Eighth in a series previewing the Broncos’ 2025 roster in the weeks leading up to the start of training camp in late July. Today: Inside linebackers. Previously: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line | Defensive line | Outside linebackers
On the roster (8): Levelle Bailey, JB Brown, Karene Reid, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Jordan Turner, Dre Greenlaw, Drew Sanders
How many on the 53?: Four, depending on how the Broncos view Sanders, who has profiled more as an outside linebacker but has now moved inside. Theoretically, this should be easy to project with Singleton, Greenlaw, Sanders and Strnad back on a one-year deal after filling in capably as a starter in 2024. But a ton of younger guys — Bailey, UDFAs Brown, Reid and Turner — got plenty of snaps in offseason activities with both Singleton and Greenlaw still working back from injury, and any one could push for a spot this fall.
Most impactful offseason move: Signing Greenlaw.
Four months after the Broncos lured Greenlaw away from the San Francisco 49ers with a three-year contract in free agency, Denver has yet to truly see him in action. The 28-year-old played just two games in 2024 (at a high level) after an Achilles tear in that February’s Super Bowl, and strained his quad this offseason. The deal’s a bit of a gamble.
But gambles are safer when one understands their collection of assets, and a healthy Greenlaw could push an already-fearsome Broncos defense up a couple of rungs. He’s elite in coverage, a hard hitter and a noted locker-room stabilizer from his days in San Francisco. This room has more question marks than any other in Vance Joseph’s defense. Having a productive Greenlaw for 15-ish games would solve many of them.
Biggest question to answer in camp: Can Alex Singleton hit the ground running again?
If so, Denver has a solid duo set to fly around and smack some dudes over the middle of the field. But it’s a pretty big if. Singleton has been champing at the bit to return to action since finding out he’d played a football game on a torn ACL early last year. He was active and running sprints during minicamp despite not participating in much team action. In his last healthy season in 2023, he racked up 177 tackles. He’ll have plenty of motivation to return to form in ’25, with the Broncos’ playoff aspirations and a contract year awaiting.
Battle to watch: Drew Sanders vs. a defined role
Beyond natural jockeying at the back of the room, this is easily the most fascinating subplot of the Broncos’ ILB group. Sanders racked up 9.5 sacks at Arkansas in 2022, was drafted by Denver in the third round in 2023 and has spent a couple of years since floating in a void of uncertain role and unfortunate injury. Head coach Sean Payton has stamped Sanders as an inside linebacker this offseason, far from an easy positional shift to make in one’s third year in the NFL.
But Sanders thrived in college, bringing chaos from the inside. It’s not hard to see Joseph getting creative and deploying Sanders in specific blitz packages and pressure situations, perhaps spelling Greenlaw as a pass-rusher from the interior.
Under the radar player: Strnad.
Weird to say after Strnad put himself very much on the radar out of necessity in 2024, starting eight games at ILB when Singleton went down, but he could be a quietly integral piece for Denver. There’s roughly a .03% chance that Singleton and Greenlaw start all 17 games together, and Strnad is the natural next man up.
He tied for Denver’s lead in missed tackles last year, according to Pro Football Focus. But Payton mentioned at minicamp Strnad is operating with “confidence” after playing a full year on defense, and he’ll more than likely have his share of reps again in 2025.