The discussion around the Denver Broncos when it comes to their 53-man roster is 1 that most teams would love to have right now — every player on the bubble seems like someone who would easily make another team’s roster.
Nowhere on the Broncos’ roster is that battle more pronounced than at inside linebacker, where a mega-difficult decision awaits with a pair of rookies in 7th-round pick Red Murdock and undrafted free agent Taurean York.
Both Mile High Report and ESPN have Murdock getting that spot in their 53-man roster predictions, but York has handled himself like an NFL linebacker since he showed up for offseason workouts. He’s a player the Broncos would hate to lose and 1 that would almost certainly get snatched up by another team.
Right now, though, the smart money seems to be on Murdock.
Red Murdock Has Upper Hand in Roster Battle
Murdock, 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds, set NCAA records at the University of Buffalo for career forced fumbles (17) and single-season forced fumbles (7).
In his final college season in 2025, Murdock filled up the stat sheet with 142 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection.
From the DNVR Denver Broncos Podcast: “I’m going to say that Taurean York goes to the practice squad. I think that there are people in the Broncos that think Red Murdock and Taurean York is the future at the position … at 21 and 22 years old, that’s pretty exciting.”
Both Mile High Report and ESPN have the Broncos keeping starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad along with Murdock — Mile High Report predicts Karene Reid as the 4th inside linebacker while ESPN has Jordan Turner in that spot.
“Undrafted rookie Taurean York certainly did enough to earn a spot, but it’s just a matter of whether the Broncos think two rookies (Murdock being the other) are ready to be the primary backups behind the two starters,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote on August 24. “Drew Sanders‘ injury in the preseason opener is a factor, but the Broncos have liked Turner’s progress and physicality. He has also gained momentum since returning from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list to open camp.”
Taurean York Making Most of Long-Shot NFL Dream
After a dominant career at Texas A&M, York almost certainly went undrafted solely because of his height — he’s only 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds.
In 3 seasons of college football, York had at least 70 tackles and 8.5 TFL each year.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport predicted York as a dark-horse roster upset. York signed a 3-year, $3.125 million contract that included a $25,000 bonus and $325,000 in guaranteed money — the most money the Broncos have ever paid an undrafted free agent and the most guaranteed money for any UDFA in the NFL in 2026.
“There is a path to the 53-man roster for the talented but undersized former Texas A&M standout,” Davenport wrote on July 23. “If there’s a weak spot on Denver’s stout defense this year, it’s at off-ball linebacker, where Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the projected starters. York isn’t going to push those veterans, but if he can show some special teams chops, he has a solid chance to be on Denver’s Week 1 roster.”
Broncos Facing Difficult Roster Decision With Pair of Rookie LBs