Denver Broncos: Top 5 reasons to watch over last 4 weeks of the season

Reason 3 to watch: Are Josey Jewell/Alexander Johnson the future at LB?

When the offseason began, the Broncos had seasoned veteran Todd Davis and Alexander Johnson covering both inside linebacker positions. Soon into camp, the Broncos made a flurry of moves by signing Mark Barron, claiming Austin Calitro, drafting Justin Strnad, and releasing Todd Davis.

Broncos Country was unsure what to think about Josey Jewell, who seemed to be the group’s forgotten man. Jewell, a 2018 4th round draft pick, had fallen out of favor and lost his starting job to Johnson early in 2019.

Since Davis left, Jewell and Johnson have formed a solid duo and helped keep the Broncos a top defense in the league. Jewell has performed above expectation, and Johnson has seemed to maintain his play from last season.

However, does the team think their play is enough? Both players are under contract in 2021, and the team must make decisions on both. Neither player is overly athletic, which is usually a staple of Vic Fangio’s defense. Yet, neither of them has had to be his season as their communication and cohesion has produced some wonderful results.

Keep an eye out for these two, and how they play over the stretch may lead the team to declare them as the plan in 2021.