Expert Analysis
4/26/24
4 min read
Jonah Elliss 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Denver Broncos EDGE
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Jonah Elliss.
Jonah Elliss' 2024 NFL Combine Results
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 248
- Arm length: 33"
- 40-yard dash: DNP
- 10-yard split: DNP
- Vertical jump: DNP
Jonah Elliss 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Strengths
- Slightly undersized edge pass rusher with plus athleticism and quickness. There was juice to his movement.
- Showed a sudden, inside spin move that was a well-schemed counter off his edge rush. No wasted movement.
- Used his hands effectively as a pass rusher. He is active, quick and proactive in attacking and breaking down offensive tackles.
- He showed an effective rip move as an edge pass rusher. He initiated contact and played off it with the club rip move.
- Some reps when he had a runway where he generated speed-to-power and got inside the offensive tackle's chest.
- Pass rush reps in which he generated arm extension locking them out and driving back tackles into the pocket.
- Flashed some dip and bend flexibility. He showed he could get underneath OTs, clearing the arc
- Outstanding playing personality. He played with a high motor snap-after-snap. Elliss is competitive and has an intense mindset.
Weaknesses
- Not sudden or twitchy in his movement. He showed good quickness and overall athleticism, but he is not explosive.
- Does not possess the body length and frame you’d ideally like in an edge rusher. He is a little shorter than desired.
- Some limitations as edge rusher: Speed-to-power at times shut down by OT, and was not a motorcycle leaner.
- Too many pass rush snaps he was stunned and shut down by OT with strong hands and good strike timing.
- There’s some rigidness to his upper body as a pass rusher. There will be questions regarding whether he can flatten his rush path and close with burst.
- Too often he did not show the requisite combination of burst and power and bend to consistently clear the arc.
NFL Transition
Elliss' transition to the next level will be highly dependent on his ability to play off contact in the run game and as a pass rusher. While Elliss is a plus athlete with good movement, he is not sudden, twitchy or explosive. He will not become a consistent pass rusher, beating quality NFL tackles with quickness, bend and closing burst.
Rather, he must become proficient at initiating contact as his starting point, then working off that to break down the tackle's technique. Elliss showed a strong rip and an inside spin as his go-to pass rush moves. He had a speed-to-power element when he was aligned wide and had a runway to generate speed and velocity.
One main concern with Elliss' tape consistently showed his pass rush was stunned and shut down by tackles with strong hands and good strike timing; Elliss couldn't work through that to affect the pocket. He was not a natural bender and that negatively impacted his flexibility to flatten his rush path.
Elliss showed flashes as a pass rusher, but based on his 2023 tape, it would be a challenge to see a strong edge rusher in a sub front. There were snaps when he aligned as a stand-up Joker at the second level in the middle of the defense, but he may not have the short-area lateral quickness to be effective as a pass rusher in that role.
Overall, Elliss would struggle to be a successful NFL pass rusher with his lack of strength and flexibility. Still, it is possible better hand usage through coaching and development would allow him to become more of a factor to play off contact and create more avenues for him to win.
Other Notes
Elliss was a two-year starter at Utah and a consensus All-American in 2023 with 12 QB sacks and 16 TFL. At Utah, he played in 35 games with 18 starts.
Elliss lined up in multiple positions in Utah’s defensive fronts including wide 9 DE and in the A gap in double mug looks. His predominant position was RDE. Against Oregon, Elliss played significant snaps at LDE and also lined up as a standup Joker at the second level in the middle of the defense.
Elliss was dominated by Florida LT Austin Barber in the opening game of the 2023 season. He couldn't generate any pass rush vs. Barber throughout the game. Elliss had two sacks vs. Florida, one coming vs. the TE and the second on a stunt in which he was the looper inside.
