Highlights: Denver Broncos 15-42 Buffalo Bills in NFL preseason

Aric DiLalla: What impressed you most about Justin Simmons in your short time with him untilé now?

Ejiro Evero: "He é just an extreme professional. All the physical features are very obvious and it is very obvious. a smart guy, but é the consistency day after day. He é professional. He knows how to prepare. He does the work off the field, in the classroom, taking care of his body. Just a true professional. When youê has the marriage between that and his athleticism and high character, it really shows."

AD: How much of Pat Surtain II do you? had seen before arriving here? How much did youê did you notice him leaving the draft?

EE: "I definitely studied him coming out of the closet and had a lot of love for him. I thought he would be a good player. But I didn't think he would be this good. It's been really cool to watch him, and I really believe he could be a top notch guy."

AD: Youê been close to Aqib Talib, youê been close to Jalen Ramsey. Does he have that kind of potential to be a guy in this class?

EE: "Yes, it does. He does. But the biggest thing for him é just keep working day after day and keep getting better and let these things happen the way they do."

AD: This defense last year was the third in the scoring defense, but there were a few times where it was 'double but not break'. Which é the key to getting the quick stops – the three and deletions – and retrieve the ball for the attack?

EE: "I think we have to make sure that we are doing a good job working together with the attack. We're not going to worry too much about stats, but it's about affecting the game in terms of turnovers and affecting the quarterback and doing the things that we need to do to win each game. Each game will be different. There will be some games where we need to control the attack. There will be some games where, hey, we're going to have to give up a point less. Let's not worry about numbers and just think 'Hey, how can we affect the game and how can we work with offense and special teams to win these games?'"

AD: Youê spoke when he first arrived here about his philosophy regarding à pressure. Which é your philosophy, and does it vary slightly from other people running a similar scheme?

EE: "No, not really. A lot of it is, um, you have to look at it from the quarterback's point of view é the most important position in the field. If youê wants to succeed as a defense and youê you want to succeed in any game, youê it has to affect the quarterback. We're lucky that we have some guys who are blessed and are good players and can rush the quarterback individually, but whatever the cost, whatever you want. have to do to affect the quarterback, because most guys in this league, if youê don't be pressured and give them time, they will succeed. This will be our focal point”.

AD: As a former undrafted player in this league, you're a player. do you have a crush on these guys on this team and hope they get that chance?

EE: "Youê have a notion of how é It's hard, because the guys who are drafted and some of the veterans are going to have a lot of reps. These guys are going to have to do it with fewer reps, which é very, very difficult. É That's why I feel like guys who make teams like undrafted players or low-round draft picks, they're really special, because they have to learn a lot over the neck without having those cool reps. ;sic. a weakness for them, but this é just the nature of the beast."

AD: Turning the focus to you, what do you want? I wish Broncos fans knew about you. off the field or about whom youê é as a person?

EE: "Family first. I know Coach [Nathaniel] Hackett preaches this, but this é really true to who I am. My wife Natalie, my son Flint [and] my son Pierce are the most important people to me. Many of my good friends, I consider them family. This é the most important. I enjoy playing football and spending time with my loved ones".

AD: I read that youê was born in Colchester, England. Youê returned to the London area since then?

EE: "I really played there; - this will be my sixth time this year. I went back a little. I went a few other times just traveling. [I] went to Colchester once for the hospital I was born in, so that was cool."

AD: Youê and Coach Hackett are very close. How do you know? and Nathaniel developed this friendship that started in college?

EE: "We lived together for three years and became very close, and then we played football together [at UC Davis]. We had many similar interests. We are very different in terms of personality, but many of our fundamental beliefs are very similar. We've always kept in touch. He é just someone that I have - even beyond the football stuff - a lot of respect. Only the human being he é. He é just an admirable person and a person people should that é what I've always respected in him."

AD: Was he a good roommate?

EE: "Oh, yes. He'd probably say I wasn't."

AD: Youê would you have believed back then that you would be training together and leading an NFL team?

EE: "No, not necessarily. But I always believed that we would be very close and we would always spend a lot of time together. Even when we lived on opposite sides of the country, we always visited and spent time together and got to know each other's children. It's been cool."