After a dominant 2025 campaign, plenty of eyes will be on the Denver Broncos this season. Or, more specifically, on their defense.
Denver’s defense wreaked havoc all season long, leading the league in sacks with a whopping 68. In fact, they had 11 more than the second-place Falcons. They also finished top three in yards allowed, rushing yards, points allowed, red zone percentage, and third down percentage. Simply put, their defense was on another planet last year. Now, they will look to continue their success.
Fortunately for the Broncos, they’re in a favorable position to do so. John Franklin-Myers was their only key loss on the defensive side. Dre Greenlaw and P.J. Locke also departed, but Locke wasn’t a starter, and Greenlaw missed most of the season with an injury. As a result, almost all the players responsible for those sacks and defensive stands are returning. One wrinkle, though: not all returning players will be eligible to play.
The Broncos Could Be Without Jonathon Cooper
Reports in June came out regarding a domestic incident concerning Denver edge rusher Jonathon Cooper. Fast forward to the end of August, and Commissioner Roger Goodell put Cooper on the commissioner’s exempt list. As a result, he cannot play or practice until Goodell removes him from the list. In the past, cases like this have ranged from a few days to a full season.
Cooper’s trial will take place on November 10th. Though he is not guaranteed to remain on the list until then, the NFL’s punishment combined with the court’s could be brutal. For now, he’s expected to miss only 2-6 games. But given how situations like this play out, and with the court date still looming, it could always be worse.
Nevertheless, in the NFL, the show goes on. Regardless of Cooper’s innocence or guilt, his 16.5 sacks over the last two years and elite partnership with Nik Bonitto will not be easy to replace. The Broncos need someone to step up, and that someone very well could be Jonah Elliss.
Jonah Elliss’ Time to Shine
The Broncos took outside linebacker Jonah Elliss in the third round of the 2024 draft. The former Utah Ute showed lots of promise in his last year of college, recording an impressive 12 sacks. He also demonstrated his versatility, playing both as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker.
Then, he started hot in his rookie year, reaching five sacks as a backup. His numbers cooled off a bit in 2025, but not without reason. Not only did he play four fewer games, but with Denver squarely in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy, they did not have as much time to develop backups.
Going into this year, though, Denver is keen on getting Elliss more involved. In fact, all the way back in March, Coach Sean Payton announced that he wanted to move him to inside linebacker. Given how talented the Broncos’ pass rush was, he saw more opportunities for Elliss inside. However, in August, the move was canceled. While Payton never specifically stated that the reversion was in response to Cooper’s upcoming consequences, it certainly seemed that way.
Now, anyone can look at stats and watch tape. Sometimes it tells the whole story, sometimes it doesn’t. What often reveals more, though, are the decisions coaches make. The very fact that they wanted to move Elliss to inside linebacker in the first place shows how much they believe in him and want to get him on the field. Then, the fact that they moved him back to outside linebacker shows that they know he’s the next best pass rusher on the team.
Does Elliss Have the Chops to Thrive?
With Cooper’s punishment looming, Elliss will almost certainly be entering the season as the starting pass rusher opposite Bonitto. However, just because he is traditionally a backup doesn’t mean he can’t produce as a starter in this new role.
Denver’s pass rush has been otherworldly over the last few years. Last year, eight players recorded over four sacks. With Bonitto on the other side of him, and with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones in the middle, Elliss will take advantage of plenty of easy sack opportunities.
Additionally, as the backup behind Bonitto and Cooper, Denver fans have never seen his true capabilities. After spending two years learning from some of the best, he could establish himself as a fantastic pass rusher now that he’s starting.
Granted, he will still have some competition. Dondrea Tillman and Que Robinson have both shown flashes. However, the job is Ellis’ to lose, and if he rises to the occasion, he could become a household name not just in Denver but across the NFL.
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