In a crowded inside linebacker room, can the second-year pro make the final 53-man roster in 2025?
After not hearing his named called in the 2024 NFL Draft, Fresno State linebacker Levelle Bailey signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted rookie free agent.
In his five-year collegiate career with the Bulldogs, Bailey was a highlight reel playing various linebacker spots in their defense. While lacking prototypical size for the position, Bailey’s aggressiveness, big play ability, and versatility were evident in his evaluation. Overall, he racked up 277 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and six interceptions.
It didn’t take long for Bailey to showcase his skills donning the orange and blue. The rookie put together an impressive camp and preseason which earned him a spot on the initial 53-man roster for a short time. His 94-yard pick six against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason was likely a big factor in that decision. Alas, he was waived when Christian Welch was brought in and signed to the team’s practice squad.
When veteran linebacker Alex Singleton tore his ACL early on in the season, Bailey was elevated from the practice squad. In 10 regular season appearances, he served as a core special team’s player for the team logging 147 snaps in the game’s third phase. But will that be enough for him to make the team’s roster in 2025? Let’s discuss!
OH MY
LEVELLE. BAILEY. #BulldogBornBulldogBred
— Fresno State Football (@FresnoStateFB) August 25, 2024
Player Profile
Age: 24 | Experience: Rookie | College: Fresno State | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 227 pounds
Arm Length: 32” | Hand Size: 10” | Broad: 9’5” | Vertical: 31-1/2”
10-Yard Split: 1.73 seconds | 40-yard dash: 4.73 seconds | 3-Cone: 7.23 seconds
2024 Statistics: 10 games as a reserve, 5 tackles, 5 defensive snaps, 147 special teams’ snaps
Levelle Bailey’s 2025 outlook with the Broncos
With Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, and Drew Sanders above him on the depth chart, Bailey has an uphill battle to make the final 53-man roster. It’s hard to envision him ever seeing significant snap share in defensive packages unless an injury were to occur. Though with three of the four players above recovering from or coming off injury, that’s certainly possible.
Two of the areas Bailey excelled at in college was being a pressure player on blitzes and making plays in coverage. He had a penchant for making big plays when it mattered most. As you saw above, he flashed that talent early on with the Broncos. If he can continue to display that ability and nose for the football throughout camp and the preseason, he will certainly have a shot.
In my opinion, Strnad and Sanders will be the primary competition for him in a reserve role. Strnad is just a one-year contract but has more extensive starting and special teams experience. Sanders has a supreme athletic profile and was picked in the third round, but all things considered, is still a wildcard projection entering his third year with the team.
All in all, if Bailey is to earn a position on the Broncos’ depth chart in 2025, it will likely be due to special teams play. Though showing improvement with respect to knowledge of Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s system will help his chances too.
Final Thoughts
For the reasons above, the Broncos have an inside linebacker room with a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty. Health and durability are a major concern. That makes projecting who stays and who goes a little bit more difficult. The Broncos also brought in a few undrafted rookie linebackers this season too which will make for great competition over the summer.
Last year, the team carried just four inside linebackers on the final 53-man roster. If they choose to allocate an extra spot to the position group, Bailey’s chances of making the team will skyrocket. Though I feel we are more likely to see Denver carry five at EDGE rusher or offensive line when the roster number crunching comes later this summer.
If he doesn’t make the final 53-man roster, Bailey returning to the team’s practice squad for further development would be ideal. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be signed by another team in need of a backup linebacker with special teams’ prowess when roster finalizing transpires.