According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos had formal interviews with multiple linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine, including Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, Cincinnati’s Jake Golday, and Missouri’s Josiah Trotter.
He adds they met with several linebackers, so we may find out more as the week progresses.
Linebacker will be a major need for the Denver Broncos this offseason. Veteran linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are both free agents, while Dre Greenlaw, whom the team signed last offseason, dealt with multiple injuries last season. So, they could address the linebacker position multiple ways this offseason.
There are some free agent linebackers they could consider, they could re-sign their own linebackers, and it’s a loaded linebacker draft class. Today, we’ll focus on the draft prospects and the four Klis specifically mentioned here.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is a freak. He is a 6-5, 245-pound athletic freak who is going to test very well at the Combine while also having some very good tape to back up his testing skills. Unfortunately for the Broncos, Styles is expected to be a top 15 pick in the draft and could very well find himself going within the top 10 or even 5 once it’s all set and done. He’s a fun linebacker prospect, but barring a surprising slide in the draft, he will not be an option for the Broncos.
Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez will be a player a lot of Broncos fans like during the draft process. He’s a highly productive prospect with the potential to be an elite coverage linebacker. He produced high tackle numbers but was also a playmaker. Throughout his career, he totaled 13 forced fumbles and had 6 interceptions. This is the type of linebacker the Denver Broncos defense desperately needs. He will be an option for them on day 2 of the draft.
Jake Golday has good size, good athleticism, and is a powerful downhill linebacker. He may not have the coverage ability of the other linebackers mentioned, but he is a monster in the run game and wins with power. The NFL is trending towards more of a run-heavy approach, the AFC West is full of teams with good run games, and a player like Golday would make a lot of sense for the Broncos. He’s a second-round player who could sneak into the back end of the first round.
Like Golday, Missouri’s Josiah Trotter is another powerful downhill linebacker. You’re not drafting him for his coverage ability; you’re drafting him to be a downhill hammer in the run game. If the play is infront of him, he’s going to find you and hit you and hit you hard. Now, he is not a coverage linebacker and may only be a two-down player in the NFL, but his downhill ability is very good.
As Klis mentioned, they met with other linebackers in this loaded draft class. I would not be surprised if they met with Georgia’s CJ Allen, Texas’s Anthony Hill Jr, Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis, and others. I expect the Broncos to address this position heavily throughout the offseason and likely come away with at least one during the 2026 NFL Draft.
