Player
Justin Strnad
LB · Broncos
Justin Strnad: facts drawn from the play-by-play.
5-year arc: 3 quiet seasons of special teams, then a 2-year breakout into starter role.
TrendStrnad defensive line by season
| Season | Tackles | Sacks | QB Hits | TFL | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 39 | 3.0 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| 2025 | 22 | 4.5 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Strnad's first three seasons (2021-2023) produced 27 total tackles combined. He was a special-teams piece and a depth LB on a Broncos roster that turned over three coaches in that span.
The Vance Joseph era starting in 2023 used him sparingly. Sean Payton's revamped 2024 defense gave him real run — 39 tackles, 3 sacks, 8 TFL — and 2025 has confirmed it as a true sub-package starter role.
Sacks per season
| Season | Sacks |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 4.5 |
4.5 sacks and 8 QB hits in 2025 — career bests by year 6.
MilestoneIn 2025 Strnad has 4.5 sacks (his career-high after 0 in each of his first three years), 8 QB hits, and 3 PDs. The pressure profile suggests Vance Joseph is using him as a green-dot blitz LB in passing downs.
His 22 tackles is down from last year's 39, but the role looks more focused on sub-package blitz looks rather than every-down run defense. The TFL and PD counts are still healthy — he's getting behind the line on the plays he's on the field for.
First 3 seasons vs. last 2: tackle volume up 2x, pressure stats up from zero.
SplitStrnad career split
| Period | Seasons | Tackles | Sacks | QB Hits | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2023 (depth) | 3 | 27 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-2025 (role) | 2 | 61 | 7.5 | 12 | 13 |
In 3 years of being a backup he produced 0 sacks and 1 QB hit total. In 2 years of an actual role he has 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 13 TFL.
This isn't a player who suddenly became great — it's an example of how much LB stats track snap count. Strnad was always a capable run-and-hit LB; he just didn't get reps until year 4. When the reps came, the production followed.
8 TFL in 2024 — more than any defensive linemen the Broncos drafted alongside him.
AnomalyStrnad's 8 TFL in 2024 was a notable line for a player making his first sustained appearance as a starter. He led Broncos LBs in TFL that year and was top-3 on the entire defense.
The 2025 follow-up (5 TFL in roughly half the snaps) is on a similar per-snap pace. He's been one of Denver's most efficient defenders at meeting ball carriers behind the line — the kind of stat that doesn't show up in highlight reels but stacks up on tape.
From 7th-round pick to a 6-year career and a recent extension — top-tier 7th-rounder outcome.
RareStrnad was the 254th pick of the 2020 draft — basically Mr. Irrelevant territory (he went 5 picks before the actual Mr. Irrelevant). Most picks in that range never play a meaningful defensive snap.
He's now in year 6 with the same franchise, signed a recent 2-year extension worth around $8M, and has carved out a real sub-package LB role on a playoff defense. That's about as good as 7th-round outcomes get without becoming a household name — the patient, special-teams-to-rotational-starter arc that NFL teams quietly love.
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