With help from others — and some added muscle — Jonah Elliss is ready for a big step up

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For Jonah Elliss, the firsts are starting to come.

In Week 2, he got his first NFL tackle, quarterback hit and sack — and they all came at once, when he brought down Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields on a first-and-goal play in the opening quarter.

The pass-rush work was expected from the third-round pick when the Broncos drafted him; his midseason surge last year at the University of Utah revealed his ceiling when it came to that skill set. But later in the game, Jonah Elliss also added his first run stop — and his first tackle for a loss against the run.

And that is a massive sign of progress to come.

“That was one of my biggest struggles throughout college, and that was one of my biggest knocks coming into the league, was I was too light and not very good at the run,” Elliss said.

He credits outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite and fellow edge rusher Jonathon Cooper with helping him improve his technique.

“Coop and Wilhoite have been helping me out a lot,” Elliss continued. “And our method on the D-line is to really just not get knocked back and really gain separation, push the offensive line back.”

The final part of the equation was from Elliss himself — with some aid from the team nutritionist. Listed at 246 pounds at Utah, he noted that he was “about 250” when he arrived with the Broncos — but it wasn’t good weight.

“I had my surgery on my labrum and I kind of gained a little bit of weight after that,” he said, noting the procedure that he had which ended his final campaign at Utah early.

“Just lifting and running and talking with our nutritionist, they really helped me get that all situated,” Ellis said. “And during OTAs and in the spring, I was really focused on just developing my body to get stronger, so I hopefully can prevent future injuries.”

So far, so good. The increased bulk is making him stouter against the run.

“I feel solid. I don’t feel like I’m getting pushed back at all,” Ellis said. “So, it’s definitely something I need to keep improving upon. But I feel like I’ve improved a lot since college.”

THE BRONCOS WILL NEED THAT GROWTH FROM JONAH ELLISS

A foot injury to Baron Browning last Sunday that has kept him out of the first two practices this week moved Jonah Elliss up the pecking order at edge rusher. Jonathon Cooper remains on the first team and Nik Bonitto saw his snap percentage rise from 34 percent in Week 1 to 62 percent last year.

That leaves Elliss as the next man up. And given the liberal rotation at edge rusher before Browning’s injury, plenty of opportunities are coming his way.

Elliss believes he’s ready.

“Everything’s starting to slow down a little bit,” he said. “Through fall camp and the early games, everything’s kind of spinning. You’re trying to learn everything, but it’s really starting to slow down.

“I’m really starting to understand, calm down when I’m out there and, you know, starting to have a little more fun, you know?”

It’s showing. And the Broncos look like they’re going to need Elliss to continue making a leap as their defense tries to build on a promising performance while overcoming Browning’s injury.

With Baron Browning dealing with a foot injury, Broncos rookie Jonah Elliss is poised for a larger role, and after a game in which he got his first pro sack, he said, “Everything’s starting to slow down a little bit” and he’s starting to “calm down.”

“Through fall camp and the… pic.twitter.com/HuEnJGFE7H

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 20, 2024

Related

Broncos face decisions galore as preseason ends, cutdown nearsNo more Coach Peyton, as the Pro Bowl is going away for goodThere’s still a battle for the Broncos backup QB positionBroncos introduce two-foot hot dog to feed familiesSean Payton says Broncos QB Bo Nix ‘probably won’t play’ against VikingsReport: Broncos cut safety Taylor Rapp after only six days on the roster