Jonah Elliss has the potential to make the Broncos defense even more dangerous this upcoming season

Jonah Elliss having a breakout year would make the Broncos pass rush even more dangerous in 2025.

With their 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Utah edge rusher Jonah Elliss. He was added to a Broncos edge rushing unit that had more questions than answers at the time and was viewed as someone who could push to start his rookie season.

However, that never happened because Nik Bonitto had a breakout year while he and Jonathon Cooper were one of the better pass-rushing duos in the NFL. Elliss spent his rookie year as a rotational pass rusher who came in to spell Bonitto or Cooper throughout the game. Despite that, Elliss flashed potential throughout the year and had a stretch where he had a sack in three straight games. The exciting rookie finished the year with 5 sacks and will look to build on that in year two with the Broncos.

Unfortunately, during their wildcard loss to the Buffalo Bills, Elliss suffered a fractured scapula bone in his right shoulder. His father, Luther Elliss, told Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson that Jonah is expected to be ready for April’s offseason drills and that it’s “just a broken bone” and will take 6-8 weeks to heal.

Now, with him recovered from this broken bone, Elliss will look to have a big second-year jump and give the Broncos another dominant pass rusher off the edge.

Player Profile

Jonah Elliss | Edge Rusher | Broncos

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 246 pounds
• Arm Length: 33 inches
• Age: 22 years old
• Experience: 2nd
• 2024 stats: 38 tackles, 5 sacks, 7 tackles for a loss, 6 QB hits, and 2 pass deflections

Broncos EDGE Jonah Elliss’s 2025 outlook

With Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper coming off breakout/career years, Elliss will likely start the year in the same role as last year. He is projected to be the top reserve edge rusher off the bench who will spell Bonitto/Cooper throughout the game, along with Dondrea Tillman and rookie Que Robinson.

The Broncos had the best pass rushing defense last year and will look to repeat and improve on that this upcoming season. One of the ways they can be even better is if Jonah Elliss has a second-year jump and shows growth and development in year two. We saw Nik Bonitto take that jump in his second and third years, so hopefully, we see Elliss do the same moving forward.

The bigger picture here is Nik Bonitto’s contract status. After coming off a breakout All-Pro and Pro Bowl year, Bonitto is looking for a big contract extension with the Broncos. It’s well deserved, but Jonah Elliss could factor into the whole equation. If we see Elliss improve and look like a cheaper in-house replacement, would the Broncos still give Bonitto a big contract extension? They may and probably still should, because you can never have enough pass rushers, but that scenario exists if we see Elliss make a big jump in year two.

In the short term, he gives the Broncos an electric pass rusher who can come off the bench with fresh legs and get after the quarterback. If the Broncos want to have success this upcoming season, they’ll need players like Elliss to step up and become key members of the defense. The AFC is loaded with top quarterbacks and explosive offenses, and you need a strong pass rush to slow them down. So, hopefully, we see Elliss take a big step in year two with the Broncos.

Final Thoughts

Elliss’s growth and development will be key this year. On the field, it will give them another explosive pass rusher off the edge who can get after the passer. Off the field, it would give the Broncos some leverage with Bonitto and his pending contract status. If Elliss shows he can be an impact pass rusher and starting-caliber player, things will get interesting there. I personally would still pay Bonitto because you can never have enough pass rushers, but again, that scenario exists and should be discussed.

I think we’ll see some growth and improvement from Elliss this year. He’ll have his first full offseason with the team and is coming off a rookie year where he flashed potential. He has a nasty spin move, a quick first step, good bend, and if he can add to all that, he could be an impact pass rusher for the Broncos.

The development of Elliss and the rest of the Broncos’ young players will ultimately decide how far this team will go next season.