The Denver Broncos announced a significant position change last week, and it sent ripple effects through the team and their draft plans. It was once considered a slam dunk that the Broncos would select an inside linebacker at 62nd overall, but after Jonah Elliss' switch to the position, that isn't clear anymore. There is every reason to believe that Elliss can be as effective as anyone else that the Broncos could have taken at that spot in the draft.
Elliss is an athletic freak and has shown that time and time again since debuting in the NFL with the Broncos in 2024. He lost playing time in 2025 after dealing with a few injuries, and the strong play of Que Robinson in his limited chances might have changed the order of the depth chart. In a few ways, the move to inside linebacker works well for everyone involved with the decision.
The former Utah Ute played the majority of his snaps over his final two years in college as an edge rusher, but played more of a combination role in his freshman year in 2021. His size and athleticism fit very well up the middle, and it doesn't hurt that playing inside linebacker runs in his family, with his brother Christian starting up the middle for the Patriots. The biggest reason he should succeed? His former college coach, now the head coach at the University of Michigan, doesn't see why he won't.
Jonah Elliss' former college coach just gave the Denver Broncos' newest inside linebacker a major vote of confidence
University of Michigan head coach and former Utah lead man Kyle Whittingham recruited Elliss out of high school and considered him a player who could play up the middle. His freshman year saw time at both, but his ability to get off blocks and into the backfield dictated his eventual commitment to being an edge rusher. Despite his incredible ability to do so, Whittingham believes Elliss can succeed in his position change at the NFL level.
Whittingham recently spoke to The Denver Post about Elliss, and what he said should inspire confidence in every Broncos fan:
"'He’s certainly got the physicality to destroy blocks — block destruction is something he’s really good at,' Kyle Whittingham told The Post. 'He’s also got very good just, flat-out speed … I think he’s got what it takes to be a very good all-around (inside) linebacker.'"
Whittingham listed a few other indicators that he believes show that Elliss will be able to make the transition, including that he has great foot speed and that he spent "considerable" time on punt coverage, which Whittingham believes is a strong indicator as to whether a player can play man coverage or not, a spot where Broncos linebackers struggled last year.
The Elliss position change was not on anyone's radar, but looking deeper into the player and reading the words of his former coach, perhaps it should have been more obvious. Whittingham, now one of the more prominent coaches in college football, believes Elliss can make the move, and it's starting to seem like it could be a slam dunk decision by the Broncos and their coaching staff.