Before the Broncos sent their first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins as part of the package that netted them wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, one of the players who appeared to be on their radar as a potential fit at the No. 30 slot was Georgia inside linebacker CJ Allen.
He’s likely to be long gone by the time the Broncos’ first draft turn at No. 62 arrives.
But this is an inside-linebacker class blessed with talent. The Broncos met with some of them at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. And as Mel Kiper Jr. noted, there’s plenty to examine.
“If you look into that later portion off-ball wise, I think Josiah Trotter from Missouri, very active, very athletic, a great range there, Bryce Boettcher from Oregon, Keyshaun Elliott from Arizona State,” Kiper said recently.
“Have to see where Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech goes, he could end up maybe in the third-round area. Jake Golday, Cincinnati, could end up in the second-round area, some even think late first. Anthony Hill Jr. is a late-one, early-two, so those are the guys there.
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“But for down the line a little bit, I think Trotter, Boettcher, Elliott, I like Justin Jefferson from Alabama as a fourth-rounder, Karson Sharar from Iowa is maybe a fourth-rounder, and Jack Kelly from BYU is a fourth-, fifth-rounder.
“So, there are some off-ball linebackers you can pick up, like, say, in that second-, third-, fourth- round range that’ll help a team.”
Four linebackers were in NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent top-50 list: Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, Allen, Hill and Rodriguez. So, the notion that Rodriguez in particular could slip to Round 3 — or even to No. 62, when the Broncos select, is debatable. One recent mock draft, posted by Pro Football Focus, had the Texas Tech product being taken in Round 1 at the No. 31 spot by the Patriots.
But the spread of talent shows that the Broncos could find their answer deep into the draft, just as may be the case at running back.
ONE WHO COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE BRONCOS: JOSIAH TROTTER
Last week, ESPN’s Field Yates suggested Trotter as a potential fit with the Broncos at the No. 62 slot when he chatted with Mina Kimes on her podcast.
“It wouldn't surprise me if they look to add to that linebacker room.”
Ahead of the draft, @FieldYates and I discussed the stacked Broncos’ remaining needs—and why Missouri LB Josiah Trotter could be a nice fit 👀https://t.co/4bMcFpmGc0 @awscloud @nextgenstats pic.twitter.com/wG62ewnLSO
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 20, 2026
“Wouldn’t surprise me if they look to add to that linebacker room at some point during the draft,” Yates said.
As for Trotter, the Mizzou product is Jeremiah Trotter‘s son, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s younger brother, so, he’s well-versed in NFL life. He’s an in-the-box thumper, excellent at diagnosing run plays as they develop and attacking them. But he has dealt with knee issues, costing him the 2023 season. Another knee problem popped up again late last year.