With training camp opening for the Denver Broncos this month, every player on the roster is getting a fresh stage to prove himself. For veterans like Garett Bolles and Courtland Sutton, it’s the same routine they’ve lived through plenty of times. For rookies, though, this is the first real test, and while some newcomers such as running back Jonah Coleman look like roster locks, others are fighting just to stick on the 53-man roster.
One rookie on defense may be closer to meaningful snaps than people realize: linebacker Red Murdock.
Murdock arrived as this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, the final pick in the NFL Draft, but the Broncos didn’t exactly land a sleeper with no résumé.
He comes out of Buffalo with a massive college production profile and stands as the all-time leader in college football history in forced fumbles with 17. Over his final two seasons, he piled up 298 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
That kind of output is hard to ignore, even if Murdock isn’t built like a prototype star. He’s not the biggest or fastest linebacker on the field, and coverage isn’t his calling card. But he plays with force, and that physical edge - along with his knack for punching the ball loose - gives Denver something worth developing.
The Broncos’ offseason move at linebacker also helps create an opening. They cut Dre Greenlaw after just one season, after he had trouble staying healthy and was basically sharing time with Justin Strnad. In 2025, Denver leaned on three linebackers most of the time: Alex Singleton, Strnad, and Greenlaw.
The snap totals tell the story. Singleton played 1,029 snaps, Strnad had 575, and Greenlaw logged 324. Singleton is expected to stay at the center of the defense again this year, wearing the green dot and relaying the call from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to the rest of the unit.
Strnad is back on a multi-year deal and projected to start alongside him, but he’s never been a full-time starter. He has started exactly 8 games in each of the last two seasons, and the Broncos are not likely to ask Singleton and Strnad to handle every snap every week.
That’s where the third inside linebacker spot comes into play, and it could be Murdock. Taurean York is also in the mix after being a major undrafted free agent signing, but Murdock may have the edge in that unofficial battle for the job.
Denver has plenty of other linebackers competing for roster spots, but rookies usually draw the most attention for a reason. Outside of Singleton and Strnad, the veteran group hasn’t made much of an impact so far, which leaves the door open for someone new to step in.
Murdock can see that opening. And there’s a real chance he walks through it.
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