DENVER — P.J. Locke turned and saw the reporter approaching.
“What now, Mike?’’ Locke said with a smile.
Actually, Mike was going to say how impressed he was with Locke’s play. The speed he's shown. Closing speed.
“You didn’t know I had speed?’’ Locke said.
Hadn’t seen you play.
“Fair,’’ Locke said laughing. “That’s fair.”
To be sure, Locke has demonstrated more patience than most before finally getting his opportunity to shine.
“I know. I’m blessed for it, though,’’ Locke said. “I needed to learn and I’m continuing to learn. I wouldn’t change my path for anything.’’
Undrafted out of Texas, Locke first signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 but was among their final season-opening roster cuts. Matt Russell, the Broncos’ right-hand man to general manager John Elway, signed Locke to Denver’s practice squad later that year and Locke spent most of the following 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons as a Broncos’ core special teamer.
Locke began to play some backup safety on 10% of the defensive snaps last year and re-signed a one-year deal in March for a fifth season in Denver.
“I remember a time when I prayed for patience,’’ Locke said. “It might have been the worst thing to pray for. If you’re going to pray for patience, you’re going to have your patience tested. But it all worked out. I’m here now.’’
>Watch video above that aired Dec. 3: Slow start dooms Broncos as they fall to Texans
Injured in training camp, Locke is healthy now and has started three games in place of the suspended Kareem Jackson. In Locke’s first game back from injury, he had a victory-clinching interception against Green Bay’s Jordan Love.
And after showing defensive coordinator Vance Joseph that he’s an effective blitzer, Locke, 26, has had a sack in each of the last two games. On back-to-back fourth-quarter plays in a tight game last Sunday at Houston, Locke off blitzes stuffed running back Dameon Pierce for a 4-yard loss and sacked quarterback C.J. Stroud for another 9 yards to knock the Texans back from Denver’s 41-yard line to their own 46.
It's one thing for a safety to come on a blitz. It’s another when the safety has the speed to get there and finish. Joseph has a new weapon and he’s been using it.
“Speed and timing,’’ Joseph said of Locke. “He’s been exceptional blitzing for us in the last couple weeks. You never know if guys are going to be good blitzers until they do it live because the (practice) grass here is kind of a controlled environment with cadence and those things. But some guys have a knack for timing and a knack for gaining speed quickly and making left and right turns quickly and he’s got that knack.
“And he hits that target. I mean, he doesn’t miss too many opportunities when he’s blitz-clean. It’s been fun to watch him do it. He wants to do more of it. Obviously, game plans change but it’s definitely a surprise that he’s been a good blitzer for us. So is JMac (Ja’Quan McMillian), also, at nickel. To have two defensive backs who can blitz cleanly and to finish on quarterbacks and backs, it’s been good for our defense.”
At 5-10, 198 pounds, Locke is perhaps a tad on the small size as safeties go. But then again, he’s got 15 pounds on Jackson.
“Safety has kind of changed,’’ Locke said. “When I was in college they were always like, you’ve got to be 215. I didn’t like playing at 215 but they kind of made me. At one point I got to 218 but now I’m around 198. Quandre Diggs was telling me, man, you don’t need all the weight.’’
Diggs is a former Texas Longhorn and current Seattle Seahawk who is a 5-9, 197-pound safety in his ninth NFL season.
“I never really believed it until I got to the league,’’ Locke said. “When I got to Pittsburgh (in 2019) I put a lot of focus on dropping my weight and getting a lot leaner, a lot faster and more explosive. Now I feel good. You live and you learn.’’
Locke teams with Justin Simmons at the safety position Sunday afternoon when the 6-6 Broncos play the 5-7 Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
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