Denver is in prime position to take some of the draft’s best secondary talent. Clemson’s Nate Wiggins and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold are both two cornerbacks who have been talked about in relation to Denver and would fit great opposite of Surtain on the outside.
On paper, this hire is a great one for Denver. The 2024 season is off to a good start for a secondary unit that desperately needed some guidance, better health, and some new faces.
Leonhard is no stranger to the Broncos organization. He played for the team during the 2012 season, rotating in at safety. He tallied 17 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in his one season in Denver.
