STARTERS
Derek Wolfe, left end
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 285 pounds
Age: 24
Season as pro: 3rd
School: Cincinnati
After two years with Denver, has made 10 sacks and 27 starts. Limited to 11 games last season because of illness but has fully recovered. Denver’s first pick in the 2012 draft as a second-round selection.
Did you know: Wolfe and Barney Chavous (1973) are the only defensive linemen in Broncos history to make every start as rookies.
Sylvester Williams, defensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-2, 313
Age: 25
Season as pro: 2nd
School: North Carolina
First-round pick in the 2013 draft. Made four starts as a rookie, finishing with one fumble recovery, two sacks and 19 tackles. Made a big leap in performance late in the season.
Did you know: Williams was a walk-on at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College before starring at North Carolina.
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Terrance Knighton, nose tackle
Height, weight: 6-3, 331
Age: 28
Season as pro: 6th
School: Temple
Made a terrific contribution to Denver’s run to the Super Bowl. By the end of the season, he ranked among the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen. Made all 16 starts and finished with one interception, one fumble recovery, three sacks and 31 tackles. Signed with Denver in mid-March 2013 as a free agent. Tough to block because of his size and strength.
Did you know: Knighton was an all-conference basketball player at Windsor (Conn.) High School.
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DeMarcus Ware, right end
Height, weight: 6-4, 258
Age: 32
Season as pro: 10th
School: Troy
Played nine years for Dallas, producing 117 sacks. First team all-pro four times. Seven-time Pro Bowl selection. Made 20 sacks in 2008 and 19V sacks in 2011. Ranks 18th in NFL history in career sacks. Former first-round draft pick signed with Denver in mid-March as a free agent.
Did you know: Ware has sacked the Manning brothers 15V times. Eli accounts for 14V of those sacks, the most of any QB that Ware has taken down.
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Von Miller, strongside linebacker
Height, weight: 6-3, 250
Age: 25
Season as pro: 4th
School: Texas A&M
First team all-pro in 2012 and a two-time Pro Bowl pick. His season last year was wrecked by a six-game suspension and a season-ending knee injury. Made only nine starts, finishing with five sacks. Has 35 sacks in 40-game career, including Broncos-record 18V sacks in 2012. Runner-up for NFL defensive player of the year that season. NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2011 after being the No. 2 pick in the draft.
Did you know: Denver is 6-3 in games when Miller has more than one sack. He’s had two three-sack games, both victories.
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Nate Irving, middle linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 245
Age: 26
Season as pro: 4th
School: North Carolina State
Including playoff games, has made only six starts in his NFL career, which began as a third-round pick in the 2011 draft. Denver needs him to be a full-time starter this year. Played enough last season to make 34 tackles, including one sack.
Did you know: Irving had 39V tackles for lost yardage during his Wolfpack career.
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Danny Trevathan, weakside linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 240
Age: 24
Season as pro: 3rd
School: Kentucky
Former sixth-round draft pick played a big role on Denver’s defense last season, finishing with two sacks, three interceptions and 124 tackles. In franchise history, only former safety Steve Atwater had more tackles (129 in 1989) among players who were in their first year as a full-time starter. Trevathan likely will be sidelined through Denver’s first three games because of a leg injury suffered during training camp. He’s expected to return for Game 4 (Oct. 5 vs. Arizona).
Did you know: Trevathan led the SEC in tackles as a junior and senior at Kentucky.
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Aqib Talib, left cornerback
Height, weight: 6-1, 205
Age: 28
Season as pro: 7th
School: Kansas
Champ Bailey’s successor in the Denver secondary. First-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2008 draft. Played against Denver in the AFC title game last season with New England. Second team all-pro in 2013. Has 23 interceptions in his NFL career with Buccaneers and Patriots, but has never made 16 starts in a season because of injuries. Signed with Denver in mid-March as a free agent.
Did you know: Talib scored on a 60-yard interception return against Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl of the 2007 season.
T.J. Ward, strong safety
Height, weight: 5-11, 200
Age: 27
Season as pro: 5th
School: Oregon
Signed with Denver in mid-March as a free agent. Big hitter who played his first four NFL seasons with Cleveland, making five interceptions, 54 starts and 340 tackles. Second team all-pro last year. Broncos acquired him to put more pop in their secondary. Second-round pick in the 2010 draft.
Did you know: Ward played for three national championship teams (2001-03) in high school at De La Salle in Concord, Calif.
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Rahim Moore, free safety
Height, weight: 6-1, 195
Age: 24
Season as pro: 4th
School: UCLA
Thrilled to be back on the field after a scary leg injury (acute lateral compartment syndrome) limited him to 10 starts last season. Fully recovered and good to go. Has four interceptions with the Broncos, including two last season. Second-round pick in the 2011 draft.
Did you know: When he left UCLA, Moore ranked fourth in school history with 14 interceptions.
Chris Harris Jr., right cornerback
Height, weight: 5-10, 199
Age: 25
Season as pro: 4th
School: Kansas
Coming off knee surgery, but is expected to be ready for the season opener. Was on the field for 92.3 percent of Denver’s defensive snaps last season, leading the defense with 1,042 snaps played. Made three interceptions last year and had three in 2012. Made four starts as an undrafted rookie in 2011, ranking No. 1 among rookie DBs in the league that year with 65 tackles.
Did you know: Harris has a history of contributing immediately. He made 10 starts for Kansas as a freshman, when he played in the secondary with Aqib Talib.
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BACKUPS
Malik Jackson, left end
Height, weight: 6-5, 293
Age: 24
Season as pro: 3rd
School: Tennessee
Backing up Derek Wolfe but will play a lot. Made five starts and six sacks last season.
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Mitch Unrein, defensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-4, 306
Age: 27
Season as pro: 4th
School: Wyoming
Eaton product has made three starts and 47 tackles in 46 games with the Broncos.
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Marvin Austin, nose tackle
Height, weight: 6-2, 312
Age: 25
Season as pro: 4th
School: North Carolina
Cut by Dallas, Miami and the New York Giants before signing with Denver in May. So impressive in training camp, he might become a starter here.
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Quanterus Smith, right end
Height, weight: 6-5, 255
Age: 24
Season as pro: 2nd
School: Western Kentucky
Didn’t play last season because of a knee injury suffered in college. Sun Belt defensive player of the year in 2012.
Lerentee McCray, linebacker
Height, weight: 6-3, 249
Age: 24
Season as pro: 2nd
School: Florida
Didn’t play last season as an undrafted rookie because of an ankle injury. Backing up Von Miller.
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Lamin Barrow, linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 237
Age: 23
Season as pro: Rookie
School: LSU
Fifth-round draft pick. Backing up Nate Irving.
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Corey Nelson, linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 226
Age: 22
Season as pro: Rookie
School: Oklahoma
Seventh-round draft pick had impressive training camp. Played high school football in Dallas and was Texas’ Class 5A defensive player of the year in 2009.
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Brandon Marshall, linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 238
Age: 24
Season as pro: 3rd
School: Nevada
Likely starter at the weakside slot until Danny Trevathan recovers from his leg injury. Has made only one tackle in his NFL career.
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Steven Johnson, linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 237
Age: 26
Season as pro: 3rd
School: Kansas
Played in 11 games as an undrafted rookie in 2012, leading the Broncos with 10 tackles on special teams. Last year, against Philadelphia, blocked a punt and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.
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Bradley Roby, cornerback
Height, weight: 5-11, 194
Age: 22
Season as pro: Rookie
School: Ohio State
First-round draft pick. Backing up Aqib Talib. Likely will play a lot in nickel packages.
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Tony Carter, cornerback
Height, weight: 5-9, 175
Age: 28
Season as pro: 6th
School: Florida State
Provides valuable experience. Made two starts, three interceptions and 35 tackles in 27 games the past two seasons.
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David Bruton, safety
Height, weight: 6-2, 217
Age: 27
Season as a pro: 6th
School: Notre Dame
Has made only four starts in the Broncos’ secondary, but is among their most valuable players because of his stellar play on special teams. In last year’s season opener, he blocked a Baltimore punt that led to a touchdown. Five weeks later, he made a 35-yard run on a fake punt against Jacksonville.
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Quinton Carter, safety
Height, weight: 6-1, 200
Age: 26
Season as a pro: 4th
School: Oklahoma
Made 10 starts in 2011 as a rookie. Knee problems kept him out of all but three games from 2012-13. Backing up Rahim Moore.
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Kayvon Webster, cornerback
Height, weight: 5-11, 198
Age: 23
Season as a pro: 2nd
School: South Florida
Made one interception, two starts and 38 tackles last year as a rookie. Backing up Chris Harris Jr.
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Omar Bolden, cornerback
Height, weight: 5-10, 195
Age: 25
Season as a pro: 3rd
School: Arizona State
Former safety and fourth-round draft pick. Made his first start in Denver’s secondary last year.
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