Broncos' Justin Simmons has seen some ups, but mostly downs - ESPN

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In all of the changes, the firings and the hirings that have swirled around the Denver Broncos over the last eight years, one of the few constants has been the No. 31 jersey and the guy who wears it — Justin Simmons.

The safety was the Broncos' third-round pick in the 2016 draft (98th overall), the lone survivor in a draft class that included quarterback Paxton Lynch and punter Riley Dixon, who is back for his second stint with the team. Simmons has seen change, change and more change.

«I just want to win,'' said Simmons, who in his eighth season is the longest-tenured Broncos player.

The Broncos drafted him less than three months after they won Super Bowl 50, yet Simmons has never been to the playoffs — with Sean Payton being his fifth head coach and Vance Joseph being his his fifth defensive coordinator.

Despite the turmoil and turnover, he's been a Pro Bowl selection, a second-team All Pro selection three times, tied for the league lead in interceptions last season and he once went over three seasons — 3,328 consecutive defensive plays in all — without missing a snap.

»From my perspective as a playcaller, he's a player you would look at when you're looking at a defense and you'd say, that guy is always in the right spot, good with his eyes, doesn't get fooled — savvy and smart," Payton said earlier this season. «You always want that on your team.»

He's also a leading voice among the Broncos. So much so that Broncos general manager George Paton said "[he's] the complete package, an elite player in our defense, a core player and the best of leaders in our community."

He's the consummate teammate and representative of the franchise, but the storied Broncos haven't matched the football success they