Getty Luther Eliss #94 of the Denver Broncos.
The Denver Broncos are building up their trenches in the 2024 draft.
After tabbing Bo Nix to be the franchise’s hopeful quarterback of the future, they focused on defense on Day 2 of the 2024 draft. The Broncos selected Utah Utes edge defender Jonah Eliss, a player known for his motor and refinement as a pass rusher, at No. 76 overall.
He also has strong NFL bloodlines, with brothers Christian and Kaden suiting up on Sundays for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, respectively, during the season.
Their father, Luther, had a 10-year NFL career, including one season with the Broncos.
The eldest Eliss appeared in eight games for the Broncos during the 2004 season and was the team chaplain during the 2005 season. Luther Elliss spent the other nine years of his career with the Detroit Lions.
The father is listed at 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds. But Jonah Eliss is built more like his brothers at 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds.
He is coming off an extremely productive season for the Utes.
Coming 🔜 to the 303.
Eliss logged career-highs with 12.0 sacks and 16.0 tackles for loss in his third season. He had 4.0 sacks and seven tackles for loss in his previous two seasons combined. Eliss was near the top in rankings for several advanced metrics this season.
“Elliss comes from a family filled with football players both past and present,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote pre-draft. “Jonah plays with a motor that exposes blockers who aren’t finishers. He doesn’t have enough sand in his pants to anchor and hold an NFL edge in the run game but he assaults the pocket with varied approaches and a good inside spin counter.”
Zierlein notes Elliss is undersized but points to brother Kaden, who has recorded 11.0 sacks over the last two seasons for the Falcons and New Orleans Saints.
Jonah can be a “rotational” edge and “above-average” special teamer, Zierlein says.
Broncos Draft Jonah Elliss to Bolster Pass Rush
GettyJonah Elliss of the Denver Broncos.
Eliss’ addition only serves to underscore the Broncos’ need for more pass-rushing juice. Even after a season in which their top two edge rushers finished with career-high marks, the Broncos had the ninth-fewest sacks as a team in 2023.
Jonathon Cooper (8.5 sacks) and Nik Bonnito (8.0 sacks) could both take another step in their respective development tracks this season.
They have to without much in the way of depth behind them.
The next players behind them were interior lineman Zach Allen, who had 5.0 sacks, and Baron Browning with 4.0 sacks. And the dropoff is steep after that, with former Bronco Josey Jewell tying safety P.J. Locke with 3.0 sacks last season.
30-year-old linebacker Alex Singleton tied Ja’Quan McMillan and D.J. Jones with 2.0 sacks, further underscoring the Broncos’ need for a true game-changer up front.
Broncos Have Limited Options in Free Agency
GettyCarl Lawson #58 of the New York Jets.
There aren’t many viable options in free agency that would be worth the cap space or taking away from either Bonitto or Cooper next season. But former New York Jets pass rusher Carl Lawson could be worth a look.
Lawson, 29, did not record a sack in his six games last season. But he logged 17.5 sacks from 2020-22 after posting a career-best 8.5 as a rookie in 2017.
Coming off a three-year, $45 million contract, he could be a bargain now.