The second-year linebacker is making the most of his opportunities in training camp.
A full week into their 2025 training camp sessions, the Denver Broncos have kicked their gridiron efforts into high gear.
Both the offense and the defense have each won a respective day or two thus far. Additionally, a handful of players on both sides of the ball have impressed giving fans and those in attendance even more optimism relative to what the Broncos may achieve this season. For the most part, the vibes from camp thus far have been extremely positive—with one major exception.
Unfortunately, the injury concerns with the team’s group at inside linebacker have come to fruition. With Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, and Drew Sanders sidelined due to injury, some fans across Broncos Country have already hit the panic button on the unit’s forecast for the upcoming season.
Yet, there is a silver-lining despite the injury woes. The absence of the aforementioned has given opportunity for others to shine. One of those players is second-year linebacker Levelle Bailey, who has drawn rave reviews from coaches and players over the past seven days. By all accounts, Bailey has certainly made the most of his time running with the first-team defense.
Defensive lineman Malcom Roach is one of the teammates that is happy to see Bailey performing at a high level. Roach has been impressed with his coverage and movement skills on the field. Additionally, he mentioned that he has gotten better playing downhill against the run compared to last season. While fans have reasonable concerns about the unit’s health, Roach expressed having confidence in Bailey to rise to the occasion when his name is eventually called.
“There is going to be a game where we are depending on [No.] 56 to step up. You keep showing us what you’re showing us on this field, we’re going to have the utmost respect and faith in you to come out there and do it,” stated Roach.
Last season, Bailey’s camp and preseason performance earned him an initial spot on the Broncos 53-man roster. After some late roster tinkering, he was waived and added to the team’s practice squad. But once October hit, the undrafted free agent out of Fresno State was elevated to the active roster.
Seeing action in ten games, Bailey only played 5 defensive snaps but carved himself a role on special teams with 147 snaps. As Payton mentioned above, continuing to impress in the game’s third phase will help his ability to carve another role on this year’s team. Though it wouldn’t be at all surprising if we saw a significant uptick in his defensive reps in ‘25— especially if the Broncos’ inside linebacking core continues to be hampered due to injury.
Head Coach Sean Payton has also taken notice of the second-year pro. Earlier in the week, he pointed out Bailey’s consistency, crediting that to a demonstrable increased confidence from his rookie year to now, which is helping him hit his stride. After yesterday’s practice, Payton once again lauded the second-year pro for his progression and development to date.
“He’s very smart. For a second-year player at a position like that, it’s night and day where he is at today and a year ago as an undrafted free agent where he was at. Special teams will be important. All those things where he could get on the field. We’ve been impressed and I’m glad we have him,” stated Payton.