When the Denver Broncos acquired linebacker Jonas Griffith in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers last August, the first-year defender was expected to primarily contribute on special teams.
The Broncos then lost both their starting linebackers (Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell) to injuries, and several of their backups went down, too. Griffith ended up playing in five games on defense and by the end of the season, he was starting.
Griffith started the final four games of the year, totaling 40 tackles and two quarterback hits. Denver opted to not re-sign Johnson in free agency this spring, and Griffith is now a candidate to start next to Jewell in 2022.
Jewell has taken note of the improvement Griffith has shown since he joined the Broncos last summer.
“You definitely saw a couple of steps in the last couple games of last year of where he’s excelled,” Jewell said on June 3. “Whether it be the quickness of the recognition of the plays, the guy is always fast, so you always see that on the field and just the physicalness that started to creep up and come into the last couple of games.
“He showed that he can long-arm guys, he can two-hand them and swim off of them or arm over. And just his understanding of the game. Route concepts and stuff like that, so it’s been fun watching him progress so far.”
Griffith’s competition at inside linebacker will include Alex Singleton. Griffith’s experience in a similar defense last year might give him an edge in the competition, and he’s probably the early favorite to win the job.
After helping replace an injured Jewell last year, Griffith now appears poised to start next to Jewell in his second season with the Broncos.
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