Jonah Elliss
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Denver Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss.
In 2024, as the Denver Broncos snapped a 9-year postseason drought, 1 of the key figures on defense during the regular season was rookie edge rusher and 2024 3rd round pick Jonah Elliss.
Elliss, 6-foot-2 and 246 pounds, surprised everyone with 38 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 7 TFL, 6 QB hits and 2 pass deflections as a rookie while playing in all 17 regular-season games. His 5.0 sacks were the 3rd most of any NFL rookie and he made the NFL All-Rookie Team — the only Broncos player to do so in 2024.
Unfortunately for Elliss, his bravura rookie season ended in disaster with a broken scapula in an AFC Wild Card Round blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Those injury issues seemed to spread into the 2025 season for Elliss, who missed 4 games with shoulder, rib and hamstring issues and saw his numbers drop to 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 6 TFL and 5 QB hits.
Firmly behind the depth chart behind NFL All-Pro Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz put Ellis at the top of his list of Broncos who could use a “Change of Scenery” in 2026.
“This is not an issue of a player who has not properly developed,” Schatz wrote. “Instead, Elliss is a talented young pass rusher who doesn’t have a path to start behind veterans Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Last season, Elliss had a 14.1% pass rush win rate and a 12.2% pressure rate. Both numbers were above average for edge rushers, but he played only 38% of snaps in the games for which he was active. It would be intriguing to see Elliss get a chance to start elsewhere in the league. Perhaps alongside his brother Christian with New England if K’Lavon Chaisson leaves in free agency?”
Broncos Might Want to Hold Off on Trade
While the 2026 NFL draft might yield a new edge rusher or 2 for the Broncos, it seems like trading Elliss right now would be incredibly short sighted.
Not only is Elliss a talented young player playing on the cheap — he has 2 years left on his 4-year, $5.87 million rookie contract — but he provides invaluable depth to the Broncos.
While that might not be the best thing for Elliss right now, it’s the absolute best thing for the Broncos. Any extended absence for Bonitto or Cooper would leave the Broncos in a really vulnerable spot on the edges — having Elliss there to step in and fill the void alleviates almost all of those concerns.
Unique Place in NFL History for Elliss Family
There has never been a family like the 1 Elliss comes from in the history of the NFL.
Elliss is the son of 2-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Luther Elliss, who ended his career with the Broncos in 2004, and the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss, New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss and free-agent defensive tackle Noah Elliss, who played the last two seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Ellisses are thought to be the only set of 4 brothers to play in the NFL.
Jonah Elliss was a consensus Associated Press All-American at Utah in 2023 with 12.0 sacks and 16 TFL in just 10 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. He was also a 2-time All-Pac-12 selection for the Utes