Denver Broncos depth chart fallout after Todd Davis release

Josey Jewell taking Davis’ job

As Todd Davis nursed his calf injury, Josey Jewell took the lion’s share of reps at inside linebacker.

The Broncos’ coaching staff must have been pleased with what they saw, at least on run downs.

Josey Jewell was removed from the starting lineup alongside Todd Davis last year in favor of Alexander Johnson, and that decision turned out to be great for the Broncos. But Jewell is a much better fit to play the role Davis was playing as the run thumper on the inside.

Ideally, you’d love to have multiple linebackers with 4.5 speed or better who can cover like safeties, but not all linebackers are built that way. Jewell was strong in zone coverage at Iowa but like most linebackers in the NFL, he struggles in man coverage against tight ends and running backs.

The Broncos need to do what they can to avoid that kind of situation, but Jewell also needs to show progression. He’s now in line to start next to Alexander Johnson against the Titans.