The Denver Broncos used a third-round draft pick this spring to select Utah pass rusher Jonah Elliss.
Elliss (6-2, 248 pounds) models his game after New York Jets pass rusher Haason Reddick (6-1, 240 pounds), a two-time Pro Bowler.
“I watched Haason Reddick a lot and try to replicate my game after him just because I felt like he had a little more stature, and we kind of use the same moves,” Elliss said during a call with reporters on April 26. “He’s really a speed guy and that’s what I am trying to be, too. I actually watched his film a lot during the offseason going into my junior year, so he is one player I look up to a lot.”
Reddick has produced double-digit sacks in each of the last four seasons, spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos would love to get that kind of production from Elliss, who recorded 12 sacks as a junior last fall.
Elliss joined a Denver pass rush rotation that already features Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto. Drew Sanders will also eventually return from an Achilles injury, and the Broncos also brought back Ronnie Perkins and added Dondrea Tillman from the UFL.
Elliss will have to impress this summer to win playing time in Denver’s crowded rotation. If he manages to follow Reddick’s career trajectory, the Broncos will be thrilled to have landed him in the third round.
