Edge rushers: 5 (38/53)
- Baron Browning
- Jonathon Cooper
- Nik Bonitto
- Jonah Elliss
- Dondrea Tillman
There are no questions right now regarding the top four off the edge for the Denver Broncos. The team obviously hopes they can make it to the regular season with a healthy quartet of Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, and Jonah Elliss. Having all four of those guys available would be a tremendous luxury and would give the Broncos a lot of talent off the edge.
The one wrinkle the team has thrown into the mix here is Dondrea Tillman, one of the top UFL players over the past few years and a pressure player with versatility and playmaking ability. At 270 pounds, Tillman is the heaviest of the OLB group in Denver right now but he could be a versatile weapon for the defensive line and move all around the formation.
Linebackers: 4 (42/53)
- Alex Singleton
- Jonas Griffith
- Cody Barton
- Justin Strnad
If tight end is the biggest question mark on the Denver Broncos' roster going into 2024, then the linebacker position is nipping at its heels.
The loss of Josey Jewell isn't insurmountable, but the Broncos don't have much certainty next to Alex Singleton right now. Cody Barton is the most proven player aside from Singleton and has multiple seasons in a row with over 100 total tackles. He could be in line to start this season but the Broncos would feel comfortable with him as a core special teams player.
Jonas Griffith was supposed to start for this team in 2022 but suffered a couple of injuries and actually paved the way for Alex Singleton to get his big-money deal. His talent and upside is still there, and at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, he's got a rare blend of size and athleticism at this position.
The unfortunate reality of this position group is that the player with the highest upside -- 2023 third-round pick Drew Sanders -- is likely going to be missing most if not all of the season due to an injury suffered before the draft. Sanders' position vision wasn't clear, though. Was he an off-ball linebacker or an edge defender?
Either way, him being injured was a huge blow to the potential of this group.