Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton made some intriguing comments about moving linebacker Jonah Ellis inside.
When Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton made the rounds at the NFL spring meetings in Arizona, most of his comments were about expected topics. The Jaylen Waddle trade was at the top of the list, which wasn’t unexpected, but Payton also offered some surprising thoughts about Denver’s inside linebacker situation that were about moving Jonah Elliss inside.
Nick Kosmider of The Athletic offered some thoughts on what it means for the Broncos defense now that Payton has said Elliss will “take some snaps inside,” and he focused on a couple of the automatic questions this move generates.
Specifically, what makes Elliss a fit at inside linebacker behind current starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad? And what does it mean for Que Robinson, who was drafted in the fourth round out of Alabama? Finally, how could it affect Denver’s draft plans now that the Waddle trade is a done deal?
The writer began with an assessment of Elliss from Nik Bonitto.
“Most versatile player in football,” Bonitto wrote on X of Elliss. “I have no doubt he will make plays wherever he is lined up.”
Payton is well aware of that versatility, and he wants to capitalize on it. He’s been all about defensive depth lately, and Elliss definitely fits into the current positional equation.
“Sometimes you have to look at your skill set and then project where you think it can go,” Payton said, “and (it is) your depth on the edge that allows you to do something like that.”
Elliss’s stats are on the quiet side given his limited playing time to date, but when you break them down they start to get more impressive. He’s had 7.5 sacks in 30 games in his first two seasons, and he’s played 38 percent of Denver’s defensive snaps as a rotational player who subs in for linebackers like Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper.
Elliss’s coverage snaps are less impressive, but the video has shown that he can cover running backs, which Dre Greenlaw couldn’t do last season.
“We know that he is smart, tough and has all the (traits)” to make the switch, Payton said of Elliss.
As for Robinson, the Broncos are high on him as well, as GM George Paton also noted this week.
“He may have the most upside of anyone in our draft class,” general manager George Paton said at season’s end. “He’s long, he’s athletic. He can run and is really good in the run game. He’s just learning how to rush, just learning to rush the passer, but has all the traits. … We’re really encouraged with him.”
This is a big change, but it’s based on continuity. The Broncos know that Singleton is over 30, so they have to have athletic players ready to step in for him this year, and Elliss and Robinson are two players they’ve identified as the most viable possibilities right now. Rotating them in could also keep Denver from having to draft a linebacker, which is important considering the Broncos’ draft position and relative lack of draft capital right now.