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The Denver Broncos closed out the preseason with a 38-12 blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 25. The win gave Denver a perfect, 3-0 record in exhibition games.
The Broncos also came away with one electric play that had fans Empower Field at Mile High in Denver buzzing as undrafted rookie linebacker Levelle Bailey intercepted a pass by Clayton Tune and returned it 94 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Bailey may have sealed his spot on the Broncos’ 53-man roster with his highlight-reel moment. Sports Illustrated’s Erick Trickel had Bailey projected as making the team at one of the inside linebacker spots ahead of the game against the Cardinals thanks to Bailey’s special teams play throughout the preseason.
“(Alex) Singleton is the only cemented starter at this point, and the starter next to him, who will back him up, is still up for grabs,” Trickel wrote. “With his play on special teams, Bailey has put himself in an excellent spot to be Singleton’s backup.”
The deadline for the Broncos and all NFL teams to cut rosters down to 53 players is Aug. 27. Denver opens its season at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.
Bailey Starred for Fresno State in College
Bailey, 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, was a five-year starter at Fresno State from 2019 to 2023, gaining another year of eligibility because of the pandemic.
Bailey was also a four-time All-Mountain West Conference selection from 2020 to 2023. He finished his career with 242 tackles, 24.5 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 22 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles and 6 interceptions.
Bailey had his most complete season as a senior in 2023 with 82 tackles, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein had Bailey rated properly as a priority free agent before the 2024 NFL draft.
“Bailey is a productive inside linebacker with below-average size and average pursuit speed,” Zierlein wrote. “The tackle totals are good but would be much more impressive if he played with better anticipation and play recognition. He would benefit from operating with better downhill aggression to stay ahead of the blocking scheme … Bailey’s run defense falls below the mark, but he’s very natural and effective in coverage. He’s a likely undrafted free agent who needs to improve his run take-on before he can make a squad.”
Broncos Don’t Have Depth at Inside Linebacker
While the Broncos seem to have a lot of depth at outside linebacker, inside linebacker is a different story.
While Singleton has one spot locked down after leading the Broncos in tackles the last two seasons, the other inside linebacker spot is very much up for grabs.
At that spot, Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith don’t appear to have created much separation between each other. Barton started 13 games for the Washington Commanders in 2023 and had 121 tackles. Griffith started 8 games for the Broncos in 2023 with 46 tackles and 1 interception.
“It seems that Barton will end up as the starter, though this battle is ongoing, and Griffith can take the job,” Trickel wrote. “Whoever ends up the starter will likely have a short leash, with the other ready to step in.”
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