Camp Countdown: Can Davis, Jewell and Co. fill Broncos void at ILB?
Jun 28, 2019, 7:00 AM
Speculation heading into the 2019 NFL Draft had the Denver Broncos focused on taking one of the two potential starting inside linebackers pegged to go in the first round – Devin Bush or Devin White.
White caught the eye of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and didn’t slip past them at No. 5. But with Bush ripe for the taking at No. 10, the Broncos instead opted to trade out from the spot, picking up a couple of extra draft picks from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who promptly drafted the inside linebacker.
With Pittsburgh’s pick at No. 20, Denver drafted Iowa tight end Noah Fant, thus creating a vote of confidence for Broncos inside linebackers Todd Davis and Josey Jewell.
“… If your guys are serviceable and good players and Noah Fant is a really good tight end, you feel good about it,” said “Stokley and Zach” co-host Brandon Stokley.
But while Davis is “not a bad football player,” Stokley said, the Broncos “need more” from that position – something they haven’t gotten since Danny Trevathan left in free agency in 2016.
“It’s been a long time since the Broncos had that guy,” said Stokley’s co-host, Zach Bye.
However, “The Drive” co-host Tom Nalen made the case this week that, while young, Jewell resembles Trevathan closely, at least in terms of physical attributes.
Jewell and Trevathan both ran similar 40-yard dashes at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.82 and 4.84 seconds. They both bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times. They’re both roughly 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Nalen said.
“I love Danny Trevathan. I love the way he plays. A chip on his shoulder at all times. But, Josey Jewell, I mean, the traits are there,” Nalen said. “He’s very similar in athletic ability.”
“The Safety Blitz” host Nick Ferguson, however, put his confidence in Davis, saying that the Broncos clearly felt he was “adequate enough to fill this role.” And Denver’s offseason additions in the secondary will help “make up for the lack of speed at one of the linebacker positions,” Ferguson said.
“Yes, they do have a middle linebacker. And that middle linebacker is Todd Davis,” Ferguson said. “He is the resident roamer of the middle. He’s roaming the middle of the field.”
