The Broncos came out of training camp and the preseason with their 53-man roster set, but one of the clearest takeaways from the summer was the growing belief around JL Skinner.
The fourth-year safety entered a contract year with plenty to prove, and by the end of camp, he had apparently done enough to earn serious praise inside the building. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph had already offered a compliment in late August that hinted Skinner’s roster spot was safe. Then Talanoa Hufanga took it a step further.
“I think he personally was the most improved player on the roster this offseason," Hufanga said of Skinner. "I think the way he just came back off of a shoulder surgery and then proved himself to the coaches that he can come out here and play the game at a high level. Because that’s a lot."
That kind of leap mattered because Denver had a real opening to fill. P.J.
Locke left in free agency after handling the No. 3 safety role last season and helping steady the defense when Brandon Jones suffered a season-ending injury late in the year. With Locke gone, the Broncos needed one of their young safeties to rise up and claim that job.
According to Hufanga, Skinner answered that challenge exactly the way the coaches wanted.
"They just wanted that growth out of him-that year three to year four," Hufanga said of Skinner. "What can be done? And he stepped up to the plate and proved himself, for sure."
Skinner has been a dependable special teams piece since the Broncos drafted him in 2023, but his defensive résumé is still thin. That’s why this summer mattered so much. Coaches don’t hand out meaningful defensive snaps unless they trust what they’re seeing every day, and Hufanga made it clear the biggest thing Skinner showed was steady progress.
"Consistency. I think last year, just being around as a teammate, learning just the ups and downs of the game," Hufanga said of Skinner.
"For me, you didn’t see a lot of downs this training camp. It was a lot of just staying up and continuing to get better, learning the defense and the schematics, putting himself in great positions because he is a very great athlete."
That athleticism has been part of the package all along, even if most fans have only seen it in flashes while Skinner worked mostly on special teams.
"A lot of people discredit it," Hufanga said of Skinner. "He is a 6-foot-4 frame with a 220 [pound] body that can run 4.3 when he wants to. And that’s what he did this training camp."
The timing could hardly be better for Skinner. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal, and Denver is still looking for a dependable No. 3 safety - a role that matters every week in sub-packages, injuries or not.
Devon Key has been the early favorite to inherit the spot Locke left behind, and he could get the first shot once the games begin. Skinner is still in the mix, though, and if Key doesn’t fully claim the job, the door is open.
There still isn’t an official depth chart, and even if there were, it wouldn’t settle everything. The Broncos will have to show their hand when they open at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.
For now, the buzz around Skinner is real. The only question left is whether Denver backs it up with snaps.
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