The Denver Broncos begin their 2026 preseason action on August 14th against the Atlanta Falcons, as this is the time of the offseason where the NFL world gets to watch as certain players go all out to preserve a roster spot.
And for the Broncos, that is as true as ever. While many of the starters and even backups are entrenched in their spots for 2026, there is still a lot up for grabs, and preseason is where those players make those strides.
While the team's roster might just be the best in the NFL right now, or at least the best in the AFC, there is a position that has been a thorn in the side of the team for years now, and this preseason could give the team hope that the talent in this unit genuinely got better.
Denver Broncos need to see some production from their linebacking group during the preseason
The inside linebacker group has been a position filled with inconsistencies over the years, unfortunately. Last offseason, the Broncos took a major risk and signed Dre Greenlaw, but he only managed to get onto the field for about half of the games. He got cut after just one season. And while he was the best linebacker on the roster, the Broncos clearly didn't want to continue that marriage.
The team, instead, re-signed Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. While Strnad is a good player with pass rushing and coverage ability, Singleton simply isn't. He's a major liability in coverage and just does not do much of anything besides rack up a ton of tackles. Given how deep the free agency class at the position was this offseason, many are still baffled that Denver is primed to run it back with two of the same players.
With that said, the Broncos landed Red Murdock from Buffalo with the final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and thus far, he has made some noise in camp:
Karene Reid and Levelle Bailey are listed as the backup ILBs to Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
— AROD - Anthony Rodriguez (@AnthonyRod33) August 12, 2026
Not a shock that Red Murdock is listed behind them as a rookie as Sean always lists rookies last but it will be tough to keep Red down there given his strong camp, big play ability…
The Broncos also landed Taurean York as an undrafted free agent. York just turned 21 years old and was a captain in college, so there could be something notable with him. Murdock, despite nearly going undrafted, has incredible collegiate production and owns the all-time NCAA forced fumbles record.
Other players like Karene Reid and Levelle Bailey are also present in the room. The Broncos did add some pieces to this unit, but at the same time, it felt like they left a lot of meat on the bone. There were a slew of free agents that the Broncos could have signed, and there were surely some linebackers in the draft that Denver also could have taken.
It feels like a risk with this current group going into 2026, but that also doesn't mean the depth guys can't show out in the preseason. With starters playing some snaps on the 14th against the Falcons, and the backups cleaning up the rest, this will be the first opportunity we truly get to see what this new-ish look linebacker room is made of.
It was the weakest position on the roster (arguably) last year, and unless some of these non-starters are able to make some noise, it could be the weakest again. The two players to watch would absolutely be Murdock and York, as it's reasonable to say that each would have a higher ceiling than others in the room due to their rookie status.
Perhaps the young guys can begin to change the narrative here.
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