Everything about the future for the Denver Broncos is a guessing game. It's easier to find clarity by looking in the past. Last season the Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl and the entire team got some pretty amazing rings. But not every player got the media or fan attention that players such as Peyton Manning or Von Miller received.
ESPN recently named their picks for each NFL team's most underrated player. The Broncos player named in this article was cornerback Bradley Roby.
"Denver's nickel corner would be starting for a lot of teams. Last season, he finished in the top 30 in both of our cornerback charting stats (yards per pass and success rate.) Roby is a gambler, which leaved him open to allowing big plays. But he also makes his fair share of big plays. His forced fumble in the playoffs against the Steelers might have saved the Broncos' season."
The Afternoon Drive also took up this topic this week. They agreed with the Roby choice and added safety Darian Stewart and center Matt Paradis to their list.
Les Shapiro and Eric Goodman discussed how the safety position in their opinion is one of the least valued positions in the NFL. They also speculated that the 2016 season, the last in Stewart's contract, will be his last season with the Broncos since Elway drafted two safeties this year.
About Stewart:
"(Stewart) plays the run really well. Rarely if ever gives up the deep pass. And he's just solid. Play in. Play out. Game in. Game out."
And about center Matt Paradis:
"A guy who has taken some criticism, but he played every snap for the Broncos last year. He was a stalwart on the offensive line. Had a little trouble when the pass rush came from up the middle, but for the most part held his ground all year long."
I agree with all of these picks, but Darian Stewart is the player who sticks out to me the most. The defense just doesn't play the same when Stewart is off the field. He's like a game piece in Jenga that doesn't seem like he's all that important, but when you take him out, your tower immediately falls apart. I would love it if the Broncos find a way to keep Stewart beyond 2016, but that does currently seem unlikely.
You can hear more of The Afternoon Drive's conversation about underrated and overrated Broncos players below.
Who do you think is the Broncos most underrated player?