Broncos confident LB Justin Strnad is ready for first NFL start, extended opportunity after Josey Jewell’s season-ending injury

With wrong linebacker Josey Jewell retired for the play with a pectoral injury, Justin Strnad has been thrust into Jewell’s relation and volition marque his archetypal NFL commencement Sunday against the Jets.

But according to Von Miller’s scouting report, the Broncos aren’t expecting a drop-off astatine the position. That’s based disconnected what the All-Pro saw retired of Strnad successful the latter’s little grooming campy arsenic a rookie successful 2020, erstwhile Strnad “was connected fire” earlier sustaining a season-ending wrist injury.

“Justin’s a big, diversion wrong linebacker, and helium tin cover, helium tin play the run,” Miller said. “Pairing him with (fellow starting wrong backer Alexander Johnson), we person 2 large linebackers successful there.

“Nobody volition beryllium capable to capable successful what Josey did for us. He’s conscionable truthful intelligent, and helium tin defender the moving back. He tin bash each types of (coverage) worldly for us. But it’s Justin’s turn, and that’s conscionable however the league is — adjacent antheral up mentality. We can’t marque up for Josey, but we person to play to Justin’s strengths and I consciousness beauteous comfy with Justin successful there.”

At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Strnad is much lanky and little compact and beefy than the emblematic NFL wrong linebacker. But that assemblage benignant volition service him good erstwhile helium acclimates to the pro game, said Lyle Hemphill, Strnad’s antiaircraft coordinator astatine Wake Forest.

“He truly started to amusement up connected 3rd down toward the extremity of his inferior twelvemonth successful presumption of showing his versatility,” Hemphill said. “He could screen the champion backs successful the ACC, the champion choky ends successful the ACC, and that (momentum) conscionable rolled into his elder twelvemonth wherever we truly highlighted him. He’s precise dynamic astatine the position.”

It’s a large leap from the ACC to the NFL, but aft serving arsenic an understudy since being drafted successful the 5th circular successful 2020, Strnad believes he’s acceptable for his breakout. That content is further underscored by the adversity he’s flooded the past 2 seasons, archetypal via a torn biceps that ended his assemblage vocation prematurely, past the wrist dislocation that required country past August.

“Obviously I was discouraged past twelvemonth erstwhile I wounded my wrist due to the fact that earlier my wounded successful college, I had ne'er had immoderate superior injuries,” Strnad said. “So having back-to-back season-ending injuries, that was hard but I took it arsenic a twelvemonth to learn, astir similar a redshirt year. Josey was a bully feline to larn from, due to the fact that helium knows his stuff, helium knows the system. I took that play and this offseason arsenic a accidental to larn from him and (Johnson) and perpetually prime their brains.”

Johnson volition instrumentality connected Jewell’s play-relaying responsibilities by wearing the greenish dot connected his helmet, arsenic Johnson did successful Jacksonville past Sunday erstwhile Jewell was injured. Coach Vic Fangio is assured the Broncos won’t person immoderate problems with connection among the linebackers.

“(Johnson)’s been dialed in,” Fangio said. “(Relaying calls) does enactment a small other connected his plate, but he’ll beryllium good with it.”

According to Strnad’s precocious schoolhouse coach, Broncos Country should transmission Von’s assurance successful Strnad arsenic well. Bob Hudson, who coached Strnad astatine East Lake (Palm Harbor, Fla.) and was astatine the Jaguars crippled past Sunday, said the starting accidental for the 25-year-old “will bode good for him and the Broncos.” Strnad had 7 tackles connected 23 antiaircraft snaps against Jacksonville.

“He plays good successful the box, tin tally good successful sum already, and connected Sunday I saw him summation immoderate crushed (across the field) and marque immoderate plays retired successful space,” Hudson said. “He’s going to measurement up into that relation with everything helium has to conscionable that challenge. He’s precise opportunistic, and he’ll instrumentality vantage of that arsenic champion arsenic helium can.”