Linebacker: Josey Jewell
The Denver Broncos let 250-plus picks in the 2019 NFL Draft roll on by without picking an off-ball linebacker.
The reason they did that is because they have personnel in-house to play in the scheme Vic Fangio is implementing.
Is Josey Jewell the same type of athlete as Devin White or Devin Bush? No, and no one is trying to convince anyone of that. But how about guys like Navorro Bowman, Chris Borland, and Danny Trevathan (among others) who have found success in Fangio’s defense despite a lack of other-worldly athletic gifts?
A guy like Patrick Willis or Roquan Smith doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere, and neither White nor Bush was that guy from this year’s draft.
The Broncos were wise to re-invest in last year’s linebacker group in my opinion. This is an instinctive group of guys and if used properly, Josey Jewell proved at Iowa he can be effective in zone coverage.
Matching up against tight ends and running backs will be tough, but he shouldn’t be asked to play press coverage on a slot receiver or anything.
The Broncos put some faith in Jewell and he should honor that faith with a big second year.