NFL Draft Profile: Broncos EDGE Jonah Elliss

The Denver Broncos selected former Utah edge rusher Jonah Elliss with their 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Denver Broncos selected former Utah edge rusher Jonah Elliss with their 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a 6-2, 248-pound edger rusher who has the speed, athleticism, and pass rush ability to be a difference-maker for the Broncos. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Dane Brugler had Elliss ranked as his 11th best edge rusher in the draft and was his 94th overall player in the 2024 NFL Draft while having a 3rd-4th round grade on him.

Elliss is a 6-2, 248-pound edge rusher out of Utah and is now joining the Denver Broncos’ defense. He played three seasons at Utah and is coming off a breakout year for them. During his three-year career, Elliss totaled 78 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, 16 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. This past season, he totaled 37 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

Player Profile

Jonah Elliss | EDGE | Utah

Height: 6-2

Weight: 248 pounds

Arm Length: 33 inches

Hand Size: 10 ¹⁄₂ inches

Vertical Jump: 38 inches

Broad Jump: 10’0”

Short Shuttle: 4.17 seconds

3-Cone Drill: 6.69 seconds

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Relentless motor
• Explosive and quick off the ball
• Has long arms and big strong hands
• Deadly spin move
• Impressive closing burst and gets into the backfield quick
• Loose hips and good bend around the edge
• Agile in the open field and can chase down ball carriers and scrambling quarterbacks
• Dominates when lined up across from tight ends
• Rarely came off the field for Utah
• His father is former Bronco Luther Elliss and has three brothers currently in the NFL (Kaden Elliss, Christian Elliss, and Noah Elliss)

Weaknesses

• Not the best at setting the edge vs. the run
• Will rely on his effort more than technique
• Will need to add more pass-rush moves and develop some counter moves
• Sometimes plays too quickly and aggressive and can miss tackles
• Coming off a torn labrum in his shoulder that sidelined him for most of the draft process (fully cleared now according to Elliss)

Jonah Elliss RAS

What other analysts have to say about Broncos edge rusher Jonah Elliss

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler – Link

A two-year starter at Utah, Elliss played right defensive end (two- and three-point stances) in defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley’s hybrid 4-2-5 scheme. An off-ball linebacker in high school, he transitioned to a pass-rushing role for the Utes and put together an All-America junior season, finishing as one of only two Power 5 players with 12-plus sacks in 2023 (despite missing the final three games with a torn labrum). A long, high-effort pass rusher, Elliss displays quick and instinctive initial movements as a two-way rusher who can fit, rework and leverage his physical hands. However, he tends to rely more on effort than refined counters and doesn’t consistently play big against the run (doesn’t quite have his NFL father’s size). Overall, Elliss is an inconsistent edge setter in the run game, but he is threatening with his upfield burst/motor and skilled with his hands in the pass rush. It is encouraging to think of what he can develop into with a full bag of counters. His pro ceiling is an Alex Highsmith-style edge defender, although a high-end subpackage rusher is his more realistic NFL projection.

Final Thoughts

You can never have enough pass rushers.

The Broncos pass rush unit is crowded but it lacks an alpha. I am not sure if Elliss can be that type of player, but he has the explosiveness, speed, motor, and an impressive spin move to get after the quarterback. When you have Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert in the division, and the likes of Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud, and others in a loaded AFC, you need to get after the quarterback.

He will join an edge rusher unit that will include Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto, potentially Drew Sanders, Thomas Incoom, Ronnie Perkins, and others. Both Browning and Cooper are entering the final year of their rookie deals, so Elliss adds some depth moving forward if they do not return.

Overall, I like this move for the Broncos. I was admittedly unfamiliar with Elliss before this pick but I really like his pass rush upside. I would like to see him improve more as a run defender but as I said earlier, you can never have enough pass rushers. This is a solid third-round pick for the Broncos and hopefully, we see him get some sacks his rookie season.