Josey Jewell is off to a great start in 2020.
That is something few fans expected to see as Josey Jewell has failed to live up to expectations since being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. It has been a welcome sight for Broncos fans as the team has long had a weakness at the inside linebacker spot.
Fans were surprised when the team chose to release Todd Davis before the season started. Davis had been a solid defensive player for the team and led the Broncos in tackles in each of the last two seasons.
The Broncos were really going to rely that heavily on Jewell? It seemed like a bad decision to many, but this coaching staff saw something in the third-year linebacker.
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Through four games, Jewell is the team’s leading tackler with 30 stops, including 21 solo. He has made plays in each game this season, but he was especially productive in the team’s first win of the season this past Thursday night against the New York Jets.
Jewell was all over the field, seemingly in on every play. He posted 10 tackles to lead the team and had two big sacks of quarterback Sam Darnold. Following the game, Pro Football Focus released its player grades from the game and Jewell graded out as the highest player in the entire game.
Not bad for a guy many fans thought would not even make this year’s 53-man roster.
It was tough to see Davis go, but Jewell is making fans forget about him quickly. If Jewell is able to keep up this level of play, the idea of having he and Alexander Johnson as the duo at inside linebacker for years to come suddenly sounds more than reasonable.
Jewell is playing with a rejuvenated feel for the game, ready to prove that he belongs on this team for years to come.