If the Broncos defense doesn't improve much this year, there will be plenty of questions for the front office concerning this group. They didn't spend much money on the line in free agency. They drafted Robert Ayers in the first round, but it appears Ayers will spend most of his time at linebacker, not end. Denver didn't use any of its other nine draft picks on a defensive lineman. So the team will go with a group that might have the shortest collective resume of any defensive line in the NFL this season.

The Broncos are changing schemes to a 3-4, so responsibilities will change all along the line. In a 4-3 defense, linemen are usually the primary pass rushers. That isn't the case in a 3-4 defense. The nose tackle takes up blockers and allows linebackers to make plays. The ends - who are bigger, more like 4-3 tackles than 4-3 ends - occupy the opposing offensive tackles. That allows outside linebackers to rush the quarterback. New England's Richard Seymour is perhaps the best 3-4 end in the NFL. He has only 39 sacks in eight seasons. Pittsburgh's Aaron Smith, from Colorado Springs, is another highly regarded 3-4 end. He has 42 sacks in 10 seasons.

While Denver's linemen won't pile up big sack numbers, their main responsibility is helping shore up a run defense that gave up the sixth most yards and the second most rushing touchdowns in the NFL last season. The names on the line won't look familiar to most fans, but the team is hoping they find a few that improve and play well this season.

The nose tackle will likely be Ronald Fields, a free agent pickup from San Francisco. Fields hasn't started a game since 2006, but Denver defensive coordinator Mike Nolan must have liked him from their time together with the 49ers (Nolan was San Francisco's head coach from 2005-2008). Marcus Thomas doesn't have the huge frame of most nose tackles, but in the most recent minicamp he was in the middle backing up Fields.

During minicamps, Denver's starting ends were usually Kenny Peterson and Ryan McBean. Peterson has only one career start, which makes him the most seasoned of any end candidate, by far. Peterson has been with the Broncos three seasons, and was with Green Bay for three seasons before that. McBean has appeared in one NFL game, with Pittsburgh in 2007. Matthias Askew (six NFL games, none since 2005, no starts) and Nic Clemons (18 NFL games, no starts, wasn't on an active roster in 2006 and 2007) were the second-team ends in the most recent minicamp. So, in summary, among the Broncos' four top defensive ends at the last minicamp have one NFL start combined. Three of the four were inactive for an entire season recently. It is a largely unknown group, to say the least.

Ayers can play end, and will play with his hand down in some situations, but said this offseason he's anticipating spending most of his time at outside linebacker as a rookie. That's where he lined up most of the time in the final few offseason practices. The Broncos ignored the available defensive linemen in the draft because they refused to reach on players that might not fit their system. That left them relying on natural improvement from the linemen they have. Peterson is 30, Clemons is 29, but the rest of the linemen are 27 years old or younger. That includes players like J'Vonne Parker and Carlton Powell, who will compete to be part of the rotation.

The Broncos weren't going to easily amass a group of first-round picks along the defensive line, like the Patriots have for their 3-4. They will see if any of the current linemen improve and take to the new scheme, then likely address the line next offseason. But if Denver is going to improve its run defense this season, a few linemen will have to emerge as viable starters during camp.

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