Jonah Elliss' Famous Dad Dishes on 'Pandemonium' of Broncos Draft Call

Luther Elliss let fans in on how the Denver Broncos' phone call to Jonah landed on Draft Day.

Oct 14, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes defensive end Jonah Elliss (83) plays against / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Luther Elliss played defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos back in 2004, while also serving as the team chaplain. A native of Manco, CO, Elliss played at the University of Utah where he would go on to become a first-round pick in the NFL draft.

The former two-time Pro Bowler is a man of God and a big-time family man. Elliss has 12 kids, seven of whom are adopted, and one of whom just got drafted by the Broncos in the third round: Utah rush linebacker Jonah Elliss.

The legacy component of Elliss being drafted to the Broncos is there thanks to his father, Luther. Jonah also has several football-playing brothers, one of whom — Kaden — was a 2019 New Orleans Saints draft pick when Sean Payton was the head coach.

Perhaps due to where he grew up in Colorado, or the fact that he played for Denver, Elliss raised his large family to be Broncos fans. So what was the reaction at Elliss HQ when Jonah got the call from Broncos GM George Paton?

"It’s exciting. It’s a perfect spot for him," Elliss said of his son Jonah via the Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson. "We’re just grateful it’s the Broncos. It’s like a homecoming for us. When he got that call, it was just pandemonium because everybody in the family already were Broncos fans."

As Tomasson writes, Luther and Jonah Elliss are only the second father-son duo in Broncos history, joining former linebacker Tom Graham, who played for Denver in the early '70s, and tight end Daniel Graham, whom fans will remember from the early 2010s. Luther can appreciate that rarefied real estate he and his son now co-own in Broncos canon.

"That’s history, That’s something you can’t take away and is very unique. It’s a good trivia question," Luther said via Tomasson.

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Jonah's father wasted little time debriefing his son on his new NFL home following the Broncos' decision to select him at pick No. 76 in the third round.

"He just told me how great of a culture, how great of a fanbase, and how it was really a family vibe out there," Jonah said via conference call on April 26. "Honestly the culture is something that he mentioned a lot and how it’s a really good bond out there.”

As Coach Payton mentioned during his post-draft pressers, the Broncos really put an emphasis on NFL prospects who had a strong track record of production at the collegiate level. Elliss most certainly exemplifies that focus.

In 10 games last year for the Utes, Elliss totaled 12 sacks and 37 tackles, 16 of which were for a loss, to go along with a forced fumble and three pass break-ups. He took some major steps in his final year at Utah, and that never-say-die motor resulted in some serious production.

Lay of the OLB Land in Denver

Elliss joins a rush linebacker corps fronted by veterans Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, and Baron Browning. Cooper led the team with 8.5 sacks, while Bonitto flourished as a situational pass rusher totaling eight sacks.

Browning only appeared in nine games due to an offseason surgery, but he still contributed 4.5 sacks. The Broncos got solid, if unspectacular, production out of their rush linebackers. The biggest missing component was consistency.

Perhaps the Elliss addition can help improve that area. With both Cooper and Browning entering a contract year, Elliss gives the Broncos another player to develop as a fail-safe in the event that either (or both) aren't re-signed.

If Drew Sanders, a 2023 third-rounder who mostly played inside linebacker as a rookie, fully converts to the edge in Year 2, that'll give Denver a solid five-man rotation. But with Elliss in the fold, perhaps the Broncos feel less pressure to try Sanders on the edge.

Browning started out on the inside as a 2021 third-rounder. He was moved to the edge in Year 2, where he's seemed to thrive (when healthy), so there is a recent precedent for success in terms of Sanders' outlook. However, the Broncos also fiddled with 2017 second-rounder DeMarcus Walker's position early on, moving him from the edge to the D-line and back again, which hindered his development.

Call it a cautionary tale. For now, we have no reason to doubt Elliss' positional outlook, although he has some experience playing off the ball.

The 6-foot-2, 248-pounder will play on the edge and work to build on his "elite" motor by adding new NFL implements to his pass-rushing toolkit. Credit his father, Luther, for Jonah's high-octane motor.

“I feel like my effort is elite when it comes to the game, but I think that is just how I was raised," Elliss said. "I think I’m a great pass rusher in the back formation as well. Somewhere I need to grow is just protecting the little things, the little techniques and switching that through my run game.”

Some traits just run in the family. Elliss will join his fellow 2024 draft classmates at Broncos rookie minicamp this coming weekend. Fans will get their first look at Elliss and company on May 10.

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