The Denver Broncos are in the market for backup edge players, and Oregon Ducks prospect Justin Hollins could be an option in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Denver Broncos were going to make sure they had a pre-draft visit from a guy named Justin H. from the Oregon Ducks program in 2019, by golly.
Instead of Justin Herbert — who is returning to Oregon for another season –, the Broncos will host Justin Hollins, an experienced edge defender from the Ducks program who was just one jersey number away from Herbert on the roster.
Hollins wore no. 11 at Oregon.
The visit between the Broncos and Hollins was reported by Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.
Hollins, a redshirt senior, started the last three years for Oregon and was very productive. He finished his career with 184 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
He had five forced fumbles this past season, a very good total for any defensive player.
After winning East-West Shrine Game MVP honors on the defensive side of the ball, Hollins went on to have a great Scouting Combine.
He checked in at just over 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, and ran a 4.50 in the 40-yard dash with a 36.5-inch vertical jump. He also posted 25 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.
Hollins’ production and athleticism have led evaluators to a pretty consensus mid-round pick. If he’s available on day three, it would be an ideal move for the Broncos to get him there.
The Broncos lost Shaquil Barrett to the Buccaneers this offseason and Shane Ray to the Indianapolis Colts. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb need a top backup, so whoever the team drafts will come in and compete with Jeff Holland, an outstanding 2018 undrafted pickup.
Hollins’ visit to the Broncos will likely be within the next 2-3 weeks as the team prepares to finalize their draft board for the 2019 NFL Draft, which at the time of this writing is just one month away.