Broncos DC Evero 'Really Excited' About Former Fangio Favorite Jonathan Harris

Praise for the Fangio-era holdover.

There aren't many outside of Denver — and, heck, not many in Denver — who know Jonathan Harris' name, nor that the former undrafted defensive lineman is set to enter his fourth season with the Broncos.

The one person who does could be Harris' biggest supporter.

“There are a lot of guys that have been doing a heck of a job of working their butts off and improving. He’s one of those guys," Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said Tuesday. "I’m really excited to see what he does when he comes back for training camp.”

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Harris is a small fish in a big pond now, but not as a collegian. The 25-year-old was a star at Division II Lindenwood, where he twice earned first-team All-MIAA honors, finishing with 38.5 tackles for loss and 22 sacks after redshirting his true freshman campaign.

Bypassed in the 2019 NFL draft, Harris began his professional career with the Chicago Bears, appearing in two games before being waived. The Broncos claimed the Vic Fangio favorite off waivers, and Harris notched seven combined tackles across seven games for Denver's ex-head coach.

Harris, who spent 2020 on the team's reserve/non-football illness list, returned to play in three games last season, posting 10 tackles and one quarterback hit.

“I think [ILB] Micah Kiser came in there and did a nice job for us. I think Jonathan Harris did, also," Fangio said following the Broncos' Jan. 2 loss to the Chargers. "Those are two guys to me that of the guys that got to play because of the situation yesterday that did well. ... I was pleased with the competitiveness and the play of all those guys overall really, but with Micah and Jonathan being two of the better ones on defense."

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound defender no doubt went into this offseason with aspirations of surviving Fangio's firing and Evero's subsequent hiring. Those aspirations took a hit upon the free-agent arrival of $30 million veteran D.J. Jones and rookie DL Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen.

Figure the Broncos carry six linemen on their final roster. Jones is locked into a starting role alongside Dre'Mont Jones, and Uwazurike's draft status assures he'll make the cut, leaving six players — Harris, Henningsen, Mike Purcell, McTelvin Agim, DeShawn Williams, Marquiss Spencer — in potential competition for three spots when training camp opens next month.

“They’ve been successful on defense, so you have to give credit to the players and give credit to the coaches that were here before," Evero said. "It’s really measured up in terms of what we thought. What I really appreciate is the guys continuing to get better. Nobody has rested on what they’ve done. Everybody from top to bottom is trying to improve.”

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