The Denver Broncos, had they been healthier for the AFC Championship Game, would have surely beaten the New England Patriots and absolutely could have beaten the Seattle Seahawks. After a 14-win regular season, it became clear that Denver was a legitimate juggernaut.
But even the best teams in the NFL struggle at certain positions. Offensively, as we all know, the Broncos just did not get good enough play from the playmaking unit. The best player on offense in 2025 was J.K. Dobbins, but he went down in Week 10 with a season-ending foot injury.
On defense, Denver clearly had issues right in the middle with the inside linebacker group. Between uninspiring play from Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw not being able to stay on the field, the Broncos figure to again be in the market for some upgrades at this position. NFL Draft guru Daniel Jeremiah, in his recent mock draft, had the Broncos upgrading at linebacker and finding a Singleton replacement.
Daniel Jeremiah mocks Georgia's CJ Allen to the Denver Broncos in his 2.0 version
Jeremiah uses the Broncos first-round pick on the talented linebacker from Georgia, CJ Allen.
"Denver finds a replacement for Alex Singleton, who is ticketed for free agency. Allen is a steady, reliable player who can handle the nerve center of that talented defense."
We're still a bit early into mock draft season, but Allen has been a player who has been mocked to the Broncos frequently, and for good reason. Lance Zierlein's draft profile on Allen is quite encouraging, and Allen does appear to profile as an ideal replacement for Singleton
"“Green dot” linebacker and team captain more capable of rowing the boat than making big splashes. Allen plays with toughness and control, sorting through run fits with patience and leverage in pursuit. He has average trigger quickness and pursuit speed, which forces him to work harder to get to junction points when facing climbing blockers. He has adequate size and strength with good hand strikes to play off blocks. He doesn’t blow up blocks or disrupt on the other side of the line all that often, though. He’s an effective blitzer with average man-cover talent and is capable on all three downs. Allen is a dependable starting Mike ‘backer who raises the floor of a defense."
Allen is more of an old-school linebacker and isn't a player who is going to make those insane, hyper-athletic plays from the position, but Zierlein notes in his profile that Allen is a tough player and a 'green dot' linebacker, which means he's someone who can relay the play-calls from Vance Joseph and get the defense lined up.
This, perhaps more than being an athletic, splash player, is the most important part of being a linebacker, and it's why there seems to be a chance that Singleton returns to the Broncos. However, Denver could key in on Allen and find someone who is a lot younger and very likely a better player.
With Greenlaw saying that learning Joseph's defense was like learning Spanish, it's clear that the Broncos need for a certain type of linebacker is near the top, or at the very top of the offseason wish list.