Jonah Elliss: Broncos' Edge Rusher to Linebacker?

On March 31st, Broncos' Ed rusher Jonah Ellis had a down year in 2025, battling

Rive, shoulder and hamstring injuries that sidelined. Him for four games, he

still logged 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and plenty of pressures over 13 games, but

production dipped from his rookie season. Sean Payton dropped the news at the NFL

annual meetings. Ellis could slide inside to linebacker next year for much

needed depth. The Broncos just cut Dre Greenlaw after one season, leaving that

spy thin, and Ellis already has over 86 coverage snaps from his edge roll. Fans

and analysts are buzzing because Payton pulled off a similar switch with Jonah's

older brother, Kaden, back in New Orleans. Kaden went from part-time edge guy to

a tackle machine, racking up over 100 stops in his first full year inside,

then signing a $33 million dollar deal with Atlanta after. Ellis brings the

perfect tools at 6 foot 2, 246 pounds, with elite athleticism and that family

burst off the edge. Dropping him into linebacker could free up his reps behind

guys like Nick Benito and Jonathan Cooper. If this blueprint works like it did

for Kaden, Ellis might explode for Denver's defense in 2026, turning a depth

piece into a real weapon.