The Denver Broncos made a very wise selection in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, taking Utah pass rusher Jonah Elliss. This was a good selection, as the Broncos needed a huge boost off the EDGE. And yes, we can argue about the prospect itself, but it's a huge position of need and it's nice to see that Sean Payton and George Paton recognized that.
Jonah Elliss played his college football at Utah and is still just 21 years old. And as a quick fun fact, his brother, Kaden, was drafted by Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints, so here's the inevitable connection.
Elliss does apparently come with some injury concerns and is a bit undersized, but the production is there. In fact, in 2023, he racked up 16 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. He also added three passes defenced for good measure. Here's a blurb on Elliss from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein:
"Elliss comes from a family filled with football players both past and present. He lacks ideal size and athleticism on the edge but the same could be said about his brother, Kaden, when he was a prospect, and he’s now a highly productive NFL linebacker. Jonah plays with a motor that exposes blockers who aren’t finishers. He doesn’t have enough sand in his pants to anchor and hold an NFL edge in the run game but he assaults the pocket with varied approaches and a good inside spin counter. He needs more muscle but could become a rotational 3-4 rush linebacker with above-average special teams qualities."Lance Zierlein
It seems like Elliss is going to have to get his start with the Denver Broncos playing predominantly special teams, but that's OK. For the Broncos, it's nice to see the team prioritizing the important aspects of a winning football team; they got the QB, and now they get someone who can hopefully help get to the QB.
It's not rocket science how good, winning NFL teams are built. The Denver Broncos could still use a pure defensive tackle and some more play-makers on offense, but Jonah Elliss is a quality selection in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.