DENVER — “With the 98th pick in the 2016 draft,” Demarcus Ware said from a podium in Chicago. “The Denver Broncos select Justin Simmons, defensive back, Boston College.”
Shortly thereafter, as he celebrated with a group of family and friends, Simmons got a text. It was Pro-Bowl safety T.J. Ward, welcoming him to the star-studded defensive backfield before any other Bronco. The beginning of a friendship and a mentorship.
A day later, in the sixth round, the team selected Will Parks, another safety. At the time, the thought was that the Broncos were adding depth at the positions behind ‘No Fly Zone’ members Ward and Darian Stewart.