The Denver Broncos defense is loaded with star players, but one more unheralded depth piece could be a candidate to break out this season.
Dondrea Tillman went undrafted out of Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2021. He was then signed by the Broncos last year after spending three seasons with the UFL's Birmingham Stallions. There, he racked up 5.5 sacks in 12 games in 2024, before adding five more sacks at the NFL level as well.
Now, The Athletic's Nick Kosmider is expecting Tillman to be Denver's biggest surprise on defense as the edge rusher gets more playing time.
"His finish rate last season was impressive, and I think you’ll see his numbers go up as his opportunities increase," Kosmider said.
Tillman appeared in 13 games with the Broncos last season and just turned 27 years old this past April. At 6'3" and 270 lbs, Kosmider praised his unique size for a linebacker and stout run defense. That showed up on film as Tillman made a strong impression in his final game of the season with seven tackles in the Broncos' Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The reserve weakside linebacker sits behind ' star pass rusher Nik Bonitto, so snaps are limited, but he could find his way on the field in ways other than just relief for Bonitto.
So far, Tillman has been making the most of his shot at the NFL. It should be interesting to see what the future holds in his second year of development under Broncos' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
