Finding Broncos: Five Linebackers for Developmental Depth

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of linebackers that need development before competing to start.

Erick Trickel | Apr 11, 2023

While the Denver Broncos have made significant improvements to their roster, they still need help at multiple positions on defense. One of those positions is at linebacker, where they need to improve their depth and potentially give them the option to replace Josey Jewell after the 2023 season. Jewell is in the last year of his deal, so finding a potential replacement and getting them ready could be in the cards.

Anfernee Orji | LB | Vanderbilt

Pros

His overall athleticism is good, and he is a great fit in the modern NFL.
He has plenty of speed, burst, and explosion with solid agility.
There are good traits as a pass-rusher to be utilized as a blitzer.
There is a good burst to close on the ball when working in pursuit.
He is exceptionally urgent on the football field and can pressure opposing offenses with his play tempo.
He does well-taking angles and works to the sidelines to squeeze the ball carrier.
There is good lateral quickness and quick feet to side step blockers when climbing or pulling.
He uses his lower body fluidity to slip under blockers when working as a pass rusher.

Cons

He doesn't have the ideal size or build for the NFL.
He is highly inconsistent as a player all around.
His tackling is hit or miss, with 50 missed tackles over the last three seasons.
There are too many instances of being late with his reads.
He doesn't have the ideal strength to hold up in the NFL.
There are issues when sorting through the trash working laterally.
His awareness and instincts can get him into trouble in coverage.
When he gets caught on a block, he struggles to disengage.
There needs to be work in the film room to improve his ability to diagnose plays as they develop.

Fit with Broncos

Anfernee Orji is a versatile defender but may not have a set position in the NFL. His best utilization would be to move him around and use him in various roles. With the scheme Vance Joseph runs, Orji can fit in with the versatility he brings. The athleticism is a boost, and while he is undersized, Joseph has taken shots on tweener-type players like Orji over the year.

Shaka Heyward | LB | Duke

Pros

He has great length and a good build on his frame, with room to add more mass.
He has good speed and burst.
There is a lot of experience, with 2,787 snaps played over five seasons, including at least 700 in each of the last three.
He has good production and efficiency as a blitzer.
For the most part, his tackling is consistent and reliable, with a decent missed tackle percentage.
He has great length, which helps his wrap-up tackling.
There is good production for a linebacker when working in coverage, with four interceptions and eight passes broken up.
There is good reliability on special teams.
There is a good strength to take on blocks and disengage.

Cons

There are issues with his change of direction, and agility overall.
He doesn't change direction well and can get caught up in misdirection.
Despite his experience, there are far more mental mistakes than you want to see, especially in coverage.
His instincts and awareness in coverage are lacking, and his discipline isn't much better.
He struggles with diagnosing the play and reacting promptly.

Fit with Broncos

There is a limited upside with Heyward to work on defense, but he can develop into a key force on special teams units. The Broncos can use the help on special teams, but they need a linebacker who can offer up more on the defensive side of the ball.

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Yasir Abdullah | LB | Louisville

Pros

He has a good compact build on his smaller frame.
There is good athleticism, speed, burst, explosion, and agility.
He is quick out of his stance and gains good ground quickly.
There is a quick processor to diagnose the play and get into position.
The closing burst is fantastic to catch up in pursuit.
While his time in coverage was limited, he did quite well.
He showed good instincts and awareness working in zone coverage.
He is smooth and fluid in the lower half and can easily change direction.
He has some good moves in his arsenal as a pass rusher.
He has good hand technique when taking on blocks or rushing the passer.

Cons

He is a little undersized in terms of height and frame.
He is a tweener who played edge in college that will move to linebacker.
There isn't a lot of strength to his game, and he can struggle to hold up at the point of attack.
He missed 27 tackles during his career, which isn't terrible, but a slightly worse percentage than ideal.
There will be a bit of a transition period when moving from edge.
He does have a bad habit of keeping his chest open for blockers.

Fit with Broncos

There is good versatility with Abdullah, who can get after the quarterback and has good range in coverage. However, he is too undersized to last as an edge in the NFL and will likely be kicked to linebacker. Nevertheless, he is a good fit for what Vance Joseph looks for in his defense with versatility, and he brings the athleticism, instincts, and awareness to develop his play in coverage.

Bumper Pool | LB | Arkansas

Pros

He has a good build on a solid frame.
He has good recognition of developing blocks to find his run fill.
He has a nose for the ball, picking up over 400 tackles in college.
He knows how to position himself and control blockers in the run game.
There is decent lateral agility to work with the flow of the play laterally.

Cons

The overall athleticism is lacking.
His instincts and awareness are not developed for work in coverage.
He is recovering from an injury in the 2022 season.
There is the likelihood he will be a two-down-only defender.
He doesn't offer up enough as a blitzer to compensate for his coverage issues.
He isn't overly explosive of an athlete, which can get him behind early.

Fit with Broncos

Bumper Pool is a two-down defender offering up nothing to defend the passing game. He can contribute on special teams but isn't overly explosive or fast to be a stalwart there. There is a good football IQ, but the limited upside could make it hard for the Broncos to look his way.

Isaiah Moore | LB | North Carolina State

Pros

He has a good build on his frame.
He played 3,022 snaps in college football.
There is plenty of production when working as a blitzer, with 100 pressures and 15 snaps on 480 pass rush snaps.
He is a strong tackler who has a nose for the ball.
He will work to bring the force into blocks and jolt them when engaging.
He is praised for his team leadership, football IQ, and communication ability.
He does well in limiting penalties and mental mistakes in general.
He is a disciplined run defender with good range laterally.

Cons

He doesn't have the ideal size or length.
He isn't a great athlete, lacking speed, burst, and explosion.
He isn't overly smooth or fluid as a mover.
He doesn't take great angles and gets himself caught up on blocks.
His instincts in coverage are lacking, and he will often flow out of his zone.
He is super aggressive, which can be easy to turn against him.
There are some off-field red flags to dig into.
There is a medical history that can be concerning.

Fit with Broncos

Moore has the intangibles to be a quality defender in the NFL, but there are too many concerns to trust him on third down. He might find himself limited to a run-down-only defender. The Broncos need more than that, even with his ability to help on special teams. While he can bring a solid blitzing option, they need more potential to work in coverage and more athleticism to work with.

It isn't a great class for linebackers, but some solid developmental options exist. The Broncos could go a few different ways, but with only five picks, they have to be smart with how they go about it.

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Published Apr 11, 2023

ERICK TRICKEL

Erick Trickel is the Senior Draft Analyst for Mile High Huddle, has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft for the site since 2014.