Josiah Trotter
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University of Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter.
In terms of NFL lineage, you can’t do much better at linebacker than the Trotter family — legendary NFL All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and now, University of Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter.
The last of those might end up on the Denver Broncos soon enough, with Pro Football Focus’ latest 3-round mock draft predicting Josiah Trotter will wind up there in the 3rd round (No. 94 overall) of the 2026 NFL draft.
Trotter, 6-foot-2 and 237 pounds, played 2 seasons for West Virginia then 1 season for Missouri before declaring for the NFL draft — he’s still only 20 years old.
“Josiah Trotter perfectly defines the phrases ‘heat-seeking missile’ and ‘plays with his hair on fire’ … The 6’2″, 237-pound linebacker may not have his father’s size (262-pound Jeremiah Trotter), but Jeremiah did pass down his instincts against the run, and the younger Trotter has the speed and athleticism to capitalize,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Also, Josiah’s older brother, Jeremiah Jr., was a fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.”
Trotter Only Played 2 Seasons of College Football
Trotter actually redshirted in 2023 with a torn ACL so he has only played college football for 2 years, which NFL teams might hesitate about as far as bringing him in.
In those 2 seasons, though, Trotter has racked up some big-time stats.
In 2024, Trotter had 92 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 interception and 2 pass deflections on the way to being named All-Big 12 and the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
In 2025 at Mizzou, Trotter was an All-SEC pick with 84 tackles, 13 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 13 TFLs and 1 pass deflection.
“Josiah Trotter is a densely built and explosive linebacker prospect,” Yahoo Sports NFL draft analyst Chris Pflum wrote. “He is a twitchy athlete with good short-area quickness and great play strength to take on and defeat blocks when he uncoils his hips. Trotter shows great football IQ and instincts when playing downhill in the run game. He routinely makes an accurate first move toward the play in run defense and shows a clear understanding of blocking schemes. Trotter wastes little time making his run fits and approaches gaps like a running back. His explosiveness allows him to shoot gaps and blow up plays in the backfield, while also being agile enough to negotiate the trash and scrape laterally in pursuit.”
Broncos Need to Plan for Future at Inside LB
The Broncos have some big question marks at inside linebacker moving forward after 2025 free agent signee Dre Greenlaw (3 years, $31.5 million) came up woefully short.
Greenlaw’s health was an issue beginning in the preseason, which he missed almost the entirety of with a mysterious injury issue, and also led to him missing 9 regular-season games.
Even when he was healthy, Greenlaw couldn’t seem to get right, including serving a one-game suspension for a postgame confrontation with a game official.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine put Greenlaw at the top of his list of possible salary cap casualties for the Broncos this offseason, and just one year after he signed a 3-year, $31.5 million contract.
The Broncos could save $6 million if they cut Greenlaw before June 1.