At the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Broncos signed several undrafted free agents, including Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York. He’s a talented player, but his lack of ideal size and length is a big reason why he went undrafted. However, the talent is there, and York has an opportunity to prove doubters wrong once again with the Broncos in the NFL.
He played a total of three seasons at Texas A&M and was an impactful player for them on the defensive side of the ball. York appeared in 39 games and totaled 229 tackles, 25.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had York graded as his 19th-best linebacker in the draft and had a 6th-7th round grade on him. He called York a football junkie with exceptional instincts and believes he is a good football player.
On the hoof, York doesn’t pass the eye test of being an NFL linebacker. But when you watch his tape, you see exceptional instincts and confident reaction skills to read and attack. Modeling his game after Nakobe Dean, he is a football junkie and his preparation is obvious in how clearly he sees the action. With a short, dense body type, he plays well through contact and generates power from his lower half, but will also get stuck on blocks when engulfed. Though he has an adequate feel in zone coverage, man looks will be a different story in the NFL. York’s below-average length and mediocre athleticism are limiting factors, but he is a good football player who anticipates, plays faster than the stopwatch and maximizes his potential with overachieving habits. The obvious comparison is Ivan Pace, who has overcome his deficiencies to become a borderline NFL starter.
York is one of those players who, if they were 6-2 instead of 5-10 or 5-11, he would likely have been a top linebacker in this class. The tape does speak for itself, and he’s a damn good football player who makes up for his lack of size, length, and elite athleticism.
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I believe York is a strong candidate to make the 53-man roster and be someone who will be exceptional on special teams and could push for playing time on defense sooner rather than later. His size will be a limiting factor, but his talent will overcome that, and I believe the Broncos got themselves a real steal here.
Player Profile
Taurean York | Linebacker | Denver Broncos
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Arm Length: 30 1/8 inches
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10-Yard Split: 1.62 seconds
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Vertical Jump: 30.5 inches
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Short Shuttle: 4.34 seconds
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3-Cone Drill: 7.19 seconds
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2025 stats: 72 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, and 3 pass deflections
Taurean York’s 2026 outlook with the Denver Broncos
York is an undersized linebacker; there are no ifs, ands, or buts about that. However, he has the talent and elite instincts to make up for that, and I believe he can be a legitimate steal for the Broncos and push for a spot on the 53-man roster.
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Linebacker is one of the more “weaker” spots on the Broncos’ roster. The depth behind veteran starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad is not ideal, and there’s an avenue there for a player like York to crack the roster. If he wants to do that, he will first need to prove his lack of size will not limit him in the NFL and that he can be a difference maker on special teams. If he can do both of those things, I think we can pencil him in for a spot on the 53-man roster.
York will be competing against 2025 undrafted free agents Jordan Turner and Karene Reid, who both spent time on the 53-man roster last season, as well as Levelle Bailey and fellow rookie, and Mr. Irrevelent, the force fumble machine, Red Murdock. All four are talented and intriguing young linebackers, but if we’re looking at pure talent, York is a better linebacker than all of them. He just doesn’t have the ideal size and length that those players have.
I think we will hear a lot about York early in camp, especially during those non-padded practices. He should be a standout player on the third team defense and be someone we’re talking about early in. How he does when the pads come on, and we start playing those preseason games, will be the real question. With that said, he was a standout linebacker in the SEC, so he has already proved himself there, but this will be his biggest test in the NFL.
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Again, if he proves he can survive in the NFL with his limited size and be a difference maker on special teams, I fully believe he’s making this team (with Red Murdock).
Final Thoughts
I’ve pretty much summed it up. York is a talented player with elite instincts and play recognition, but he is just undersized. He lacks the height, length, and size you typically see from an NFL linebacker, but otherwise, he checks all the other boxes.
If I were to make a 53-man roster today, I would have York on there. I believe his talent will stand out amongst the rest of his competition, and he will be a key reserve linebacker for the Broncos. He just simply needs to prove he can survive the NFL at his size.
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The Broncos’ linebacker depth is not great, and they need a player like York (and Murdock) to step up and give them some youth and potential behind the two 30+ year old veteran starters. Hopefully, one or both will prove they can give the Broncos that this summer.