Broncos Training Camp powered by Ford is just a few weeks away, and that means it's time to take a position-by-position look at the Broncos' roster.
The categories are refreshed and a little different this season, but we're still going to take a close look at each position group that's set to take the field in late July.
We continue with the linebacking corps, which returns multiple key pass-rushers and could benefit from the addition of an intriguing free agent.
TOP STORYLINE
What do Denver's pass-rushers have in store for a repeat performance?
The Broncos' pass rush was fearsome in 2024, as the defense combined for a franchise-record 63 sacks en route to the team's first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. Sixteen different players recorded at least half a sack, and second-team All-Pro Nik Bonitto (13.5) and Jonathon Cooper (10.5) each reached the 10-sack mark to pace the defense.
Bonitto and Cooper became the first pair of Broncos teammates to each reach double digits since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018, and they also combined for three forced fumbles and a pair of defensive scores.
As the duo enters another season — with promising reserves Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman also in the mix after each posting five sacks of their own in 2024 — the key will be to uphold and improve that standard.
"I pull [Bonitto] and 'Coop' to the side all the time and I say, 'You guys can be the best in the league,'" tackle Garett Bolles said in June.
If Denver's pass-rushers — led by their two starting outside linebackers — can turn in another strong season, it could help the Broncos' defense return to its heights of 2024.
PLAYER TO WATCH
ILB Dre Greenlaw
Denver made a splash in free agency as the team added one of the top available inside linebackers in Dre Greenlaw. According to Pro Football Focus, Greenlaw posted the fourth-best coverage grade of any linebacker with at least 1,000 coverage snaps since 2022.
"He's a tone-setter," General Manager George Paton said in March. "He's a tone-setter of the defense. You watch him on tape — now, [San Francisco] had a good defense [and] had a really good program, but you watch him on tape, he sticks out. It's very contagious when you watch him play the game."
Greenlaw started 30 games across the 2022-23 seasons before missing most of the 2024 campaign due to injury, and he recorded 147 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, an interception and 10 passes defensed across those two seasons.
With Greenlaw in the lineup, the 49ers held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs scoreless through the first 20 minutes of Super Bowl LVIII before the linebacker exited the game due to injury.
In camp, Broncos fans should get their first look at the inside linebacker, who rehabbed from an injury in the spring. Should Greenlaw return to his previous level of play, it could help an already impressive Denver defense get even better.
STAT TO KNOW
177.
Don't forget about Alex Singleton. The team captain played through a torn ACL in a Week 3 win over the Buccaneers before missing the rest of the season, and he should be set to return to the field after posting an impressive four consecutive seasons with at least 120 tackles. In his most recent full campaign, Singleton tallied 177 tackles, six tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four passes defensed, two sacks and two fumble recoveries for Denver's defense in 2023.
An emotional player who is a key piece of Denver's defense, Singleton has been ready for his return since at least the end of the 2024 season — and he's eager for what's to come.
"I plan on being a better player, a faster player, a stronger player [and a] smarter player," Singleton said in January. "And that's what a year off has given me. It'll be exciting to show that."
… AND ONE MORE THING
Linebacker Drew Sanders appeared in just four games last season, but he could bring a boost to Denver's defense.
After Sanders saw time at both outside and inside linebacker during portions of the past two seasons, Head Coach Sean Payton said Sanders is set to play inside moving forward.
"The vision is clear: inside linebacker," Payton said in late May. "We think he's a pressure player. So, obviously, there's ways where you can pressure that guy from a stacked position, or to an outside position. He's doing well handling it."
Sanders returned from the Physically Unable to Perform list in December and recorded a sack of Justin Herbert on his first defensive snap. Should Sanders be able to provide another pass-rushing option on the inside, it could create another valuable option for a Denver defense that likes to bring waves of pressure.
While Sanders has played limited defensive snaps since being selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he could be set to take the next step of his career. That journey continues in just a few weeks when training camp arrives.
