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Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown.
The Denver Broncos aren’t going to be bad at inside linebacker in 2026. The truth is, with projected starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, they’ll probably be pretty average or maybe, if they’re lucky, just a little above average.
While that might work in 2025 with stars at every other level, it’ snot a viable plan for the future, which is why Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft has the Broncos using their 1st round pick (No. 20 overall) in the 2027 NFL draft on Clemson inside linebacker Sammy Brown.
From PFN on June 20: “Sammy Brown is the exact type of player that the Denver Broncos go after and get the most out of. He is a game-changer, combining speed and physicality to be impactful against both the pass and the run. Denver continues to be stout on both sides of the ball, but with how they build defensive talent and control their environment, I think Brown could become a household name.”
From Elite Recruit to Elite NFL Prospect
Brown, 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, was a 5-star recruit coming out of Jefferson (Georgia) High School and the No. 5 overall recruit in the entire nation for the Class of 2024. Brown’s father, former Furman running back Mark Brown, was his head coach in high school.
The recruiting battle for Brown got pretty intense.
“From a combination of size, strength and speed in the 2024 recruiting class, there might not be a player on the level of the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Brown, who in addition to being one of the most sought-after football prospects in the country, is also a two-time defending state champion in wrestling that also shines in the spring on the track running as fast as 10.7 in the 100m dash with a 23-foot plus long jump,” former 247Sports recruiting guru Steve Wiltfrong wrote in 2023.
247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins compared Brown to longtime NFL linebacker Myles Jack when he was still in high school and projected him as someone who could “turn heads at the NFL scouting combine one day.”
Brown has been as advertised in his 1st 2 college football seasons at Clemson.
In 14 games as a true freshman in 2024, Brown had 80 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 11.5 sacks, and 3 pass deflections. In 13 games in 2025, Brown had 106 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 13.5 TFL, 5 pass deflections, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
Brown was named ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2024 and earned All-ACC honors in 2025.
Broncos Missed on $33 Million Free Agent in 2025
The Broncos took a big swing at inside linebacker in 2025 by signing free agent inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw to a 3-year, $31.5 million contract.
Greenlaw looked like a shell of the player he was with the 49ers before a torn Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2024. The Broncos released him after 1 season.
“The Broncos are releasing Dre Greenlaw, per source,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account on March 9. “By releasing Dre Greenlaw, the Broncos have $4.33M in dead money, but save $6M in cap space.”
While Greenlaw got the boot, both Singleton (2 years, $15 million) and Strnad (3 years, $18 million) got new contracts around the same time.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame