If there is one position on the Denver Broncos' elite defense where the team has struggled to find long-term stability, it has to be at linebacker.
Since the team won Super Bowl 50 over 10 years ago, the Broncos have been searching and shuffling at the linebacker position. But during that special Super Bowl 50 run, the team had one of the most enviable linebacker duos in the league: Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall.
Both of those players were proof that you can find star players anywhere. Trevathan was a 6th-round pick by the Broncos in the 2012 NFL Draft, and Marshall was scooped onto the practice squad after being prematurely cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now, all these years (and attempts to find the same level of linebacker play) later, the Broncos might have another late-round gem just like Trevathan once was. A physical, hard-hitting, tackling machine who might go from late-round pick to future starter. With training camp on the near horizon, Red Murdock is a name to remember for Denver Broncos fans.
Red Murdock is following a Broncos path once taken by Danny Trevathan
Danny Trevathan was the 188th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, a 6th-rounder who was actually the last pick of the Broncos' class that year. He joined a linebacker room that already included a couple of established starters in Joe Mays and Wesley Woodyard, but the Broncos were on the hunt for more long-term solutions and talent upgrades over those two guys.
They had taken Nate Irving in the third round the year prior, but he was unable to carve out a role as a rookie on the defense.
The addition of Trevathan was a shot at film production vs. athletic traits. The Broncos -- and pretty much everybody -- knew that Trevathan was a tackling machine at Kentucky, but his poor 2.24 RAS indicated that he might be a long shot to ever play at the NFL level.
But even though he didn't test well athletically, Trevathan was undeniably in the right place at the right time more often than not. Whatever his athletic limitations, they didn't show up on the field at Kentucky, and for three straight seasons, he was an absolute tackling machine. He had 287 total tackles in his final two years there, racking up 27.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 4 INTs (all in his senior season), and 9 forced fumbles.
Is this all starting to sound a little bit familiar?
Just like Trevathan, Red Murdock was the Broncos' final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft class, even though Trevathan was taken in the 6th round and Murdock was Mr. Irrelevant in his class. Murdock may have fallen in the NFL Draft somewhat due to athletic limitations, but he posted a very respectable 6.81 on the RAS scale, and obviously was wildly productive at Buffalo.
Over his last two seasons at the college level, Murdock had 298 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and an astounding 13 forced fumbles.
Just like the Broncos once did entering a Super Bowl window with Danny Trevathan, the Broncos might be putting some faith in Murdock now in 2026 to play an immediate role on special teams, and be ready for a prominent role on defense.
Trevathan played a full-time role on special teams as a rookie (253 snaps) while also playing a bit more of a prominent role on defense than anticipated for a 6th-round rookie (238 snaps). Injuries (and suspensions) forced him into the lineup that year, and he never really looked back. By the time the 2013 season rolled around, Trevathan was a full-time starter for the Broncos' defense, and a key reason why they had one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2015.
Despite those athletic limitations, Trevathan ended up playing 10 years in the NFL, and helped the Broncos win a Super Bowl.
Murdock is currently going to open training camp behind the likes of Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, and maybe even guys like Jordan Turner and Karene Reid. That's how Sean Payton operates. Everything is earned, nothing is given.
But Murdock turned heads at OTAs and minicamp. Even without pads on, he looked like a quick study on the practice field and was doing what he does best: Play instinctively.
If he can prove himself early on special teams, and earn the trust of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph during training camp, he could skyrocket up the depth chart just like Trevathan once did.
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