Denver Broncos: Which pass rushers are making the team in 2021?

Jonathon Cooper

Up first on the list is one of the more recent players to join the Denver Broncos off the edge, 2021 NFL Draft pick Jonathon Cooper.

Known for his effort and tenacity on the field, Cooper is a major asset off the field and a tremendous example of leadership. He’s the type of guy you want to build your team’s culture around, a good player for the locker room, and someone who is going to bring energy.

At Ohio State, Cooper was obviously one of many big-time prospects on campus as a consensus four-star player in high school, but he was also buried on a depth chart that at various points included future NFL studs Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Sam Hubbard, and obviously plenty of other players that are coming up through the ranks.

It didn’t help that Cooper suffered an injury in 2019, causing him to miss all but four games in what would have been a great opportunity to feast on the other side of the field from Chase Young.

He led the Buckeyes with 3.5 sacks in eight games this past season and showed some of his best stuff late in the season against Clemson.

Cooper is going to have to have a big preseason to make the Denver Broncos’ initial 53-man roster after missing all of OTAs with a heart procedure.

Expected to be ready to go by training camp, Cooper could certainly prove to be a factor. He showed some great stuff at the 2021 Senior Bowl with his raw power and effort, as well as some really nice inside counter moves.

It will be fascinating to see how Cooper holds up against NFL-caliber tackles with the same types of moves we saw from him at the Senior Bowl. He needs to continually diversify his game because straight-line rushing doesn’t always work at the NFL level.

Luckily, he has the ability to pick the brains of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb at work.