After the Denver Broncos opted to pass on the inside linebackers in the NFL draft, it’s uncertain who will start next to Josey Jewell this season.
One of the most notable candidates for the job is Baron Browning, who was a third-round pick out of Ohio State last year and started nine games as a rookie. Denver has had Browning working as an outside linebacker this spring, though.
”Baron, he did a great job at outside backer this past camp,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said after the team’s voluntary minicamp last week. “I think he’s going to grow there. You can never have enough people to rush a passer.”
If Browning plays as an OLB full-time, Alex Singleton and Jonas Griffith will presumably compete for the starting job next to Jewell. Browning moving to edge defender would also shake up the team’s OLB rotation — but Hackett has said the team can’t have too many pass rushers.
“We talk a lot … [about] how the quarterback plays, it’s how you affect the quarterback from the defense’s perspective. So we want to find as many rushers as we can. We want great competition in that room. I feel like we’re going to be able to get after some of these quarterbacks in this division.”
Browning is joining an already-crowded OLB room that includes Bradley Chubb, Randy Gregory, second-round pick Nik Bonitto, Malik Reed, Jonathon Cooper, top undrafted free agent Christopher Allen and special teams ace Aaron Patrick. Denver will put the “you can never have too many pass rushers” adage to the test with that group as it’s hard to imagine all of them making the 53-man roster.
The Broncos clearly like the idea of Browning playing on the outside, but that would seemingly weaken the team’s ILB depth chart while boosting a deep OLB rotation. The best solution might be to give Browning a hybrid role, allowing him to move around based on the situation.
Regardless of where he lines up, Browning will aim to take a step forward in Year 2 after totaling 58 tackles and two pass breakups last season.