Broncos to exclusively tag Von Miller, Jets will tag Mo Wilkerson

Two of the top defensive players eligible for free agency are not expected to hit the open market.

The Denver Broncos are expected to use the exclusive franchise tag on pass rusher Von Miller, according to the Denver Post. And the New York Jets are likely to use the regular franchise tag on defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, according to an NFL Network report.

The deadline to use franchise and transition tags is Tuesday.

The exclusive tag means that Miller won't be going anywhere. That designation would prevent other teams from talking to Miller, and he and the Broncos would have until July 15 to work out a deal. Otherwise, he'd be subject to play the 2016 season under the one-year tender figure of $14.129 million, short of him holding out.

If the Broncos beat the deadline and get a long-term deal done with Miller, it would open up the possibility of using it on defensive end Malik Jackson, who otherwise would be a hot free agent. The Broncos also need to figure out what's going on at QB, where Peyton Manning could retire and Brock Osweiler is a pending free agent.

Wilkerson would be subject to a one-year franchise tender of $15.7 million in 2016, short of a long-term contract. Although other teams could talk to him if he's not given the exclusive designation, the Jets would have first right to match any potential deal or could opt to receive two first-round picks in return.

Now comes the fun part: If they do sign long-term contracts, just how much cheese are we talking about here?

Using comparable players for Wilkerson, which would include 3-4 defensive ends and 4-3 tackles, we're talking about a deal that could include guaranteed money north of $40 million. There's only one defensive lineman in the NFL with a deal that included less than $51 million and more than $34 million — Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn, at $41.17M — which makes the comps tricky.

Adding a layer of intrigue for the Jets is that they are strong on the defensive line already, having drafted Leonard Williams No. 5 overall last season to join Sheldon Richardson, and have free-agent nose tackle Damon Harrison also to take care of. Plus, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick can hit the market next week.

For the Broncos, Miller could be the highest-paid defender in football. The most guaranteed money given to a defensive player was $60 million to the Buffalo Bills' Marcell Dareus, and the most total money currently is Ndamukong Suh's $114.4 million with the Miami Dolphins.

Is a six-year, $120 million deal with $65M guaranteed too much for the 26-year-old Miller? That's elite quarterback money.

These two contracts are going to set the top of the market on defense, and that's not factoring in Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, also a free agent. Coming off a Super Bowl dominated by the Broncos' defense, all the money seems to be funneling to that side of the ball this offseason.