Hall of Famer and former Denver Broncos safety Steve Atwater knows defense.
Atwater was an eight-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and two-time Super Bowl champion. He also spent 10 of his 11 years in the NFL with the Broncos.
Broncos.com lead writer Aric DiLalla asked Atwater which veteran addition he felt would make the biggest impact. He naturally gravitated toward the defensive side of the ball, offering high praise for offseason trade acquisition John Franklin-Myers.
“As a former defensive player, I look at that position first,” Atwater told Dilalla on “Countdown to #BroncosCamp” on July 10. “Whenever you can get one of those big defensive linemen that wreak havoc in games – and we got that in John Franklin-Meyers. Huge guy. Great personality. I think he’s going to be a great leader on this team.
“He has everything that it takes to help this defensive line get to the next level. We have some very talented players on here, but he may have been the missing piece to the puzzle here.”
John Franklin-Myers getting to the QB 💪 @J_FranklinMyers
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Atwater is not alone in his assessment, either.
“As the Broncos move through the final stages of their offseason program, it’s already clear Franklin-Myers will be worth plenty more than a late-round draft pick two years from now,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote on June 8.
“If things go the way he and the Broncos want, Franklin-Myers … will be a mainstay in the Broncos’ defense.”
John Franklin-Myers Chose Broncos Because of Sean Payton
GettyHead coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos traded a 2026 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets for Franklin-Myers. He was available after New York’s acquired Haason Reddick in free agency.
He suggested he had his choice of landing spots. Franklin-Myers said he “couldn’t pass” on the chance to play for Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
“Jets traded for Haason, and then reached out to us and just kind of told us to just kind of see what we can find,” Franklin-Myers told reporters on June 4. “Denver came up and … what opportunity that I had. Talked to the coaches, talked to those staff members, and just heard the vision, heard about what they wanted to do for me, how I could help this team, and the opportunity that was presented. And [the] chance to play for Coach Sean Payton, shoot, I couldn’t pass it up.”
Broncos General Manager George Paton said they had eyes on Franklin Myers for some time.
“It’s something we’ve been working on the last couple weeks,” Paton told reporters on April 27. “He’s a player we’ve always respected. Durable. He started three straight years. Hasn’t missed a game. Four straight years of 54-plus pressures. He can play all down the line of scrimmage.
John Franklin-Myers Attributes Consistency to Relentless Effort
GettyJohn Franklin-Myers #91 of the Denver Broncos sacks Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers.
DiLalla pointed to Franklin-Myers’ consistency as a strength. Franklin-Myers has logged at least 3.0 sacks and 21 pressures in each of the last four seasons, per Pro Football Reference.
Franklin-Myers attributes his consistency to his effort.
“I play with an effort and a physicality that people just aren’t willing to match,” Franklin-Myers said. “It’s just how I am; it’s how I was designed. And the challenge is to come here and to continue to do that, and I’m going to do that. Because that’s just how I’m built.”
Franklin-Myers joins a defense that ranked 22nd in sacks, 27th in points allowed, and 29th in total yards allowed in 2023.
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Hall of Famer Offers Strong Take on Broncos’ John Franklin-Myers