{"id":104653,"date":"2021-02-22T06:49:19","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T11:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=104653"},"modified":"2025-09-25T12:01:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:01:19","slug":"possible-replacements-von-miller-denver-broncos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/22\/possible-replacements-von-miller-denver-broncos\/","title":{"rendered":"Possible Replacements For Von Miller, Denver Broncos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Replacements for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MillVo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Von Miller<\/a> are aplenty, but they will all have big shoes to fill. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/broncos\/\" target=\"_self\">Denver Broncos<\/a> face the tough decision of whether to let Miller go or not. The decision-making process may be less complex if they take into account the fact that he missed the 2020 season, was declining in 2019, and they would save a solid $18 million letting him go.<\/p>\n<h2>Possible Replacements For Von Miller, Broncos Have Options<\/h2>\n<p>Miller is the best defensive player in franchise history, and one of the greatest pass-rushers in the NFL. Finding someone of this caliber will be a difficult task. While the money saved could be used to entice free agents, it <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/09\/denver-broncos-nfl-draft-needs-in-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">may be best to start fresh<\/a> and look to the NFL Draft. Here are some possible replacements for Miller.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;3785&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3>Kwity Paye DE\/Edge \u2013 Michigan<\/h3>\n<p>Kwity Paye grew up in Rhode Island, where he played football. Recruited by Michigan, he showed tremendous skill in getting after the quarterback and defending against the run. His ability to adapt quicky to his current situation stemmed from his family upbringing. Paye has the ability to chomp through double teams and still make plays. He puts up pressure on the passer, making 11.5 sacks through college, 6.5 in his junior year. He is versatile and can be a defensive end or outside linebacker.<\/p>\n<h3>Baron Browning LB \u2013 Ohio State<\/h3>\n<p>Baron Browning\u2019s stock rose when he had breakout junior and senior seasons. His blazing versatility makes him a potential star. He plays in the space, in the box, blitzes both inside and outside, rushes the passer and covers in man-to-man.<\/p>\n<p>According to Jim Nagy, he just may be the highest ceiling OLB in the 2021 draft.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Could make a strong case <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OhioStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@OhioStateFB<\/a> Baron Browning (6031v, 241v, 33 arm, 81 wing) is highest ceiling OLB in 2021 draft. Potential do-it-all \u2018backer stood out as edge-setter, rusher, &amp; dropper at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/seniorbowl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@seniorbowl<\/a>. NFL teams see him as Day 1 starting SAM. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TheDraftStartsInMobile?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#TheDraftStartsInMobile<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rd46mDwjbz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/rd46mDwjbz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimNagy_Sooners\/status\/1363129681600520197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Buckeyes linebacker coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WashAl20.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Al Washington<\/a> calls him the ultimate team player, and someone who can get the job done if you want him to. He will be a gift.<\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0Jabril Cox LB \u2013 LSU<\/h3>\n<p>After having won three national championships at North Dakota State and becoming a FCS All-American, Jabril Cox transferred to LSU so that he could in the SEC spotlight his final year. He has great athleticism, even at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds. Cox has superior coverage ability which increases his value. He could be taken off the board late in the first round.<\/p>\n<h3>Joseph Ossai OLB \u2013 Texas<\/h3>\n<p>He has a high motor on the field, good pass-rushing skills and enough versatility to settle in at defensive end and outside linebacker. However, Joseph Ossai is not much of a run defender and he hasn\u2019t displayed much in the way of pass coverage.<\/p>\n<p>His hand usage is good and he keeps offensive tackles on their toes. He possesses enough speed, flexibility and athleticism to make an impact at the professional level. Ossai has been really effective from a standing position. This is one guy who could really develop into a monster, if given the proper attention and training.<\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0Gregory Rousseau DE\/OLB \u2013 Miami<\/h3>\n<p>A 3-4 scheme is perfect for Gregory Rousseau, where he can be a defensive end or linebacker. His is an impact player with great instincts and a powerful first step. A natural pass-rusher, he can get at the quarterback solo.<\/p>\n<p>An ankle injury ended his freshman season after two games. In 2019, he was second in the country, but then opted out of the 2020 season. He is a risk but there is big potential for a reward.<\/p>\n<p>Finding a replacement for someone of Von Miller\u2019s caliber will not be an easy task. But it\u2019s something that needs to be done and should be looked at positively. It\u2019s time for the Broncos to move forward.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"3kuowJgZQyZCixUbPRNjtA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1228122780\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'3kuowJgZQyZCixUbPRNjtA',sig:'ol3MlgFNZPyy9dgV23NuR26qOS_EBs26g7sjRrvXxu0=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1228122780',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Replacements for Von Miller; there are plenty. The Denver Broncos will need to put a lot of time and care into developing someone to&#8230; https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/09\/denver-broncos-nfl-draft-needs-in-2021\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2583,"featured_media":104663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,54,1647,33760],"tags":[7469,7309,7617,7618,2030,607],"class_list":["post-104653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-broncos","category-editorials","category-nfl-draft","category-profiles","tag-denver-broncos-draft","tag-denver-broncos-roster","tag-jabril-cox","tag-joseph-ossai","tag-nfl-draft-profiles","tag-von-miller"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2583"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247041,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104653\/revisions\/247041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}