Broncos roster review: Linebacker Josey Jewell

Six years ago in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos took a shot on former Iowa Hawkeyes standout Josey Jewell. A fourth-round selection, Jewell has developed into a consistent player and defensive leader for the franchise.

After completing his rookie contract, Jewell earned himself a two-year extension worth $11 million dollars prior to the 2022 season. To date, he has played in 62 games with 43 starts and has racked up 346 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks. Those are pretty impressive numbers.

All things considered, that’s a lot of value from a Day 3 draft pick. Especially when you consider he missed most all of the 2021 season with a torn chest muscle. I don’t think fans could really ask for much more than that.

Jewell and Courtland Sutton are the last two remaining Broncos from that year’s draft class—and among the most senior members of the team. The Broncos’ 2023 campaign will be the sixth of Jewell’s career. Time flies by fast.

What should fans expect from him this season? Let’s take a deeper look and find out.

Player Profile

Height: 6’1” | Weight: 235 pounds | Age: 28 years old | Experience: 6th Season

2022 Statistics

Jewell saw action in 13 games with 13 starts and totaled 128 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 2022.

How does Jewell fit with the Denver Broncos?

Do you remember who was head coach when he was drafted? Vance Joseph. That being said, there is no need to worry whether or not he can fit in his defensive scheme. We already saw that he could—considering he started nine games for him in his rookie season.

Most certainly, Jewell will be a starter once again alongside Alex Singleton on the inside of the Broncos’ linebackers unit. Last season they combined for nearly 300 tackles. Those are some pretty-eye pumping numbers. In fact, they just might be one of the most underrated duos in the National Football League.

With respect to Jewell, his high football intelligence and diagnose skills are the calling cards of his game. He’s a top-notch run defender who has been above-average in coverage over the course of his career. And almost always, those traits allow him to be in the right place at the right time. If the run is coming he way, you know darn well he is going to be there to clean it up and shut it down.

He is the kind of player every football team would love to have. A consistent player whose high effort, leadership, and diligence help set the tone for others. I look forward to seeing him play a big role for the defense again this coming season.

But what about his future?

Final Thoughts

This is the last season of Jewell’s two-year contract extension. While we understand his role here for 2023, fans across Broncos Country should be far less certain about his future in the Mile High City.

The Broncos drafted Drew Sanders in the third-round this past year’s draft. It appears to me he would be the heir apparent to Jewell. Keep in mind, Singleton signed a three-year deal worth $18 million dollars this past off-season. His guaranteed dollars on the books next season make him a safe lock for the roster.

With those two aspects in mind, I think it’s safe to assuming the writing is already on the wall. I don’t envision a scenario where he is on the roster next year, but I’ve been wrong before.

Regardless of what the future holds for The Outlaw, I’m looking forward to him showing out and performing well this season. Just like I was when the Broncos drafted him all those years ago.