ESPN Puts Spotlight on 'Nonstarter to Know' for Broncos

Denver Broncos sophomore outside linebacker Jonah Elliss is getting his flowers from The Worldwide Leader.

On Monday, ESPN labeled Elliss — currently the team's third-string edge rusher — as the "nonstarter to know" for the Broncos ahead of the 2025 season.

"Elliss was third among rookies with five sacks last season, and he was incredible with the run game, tackling ball carriers after an average gain of just 1.8 yards," ESPN's Aaron Schatz wrote. "He's versatile, with the ability to move inside to rush on passing downs or drop into coverage from the outside. There is some question about when he'll be available, as recovering from a broken scapula he sustained in the wild-card loss to the Bills might cost him some of training camp."

Drafted No. 76 overall last year, Elliss made a demonstrable impact in his maiden NFL campaign despite being buried on the depth chart. The former Utah All-American flashed with seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, five sacks, and two pass breakups across 434 defensive snaps, earning Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team honors.

Elliss underwent surgery after suffering a fractured scapula amid Denver's playoff appearance at Buffalo. While he conceded in June that there remains "a little bit of stuff we need to work on" to gain medical clearance, the Broncos did not place him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to open training camp.

Assuming he gets the green light, Elliss should reprise his role as the first OLB off the bench behind locked-in starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Eventually, the hope is that he follows in the footsteps of Bonitto — from a little-known backup in 2023 to an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2024.

“No doubt," Broncos general manager George Paton told reporters in March. "Look at Nik Bonitto. Last year at this time did we think Nik Bonitto would be an All-Pro player? I don’t think anyone would have said that. It’s a credit to Sean, it’s a credit to the staff how they develop these young players to take that next step. They all grow at different areas. Like we talked about, [CB] Pat Surtain [II] walked in the door. He was Pat Surtain, but a lot of these guys, some get it in the second year, some get it in the third year. You can’t be overly patient, but you just have to keep developing your young players.”