What to Expect from Denver Broncos' Pass Rush and Pass Defense in 2015

The Denver Broncos are currently holding minicamp in Englewood, Colorado, and though many fans are likely most interested to know how Peyton Manning will look in Gary Kubiak's offense, the defense will be taking on a completely new look as well.

With Wade Phillips coming in as the team's new defensive coordinator, a move to the 3-4 scheme comes with him. Do the Broncos have the personnel to run that type of defense successfully?

That question is every bit as important as the one concerning Manning's grasp of a new offense.

So what should we expect from this defense? The first-round selection of Shane Ray shows the team is going to come at quarterbacks with pressure as often as possible. If Phillips can improve the team's pass rush and then combine that with what should be a solid secondary, the Broncos should be tough against the pass.

This is a passing league, and we as fans witness that on a week-to-week basis. Here, we will examine how the Broncos may go about defending the pass this coming season.

Pass Rush

Last season, the Broncos tallied 41 sacks. That's not a bad number, but it may be a little deceiving. It was good for ninth in the league, but it didn't seem like the team was able to apply pressure on a consistent basis.

In the divisional round of the playoffs, for example, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck felt little to no pressure in the Colts' upset win. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware all but disappeared in the team's biggest game of the year.

That could be due to former defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio's philosophy. He just didn't seem to use the pieces he had at his disposal to the best of their ability. If Phillips must do one thing, he must be more aggressive than Del Rio.

With players like Miller, Ware and Ray, it will be inexcusable for Phillips not to dial up a blitz on a very frequent basis. But don't forget about Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe. Both players could fit perfectly in Phillips' system, and Jackson may get work at multiple spots on the defensive line.

Antonio Smith

Antonio Smith could be the ultimate wild card.

Smith came over as a free agent during the offseason. His experience working with Phillips made his signing an interesting transaction. He would be able to pass on invaluable knowledge to the rest of the defense.

Sadly, there is also the possibility Smith will never play a down for the team.

His career has been temporarily placed on hold due to an ongoing investigation into claims of child abuse that surfaced in late May. Smith would face potential discipline from the league as well.

As a result, the Broncos could dump Smith before he ever takes the field. That would be a shame, as he clearly brings something to the defensive unit as a situational pass-rusher.

Source: NFL Game Rewind

Against the Colts in November 2013, Phillips gave Luck and his offense multiple defensive looks. Here, he places five men on the line of scrimmage. Having to account for the man coming off the edge, the tackle is forced to let Smith get to the inside. Matched up one-on-one against a guard, Smith quickly has two avenues to get to the quarterback. He makes the sack on the play, one of two he had on that night.

Source: NFL Game Rewind

In Denver, teams would always have to be wary of the edge-rushers due to the talent the Broncos possess. It would become all but impossible for teams to double-team both defensive ends as a result, leaving open the chance for a guy like Smith to reap the rewards of a big sack.

With Smith's status up in the air, it opens the door for a young player such as Gerald Rivers or Josh Watson to make an impact.

Looking at Phillips' Career

Phillips made many stops over the course of his long career, including being the defensive coordinator for seven teams.

Phillips has always been known for his defensive prowess, and he has had some very successful units. In 2006, he helped the San Diego Chargers lead the entire league with 61 sacks. Of those, Shawne Merriman accounted for 17, which also led the league.

Merriman was at the height of his career in 2006, but could Phillips get that kind of production out of Miller? In 2012, Miller racked up 18.5 sacks, so he is capable of hitting those numbers. Merriman was one of the most feared defenders in the league while Phillips was in charge, and though Miller may get that kind of recognition, he could be even better.

"

Phillips, on Von Miller: "We're going to let him rush." Talks about other SLBs he coached like Rickey Jackson, Shawne Merriman, Bryce Paup.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) May 29, 2015"

Phillips was able to get great results out of that San Diego team, so much so that it helped land him the head coaching spot with the Dallas Cowboys in 2007.

That Cowboys team may be a good one to look at and compare to what we could see in Denver, at least from a pass-rushing perspective. Not only was Ware a part of that team, but Phillips also did not shy away from having three edge-rushers on the field at one time, teaming Ware with Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer.

Could that be a sign of things to come?

Creative Packages

Many Broncos fans have to be wondering if the team will put Miller, Ware and Ray on the field at the same time. Phillips can be a creative master on defense, so nothing is out of the question.

Having all three players on the field would force either Ray or Miller to line up at the inside linebacker position, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"

Shane Ray paired with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. Philip Rivers must be wishing Chargers would have traded him to Titans. Holy hell!

— Jim Corbett (@ByJimCorbett) May 1, 2015"

Phillips could design blitzes for any of the three players, and if a guy like Ray could show he can drop back into pass coverage, it would make the package even more effective because the Broncos could keep offenses guessing.

Phillips has been given the tools to create a dominant pass rush that could easily be the league's best.

Pass Defense

In addition to what should be a solid pass rush, the Broncos should be able to boast one of the best secondaries in the league.

Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and T.J. Ward are all capable of being selected to the Pro Bowl on a regular basis. Bradley Roby has all the potential to become a household name as well.

Much like the linebacker and defensive line positions, Phillips will have a wealth of talent to work with in the secondary and could create some unique sub-packages as a result.

Ward has the ability to come up to the linebacker on passing downs, and that could lead to Harris, Talib, Roby and another defensive back all seeing the field at the same time. Phillips has been around the league for many years, but he's rarely had a talent pool like this at his disposal.

Covering the Tight End

The Broncos have had issues in recent years sticking with opposing tight ends, and they have been burned for some big gains.

The tight end position is evolving in today's NFL, and it seems like just about every team has a tight end who is both speedy and powerful with great catching ability. But the Broncos need to work on finding the right combination of defenders to help slow down the tight ends they face.

It doesn't do much good to have great cover corners on the outside if teams can just work the middle of the field for big chunks of yardage at a time.

Free Safety Will be a Key

The Broncos have some great cornerbacks and a hard-hitting enforcer at strong safety in Ward. But who is going to play free safety?

Darian Stewart was brought over as a free agent from the Baltimore Ravens, but he probably isn't a long-term solution. So who is? Does the team experiment by moving Roby or Kayvon Webster to the position? Will a young player like Josh Furman step up and show he deserves extended playing time?

"

Harris praises the physicality of Darian Stewart, and his vocal nature. "I love that pickup right now," Harris said.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) June 2, 2015"

This will be an interesting development to watch throughout the summer prior to the start of the regular season. Without consistent play from the free safety position, the secondary could be exposed in certain situations.

Getting Turnovers

The Broncos came up with 18 interceptions in 2014, which is a pretty good number. Winning the turnover battle is one of the biggest keys to victory in the NFL. It always has been and always will be.

The Broncos have a group of tremendous athletes in the secondary. That fact was bolstered by the selection of Tulane's Lorenzo Doss in the fifth round of this year's draft.

Doss was a turnover machine in college, coming up with 15 interceptions.

There don't seem to be many holes in the secondary. The Broncos have a player who can pack a punch in Ward, two of the best cover corners in the league in Harris and Talib and guys who can go and track the ball down in Roby and Doss.

The Broncos should be able to create a slew of turnovers this season.

Back in 2004, his first year as San Diego's defensive coordinator, Phillips led a unit that totaled 23 interceptions. Only two teams in the league had more than the Chargers that year.

An interesting note from that team is that linebackers accounted for nine of those interceptions. Yes, that was over a decade ago, but Phillips can still employ the same strategies.

In Denver, Phillips can take the coverage skills of a guy like Danny Trevathan and drop him back into coverage more often. When healthy, Trevathan is great in coverage and could be even better under Phillips.

What to Expect

The Broncos were one of the best teams in defending the run last season, but the pass defense could get the headlines this year. Based on the examples provided, Phillips should be able to turn the Broncos into one of the toughest teams in the league to throw against.

Given his experience, expect Phillips to roll out some very interesting defensive formations that could leave opponents searching for answers.

Having to face the likes of Luck, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers this season, Phillips and the rest of the defensive staff will have to be very crafty. Expect them to be up to the task.