DENVER — K'Waun Williams arrived in Denver looking to corner a Super Bowl ring.
"Absolutely," he said of his expectations upon officially joining the Broncos on a two-year, $7-million deal.
Williams, who turns 31 in July, provides experience and a unique skillset. He projects as the starting slot corner in nickel and dime packages, which new defensive boss Ejiro Evero plans to employ more often.
Williams will pair with outside corners Pat Surtain II and Ronald Darby, All-Pro safety Justin Simmons and either veteran Kareem Jackson or second-year pro Caden Sterns, leaving Williams to admit, "I want to be the missing piece of the puzzle."
It is a secondary brimming with potential, but needs more playmakers beyond Surtain and Simmons.
This is where Williams projects to make a difference. He has forced 11 fumbles and netted four interceptions and seven sacks in his career. He is not afraid to defend the pass or pursue the quarterback.
"When coaches send me on a blitz, I want to get home," said Williams, a physical player despite his 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame. "I want to provide a presence. If I'm getting out of coverage, I want to be a presence inside while I'm rushing. It's just something that I've been doing since I was a rookie, and I just love it."
The Broncos defense was good last year. Don't let anyone tell you it was great. That adjective does not fit for a unit that ranked 15th in interceptions (13), 26th in fumble recoveries (six), 21st in takeaways (19) and and 18th in sacks (36). A Russell Wilson-led offense capable of procuring leads consistently will help the defense play more aggressively.
"Getting the ball is everything. Providing the offense with more opportunities to make drives — that's what we do on defense. We just want to get a takeaway (or big play) any way possible, whether it's a forced fumble, TFL (tackle for loss) or just making big sacks," Williams said. "You've just got to be there and make plays for your defense and [be] able to sacrifice for the team and make plays when your number's called."
