Denver Broncos: Are there really eight 30-year-olds better than Von Miller?

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller turned 31 years old back in March, but he should still have some great football left in him.

There is no doubt that Von Miller is coming off perhaps his worst season as a professional, at least one in which he played through the whole season, from a statistical standpoint. There can be many factors for that, but most fans will point to the fact that he was in his first year in a new defensive scheme and with Bradley Chubb missing most of the season, teams were able to place more focus on Von.

If he had one of the double-digit sack seasons that we have become accustomed to seeing, there is a great chance that he would be much higher on the list recently compiled by Ali Bhanpuri and Tom Blair over at NFL.com.

The two of them decided to rank the 30 best players in the NFL that were 30 years or older. This list includes Drew Brees and Tom Brady, who don’t even make the top 15 on the list.

Miller checks in at No. 9 and the authors make mention that they may catch some “flak” for having Miller too high. Too high? There’s a better argument for him being too low.

Sure, Miller only posted eight sacks last year. But if you’re starting a team today from scratch and you can have any pass-rusher in the league on your roster, even at 31 years old, Von is going to be one of the first guys taken.

It’s possible he’s lost a step, but it’s just as possible that he’ll come back with a vengeance in 2020. Those who are certain he has lost a step are probably the same people who felt the Carolina Panthers were going to blow the Broncos out in Super Bowl 50. Von had other ideas on that night.

For the record, here are the eight players that are ranked ahead of Miller on this list:

8. Cameron Jordan, DE. New Orleans Saints, 31 years old

7. Matt Ryan. QB, Atlanta Falcons, 35 years old

6. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs, 30 years old

5. Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers, 31 years old

4. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers, 36 years old

3. Chandler Jones, DE, Arizona Cardinals, 30 years old

2. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons, 31 years old

1. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks, 31 years old

All of those guys are great players, but are they all better than Miller? Would general managers really rather have a guy like Cameron Heyward, for instance, than the Broncos’ all-time leader in sacks? These are the kinds of questions I would ask if I were making this list.

Jurrell Casey also made the list, coming in at No. 29, so the Broncos did end up with two players in the top 30 of players 30 years or older. The Broncos only have two other players on the entire roster — Kareem Jackson and Sam Martin — who fit into the over-30 category.

Jackson probably should have received some consideration as well.

In Von’s case, he should still be viewed as one of the league’s top defensive players and those who feel he is not the player he used to be could easily be in store for a surprise this coming season.