Denver Broncos rookie pass rusher Jonah Elliss impressed in the team’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts last week. The third-round pick totaled four pressures and one sack on nine pass rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
“There’s some good tape with him,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.
Elliss finished the game with two tackles on 22 snaps. He also played 14 snaps on special teams.
“It was unbelievable,” the outside linebacker said of his debut. “That’s like the moment kids dream of, playing your first game in the NFL. It’s truly like amazing being out there. [It was] fun playing with the guys, and having fun, and stop thinking about practice and just playing and having fun.”
While Sunday’s game was a very positive start, there is room for improvement.
“His taking on the run, his run fits and then developing his rush plan,” Payton said. “He was speed and then he had a counter in college, you saw it. Speed, speed with a spin and then it’s adding power to that. It’s developing his rush plan and certainly taking on the run, whether it’s point of attack or backside.”
Elliss could feel a difference from the college game, but he wasn’t out of place in an NFL setting.
“The skill level is like everyone is the best,” he said. “It’s like high school, everyone in high school is the best. Goes to college, now it’s the best college players all in the NFL. It’s like you’re playing the best college team in the NFL, but it’s even better because now everything’s just one notch higher. So you could definitely tell there’s a difference out there, but it was football.”
Just football.
Elliss will get another opportunity to impress when the Broncos host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. That game will be nationally televised on NFL Network and available to stream on fuboTV (try it free).
