The Denver Broncos have a glaring hole up the middle on defense. Their inside linebacker play the last few years has been shaky, and losing Alex Singleton to a blown ACL this past year only raised questions about the future at the position.
To fill the hole left by Singleton, the team turned to three men: Cody Barton, Justin Strnad, and Zach Cunningham. Cunningham was on a career resurgence and was a capable backup, Barton was fine as a second inside backer, but the drop off from Singleton to Strnad, who ranked 140th of 189 inside backers by Pro Football Focus, is what did the Broncos in at the position. Where can Denver turn to find its next starter?
Broncos should be in on big-name free agent linebackers in 2025
Free Agency
Nick Bolton has become something of a popular name in these conversations. The former Chief is going to be the rare 24-year-old free agent and will likely demand a massive contract. Some would argue that he is not the best player at his position on the open market, but his rare combination of age, playoff success, and track record of success makes him one of the most appealing players on the market.
At only 24, one could argue that he has not reached his prime yet, and any team signing him will be getting all of his prime. Bolton graded out as the 84th graded inside backer in football by PFF.
Another major name with significant Broncos ties will be former Saints and Eagles inside linebacker Zack Baun. The former Sean Payton player was a special teamer and backup for most of his career before getting a chance to start this year with the Eagles, and all he did was become a defensive player of the year finalist. Baun, 28, was PFF's second-highest graded inside linebacker in his first full year as a starter.
What might scare teams away from him is his lack of background and playing on one of the best defenses in football last year with the Eagles. As is always the case, being a part of a great defense makes your job a bit easier, but that is not to take away from Baun. He had an incredible year and will be a seismic addition wherever he lands. Could a reunion with Sean Payton be in the cards?
Draft
This year's draft class is not the sexiest at inside linebacker, but there is talent for sure. Alabama's Jihaad Campbell and South Carolina's Demetrius Knight Jr. figure to be the first at their position off the board and could find themselves as a first-round selection. Others, such as UCLA's Carson Schwesinger and Georgia's Jalon Walker, could be considered if available to the Broncos.
The only other notable prospect who could go early enough to garner serious attention could be Chris Paul Jr. of Ole Miss, but he could find himself as an early 3rd round selection. Top to bottom, this inside linebacker group is not overly impressive, and the Broncos could be better off looking to free agency to try and find a long-term fit for their defensive unit, which is the opposite of how they should approach finding their next backup quarterback to franchise man Bo Nix.