Defense has always been the pride for the Denver Broncos in the past few years, and the 2024 season was no exception to that as well. After finally clinching double-digit wins for the first time last season since the 2015 campaign, it seems that linebacker Alex Singleton is expected to anchor the defense to bring Denver to the top of the league like they did before.

The Broncos are one of the teams slowly moving towards elite playoff contention. They are building on last year’s successes and proving that they still have what it takes to be a top team to look out for. For starters, it seems that the 2015 Broncos are a promising benchmark to begin with.

After all, that same squad was also the last version of Denver that managed to reach the Super Bowl and win it all. And that’s what the 2025 Broncos are eager to follow through with: the hopes of proving their worth now more than ever. This is the best they can aspire to be, and even Singleton knows that there are a lot of expectations heading into the campaign.

Mile High City on the Rise

Denver is one of the teams that have been known for its strong defensive performances in the league over the years, and the current iteration of the team is certainly built for that matter, and now they are chasing bigger goals with the hopes of winning titles at the end of the day.

The Orange Crush in the 1970s and ‘80s has all shown that they have what it takes to win. So did the 1997-98 squad that went back-to-back in the championships. If that isn’t a landmark of defensive success at the top, then that’s what the Broncos need to follow as well.

"It's one of those things where it's like, 'Let's be better than the 2015 defense.' Stuff where like that's what we need to chase," Singleton said in an interview with DNVR last week. "You have to chase it when we start practice. ... We have to be the best every single day to get where we want to go."

For starters, the 2015 Broncos were a notable squad as it ranked 1st overall in total yards, passing yards, average yards per rush, and sacks. It featured elite stars such as future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware and that year's Super Bowl MVP, Von Miller.

A Chance at a Title?

The Broncos were a promising team in 2024. They had a stellar defense led by eventual AP Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Patrick Surtain II. They’ve also managed to keep their key pieces such as D.J. Jones and Justin Strnad and lost only linebacker Cody Barton – with the latter eventually replaced by Singleton himself.

"I think this year - a lot of guys, including in the building, didn't fully expect to add so much to the defensive side this offseason and when we got it it was like, 'Oh this is going to be fun,'" Singleton said. "We just went somewhere that a lot of teams don't ever go, we're really, really excited."

Fans are yet to see the full strength of this Broncos defense on the biggest stage and against the toughest teams out there. With the season coming in hot, expect a lot of odds to start swaying into Denver’s favor as they try to win big.