Broncos' biggest secret weapon identified, but team has more than one

The Denver Broncos will return one of the league's most versatile rosters in 2026, which has the team eyeing a trip to Super Bowl LXI. 

The Broncos figure to be in a prime position to make a push on the AFC side, so long as Bo Nix can recover from a broken ankle suffered in the divisional round of the playoffs. Though they have a tough first six games to open the season, the second half of the schedule could be quite favorable.  

Of course, any team that makes a legitimate run at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is going to have to be deep. There will need to be contributors who make an impact outside of the regular starting lineup. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently took a crack at identifying who some of those players could be and for the Broncos, he landed on linebacker Jonah Elliss. 

"How much a player can do for a team is sometimes more important than being a reliable starter. Case in point, Jonah Elliss hasn't started a single game for the Denver Broncos since being a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

"If people watch the games, they'll see that a lot of times on third downs he was lined up at inside linebacker already," Pro Bowl teammate Nik Bonitto told reporters. "We have multiple packages for him. He's one of our best coverage players when we drop him into coverage. ... He provides so much versatility.

"I have no doubt about his talent. He's one of the most talented guys on the team."

Broncos may have multiple secret weapons

Due to his reported move to inside linebacker, Elliss will be one of the more intriguing players on the roster to follow this summer. However, the team could have a big surprise on the other side of the ball as well. 

Last year's seventh-round pick, Caleb Lohner, is generating some early buzz this offseason. The former Utah basketball player, who hardly played any football at the college level, was taken as a pet project by Sean Payton last year. During rookie minicamp, Payton had the following to say:

"I'll tell you who stood out... Caleb. He looks entirely different in this camp now. He was here in this camp a year ago as a draft pick, but he stood out", said Payton. When asked what he is doing better, Payton went on...

"Everything. And in fairness to him, remember, that was a basketball prospect that had limited snaps of a year and  so, one year into the program, how he's moving, what he's doing, everything looks entirely different. That learning curve and growth curve is greater for someone who had far less experience, maybe than others, if that makes sense. It's entirely noticeable and he's in great shape". 

This is encouraging news and it could make the Broncos' tight end position one of the most interesting battles in training camp. With Evan Engram back and Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull all being re-signed this offseason, Lohner joins the team's two draft picks — Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley — for one should be a fun competition to see who makes the 53-man roster. 

ROSTER REVIEW: Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Gavin Ortega prepares to push for rotational spot

The Broncos may have multiple under-the-radar players who can make a big impact in their quest to win the Super Bowl in 2026. 

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