Jonah Elliss Will Thrive in New Role, per Kyle Whittingham

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed last week that he plans to give Jonah Elliss some snaps at inside linebacker this summer. Payton's revelation has raised some eyebrows and concerns, given Denver's lack of success in making such defensive player changes in recent years.

It takes a unique blend of physical and cerebral qualities to pull off the switch from the edge to off-ball play, as the Broncos are asking Elliss to do. But he's got some people in his corner beyond Payton, including fellow rush linebacker Nik Bonitto — who called Elliss "the most versatile player in football" — and his former college coach, Kyle Wittingham.

Before joining the Broncos as a 2024 third-round pick, Wittingham coached Elliss throughout his three-year career at the University of Utah. Wittingham, now head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, told The Denver Post's Luca Evans that the young linebacker has what it takes to thrive inside.

“He’s certainly got the physicality to destroy blocks — block destruction is something he’s really good at,” Wittingham told Evans. “He’s also got very good just, flat-out speed... I think he’s got what it takes to be a very good all-around (inside) linebacker.”

It's also worth nothing that Wittingham is a former linebacker himself. After his college career at BYU, he signed with the Broncos in 1982, going on to play for two USFL teams and the Los Angeles Rams before retiring and turning to coaching. He understands the demands of the position as well as anyone walking the earth.

NFL Bloodlines

Elliss springs off a thick oak of NFL lineage — which includes his father and three brothers — which could be fueling Denver's confidence, in part, that he can switch to inside linebacker and thrive. Jonah's brothers, Christian and Kaden, have thrived as inside linebackers in the league, with the former collecting his checks currently from the New England Patriots and the latter recently signing with the New Orleans Saints.

Jonah's other brother, Noah, played defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, but has been a free agent for the past two years. Jonah's father, Luther, is currently Utah's defensive tackles coach, having played on the D-line for the Utes in the 1990s. Luther went on to earn two Pro Bowl nods with the Detroit Lions before playing one final NFL season with the Broncos in 2004.

Following his 10-year NFL career, Luther also served as the Broncos' team chaplain during the John Elway front-office era. He has 12 children, four of whom have made it to the NFL. The Elliss bloodline is strong.

The Frame to Hold Up at ILB

Jonah Ellis. | Derek Rogensburger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Elliss's 6-foot-2, 246-pound frame looks more than sturdy enough to bring the thump against the run, a quality that the recently released Dre Greenlaw was originally signed to provide for Vance Joseph's defense last year.

Elliss has already proven he's a sure tackler at outside linebacker and on special teams, but the real crux of this position switch will boil down to just how quickly the 23-year-old defender can pick up the more complex demands of pass defense.

The failed Greenlaw experiment may have led Payton to look at the Broncos' rush linebacker depth and decide the team can afford to move him inside. Besides Bonitto and fellow starter Jonathon Cooper, the Broncos also have Dondrea Tillman and 2025 fourth-round pick Que Robinson at rush linebacker.

Payton's Rationale

Payton was quick to point out that many players have made the transition from the edge to inside, so the Broncos believe there's a precedence for Elliss's coming position switch.

“Sometimes, that inside ‘backer position — one of the best in our league in San Francisco, Fred Warner, you saw him play more out in space, outside ‘backer,” Payton said last week at the NFL owners meetingw. “So, sometimes, you have to look at the skill set and then project where you think it can go.”

The Broncos have plenty of faith in what Elliss can achieve in this position change. That confidence will also be reflected in the potential of Tillman and Robinson to keep the Broncos' edge rotation rolling strong. This is also a deep edge rusher class in the draft, and the Broncos have seven selections.

Don't Forget About Sanders

Regardless of how one feels about the Elliss move, the Broncos' top brass aren't afraid to give it a try, despite the lack of results they've gotten from 2023 third-rounder Drew Sanders, who was drafted as an inside linebacker, moved to the outside in Year 2, then back to the inside in Year 3.

It's hard to say whether the Broncos were right or wrong in moving Sanders around, simply because he's not been on the field much over the past two seasons due to the injury bug. He now enters a contract year, though, and will have to sing for his supper with Elliss potentially eating into his second-team snaps.

The Takeaway

It's unclear whether this is a permanent change for Elliss or if the Broncos are just planning to peel off a few snaps for him on the inside while still keeping him in the rush linebacker room. Either way, his ability to provide pass-rushing pressure through the A-gaps as an inside linebacker could see him embrace the opportunity with gusto and prove the Broncos right.

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