The Denver Broncos have built a solid group of pass rushers within a unit that led the NFL in sacks last season. The front office is looking to give defensive coordinator Vance Joseph as many weapons as it can.
Led by Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, the Broncos have a capable second wave of pass rushers with Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman. But with Bonitto set to hit free agency this offseason, the Broncos may need to look for alternative routes in case the team is unable to re-sign him.
The team used a fourth-round pick on Que Robinson out of Alabama but undrafted rookie Johnny Walker Jr. is a player no one should overlook.
Name: Johnny Walker Jr.
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 246
School: Missouri
Position: Edge
Walker was a team captain at Missouri last season and he had 9.5 sacks and 14.5 over the last two seasons where he became a strong weapon for the Tigers' defense. He may be a bit of a one-trick pony at this stage of his career as his run defense can be improved upon, which is why he fell to the undrafted portion of this year's class.
Chances of making final 53-man roster (1-10 scale): 4
Grant Potter of Last Word on Sports feels that Walker has a good chance of making this year's team.
"Walker is an experienced and productive college player who steadily improved every season he played in college. He played in 40 games with 25 starts during his college career and had 14.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in his last two seasons at Missouri. Walker was a team captain in 2024 and finished his career at Missouri within the top 10 all-time in career sacks in program history. Walker is a slightly older and undersized pass rusher who lacks any elite traits. He is a solid athlete with good explosiveness, but overall, he does not possess standout athletic ability", wrote Potter.
Teams are always looking for depth in the pass-rush department and there will be a great chance that Walker will be kept on the practice squad, at the very least. The key for him making the 53-man roster — in addition to showing that he can get to the quarterback at the professional level — will be to make an impact on special teams.
Even if it's not this season, Walker should have a good chance of contributing for the Broncos down the road.
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