Taking a look at the Broncos 2024 rookie class and grading their rookie year this past season. Today, we look at third-round pick, edge rusher, Jonah Elliss.
In the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected edge rusher Jonah Elliss out of Utah. The explosive edge rusher joined an edge rushing room that at the time, had more questions than answers, and provided the team with another pass-rushing option off the edge.
He flashed throughout the offseason, training camp, and the preseason and would end up being an important rotational/situational edge rusher for the Broncos this season. He played in all 17 games and totaled 38 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, and had 5 sacks on the year. Those are pretty solid numbers for a guy who did not start and played behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper who both had great seasons.
Congrats to OLB @jonah_elliss on being named to the @PFWAWriters All-Rookie Team!
» https://t.co/j8IiJ9PMZB pic.twitter.com/u6deU0OrUE
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 21, 2025
At the trade deadline, the Broncos traded edge rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a sixth-round selection. This trade opened up more playing time for Elliss who became the top reserve off the bench and would come in for Bonitto or Cooper when they needed a rest.
Due to Elliss’s impressive rookie year, the Broncos explosive pass rusher was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team. This is a helluva honor for a rookie who was a rotational edge rusher off the bench this season.
Thoughts
It was a promising rookie year for Elliss who proved to be a solid pass rusher off the edge for the Broncos. At one point in the season, he had three straight games with a sack and was part of a Broncos pass-rushing unit that led the league in sacks.
When the Broncos traded away Baron Browning, that showed the confidence the team had in Elliss. He would go from being the fourth or fifth edge rusher to being their top reserve off the bench who rotates in throughout the game for Bonitto or Cooper.
We saw the growth an edge rusher can make from year one to year two and even year three with Nik Bonitto. Elliss had a more productive rookie year than Bonitto and if he can continue the same growth, he could give the Broncos another dominant pass rusher off the edge for Vance Joseph’s defense.
Season Grade: B