Broncos who could lose their starting job to a rookie: Josey Jewell
Josey Jewell is a good, productive football player when he is available but being available hasn’t always been his strong suit. Jewell has played in every game of a season just twice in his five seasons in the league and though he played in 13 games last year, the Broncos still used a third-round pick to select Drew Sanders out of Arkansas.
Sanders offers more athleticism than Jewell and has the ability to rush the passer as an outside linebacker, something Jewell, or the other middle linebacker, Alex Singleton, won’t be doing.
Singleton could be lumped into this conversation as well but after the year he had in 2022, where he was far and away the team’s leading tackler, it will be tough to take him off the field unless he seriously regresses.
Sanders is going to be a starting linebacker for the Broncos sooner or later. Jewell is in the final year of his contract so it is likely that Sanders is seen for that role in the future as is but it would not be a surprise to see him take that job over at some point during this season.