Denver Broncos: 7 players the team should claim on waivers

3. Justin Hilliard, LB (49ers)

The Denver Broncos just threw the San Francisco 49ers a nice draft pick for a player — Jonas Griffith — who may have otherwise hit the waiver wire.

You might as well go ahead and grab the other guy who was competing for a spot in San Francisco and a player who was highly coveted after the 2021 NFL Draft as well, Justin Hilliard.

Hilliard, unlike some of his peers at Ohio State, did not test very well in the pre-draft process. Still, it was slightly shocking to see him go completely undrafted in the 2021 class and he showed off his hard-hitting abilities in the preseason.

The Denver Broncos have been on a streak of really, really good luck with Ohio State Buckeyes players, looking specifically at 2019 third-round pick Dre’Mont Jones and now 2021 rookies Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning who look like they are going to be really good for this team as well.

There’s a definite Buckeye-Bronco connection going on right now and Hilliard would have no problem fitting into the locker room with so many of his former Buckeye teammates already on the roster.

The linebacker position in Denver is not solidified beyond this season, by any means, so adding a player like Hilliard could make some sense.