The Denver Broncos might have a gem on their hands with rookie pass rusher Jonah Elliss after an impressive preseason debut. The rookie reflected on his first career NFL game and how he’s continuously adjusting to the game while developing his pass rush arsenal.
Denver Broncos rookie Jonah Elliss could become an early contributor on defense in 2024
Even if it was the NFL preseason, the Denver Broncos might have a gem on their roster with Jonah Elliss. He plays with a high motor and relentless effort when he’s on the field, and it’s evident when you watch the tape. After playing 22 snaps in Sunday’s 34-30 win against the Indianapolis Colts, the rookie pass rusher had one sack, two tackles, and a handful of pressures.
“It was unbelievable,” Elliss reflected. “That’s like the moment kids dream of, playing your first game in the NFL. It’s truly like amazing being out there. [It was] fun playing with the guys, and having fun, and stop thinking about practice and just playing and having fun.”
It looked like he had a lot of fun when watching him back on the All-22. He’s still developing his pass rush arsenal as he begins his NFL career, but he’s got a combination of speed and power moves he can use, and when he pieces it all together it could lead to great things unfolding for him on defense.
“Honestly, it’s something you developed as a player throughout the years,” Elliss said. “From high school to now, it’s something that I’ve been trying to work on, craft and really master. I’m nowhere near to mastering it yet, but it’s just like getting with [Defensive Line] Coach [Jamar Cain] and really working the moves, working what you want to set up, how to set it up and whatnot. For me, it’s like speed-to-power sets up a lot of things for me, so that’s what I like to do.”
Jonah said his father, Luther Elliss, and brother Kaden helped instill the high motor he plays with.
“I think it comes from honestly like just being around my brothers, my dad, seeing their motor and kind of like watching and learning from them,” Jonah said. “I’m a visual learner, so when I see people working hard, doing that stuff, it makes me want to do it too. So watching them, watching my dad, watching even like the veterans at Utah work. To see how they worked, it was kind of just like engrained in my system from the start of football.”
Not only was he an exciting player to watch on defense, but he made the first tackle of the game on Denver’s kickoff unit on special teams, where he factors to become a core four specialist.