Young Broncos edge rusher to go on injured reserve list

The Denver Broncos had the best pass rush in the NFL last season when they became just the 15th team in the history of the league to record at least 63 sacks in a season. Highlighted by Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen, the depth was arguably the strongest quality of the unit as eight different players recorded at least two sacks.

The unit took a hit on Thursday as it was announced that undrafted rookie Johnny Walker Jr. was hitting the injured reserve list with a lower body injury. Walker’s guarantee and signing bonus were both the highest mark among the team’s undrafted rookies this offseason.

Walker Jr. had greatest signing bonus ($20k) and guarantee ($254k) among Broncos undrafted rookies this year. He has lower body injury and is going on IR. https://t.co/3yB5GYc57W

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) July 31, 2025

Walker, 23, was a talented prospect out of Missouri, where he recorded 103 total tackles, 18.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in four seasons. In 2024, he received Second-Team All-SEC honors and had his best performance of the year on the road against Alabama.

Johnny Walker Jr 6’3 255 flashed against Alabama. Here he wins with the Superman chop/rip for 1 of his 2 sacks on the day pic.twitter.com/w7WZ0uGtgs

— EJHolt_NFLDraft🏈 (@EJunkie215) October 28, 2024

The Broncos signed Garrett Nelson to fill the void left by Walker’s injury, who was seen at Broncos training camp on Thursday wearing the No. 59 that Walker had been rocking all offseason. Nelson, 25, spent the previous two seasons in the XFL playing for the San Antonio Brahmas. In 19 total games, he recorded 27 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Walker put together a strong showing earlier in the offseason at minicamp and OTAs for the Broncos, but will now have to fight through this major setback to get another shot in the league. There is no timetable on his recovery for now.

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