The Broncos’ investment in the trenches has been one of the defining themes of the Sean Payton era, and the latest proof is showing up in the middle of the defensive line.
Denver has spent heavily, through both draft capital and money, to fortify both sides of the ball, and that approach has helped produce one of the NFL’s better offensive lines while also powering a defense that has led the league in sacks in each of the last two seasons. That unit looks to be finding its rhythm again at the right time.
The biggest change up front this offseason was the expected departure of John Franklin-Myers in free agency. Losing him was not a small thing, but Malcolm Roach has answered with a career year in 2026 and has stepped into a much bigger role than many expected.
Roach has developed into a complete defensive tackle. He is sturdy against the run and now brings real interior pass-rush juice. ESPN’s data has him ranked as the 5th-best defensive tackle in the league in “run stop win rate,” with fellow Broncos tackle DJ Jones sitting 10th on that list.
What has taken Roach’s game to another level is his work as a pass rusher. Through seven games, he has 2.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits. That already matches a career-best mark in quarterback hits, and he is closing in on a personal high in tackles for loss.
On a 17-game pace, Roach is tracking toward 49 tackles, 10 passes defended, 6 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 27 QB hits.
Those are eye-catching numbers for any defensive tackle. The QB-hit pace is especially striking when compared with a player like Nik Bonitto, who is widely seen as one of the sport’s top EDGE rushers and had 24 QB hits in 2024 and 28 in 2025. Roach is on pace for 27 this season.
Even the passes defended total jumps off the page. Roach has already knocked away four passes in seven games, which puts him on pace for 10. That kind of number usually belongs to a starting cornerback, not an interior defensive lineman.
All told, Roach has been a major difference-maker and has already justified the extension he signed last season. There was understandable concern that Denver’s defensive line might slip after Franklin-Myers left, but that hasn’t happened. Roach has more than covered the gap and turned himself into an every-down playmaker.
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