DT #92

Dondrea Tillman

Linebacker · IU Pennsylvania

A three-time champion at the pro spring-league level who made Broncos history the moment he finally reached the NFL.

Dondrea Tillman is a linebacker for the Denver Broncos who spent years winning titles in the USFL and UFL before ever taking an NFL snap. Once he got his shot in Denver, he wasted no time making franchise history as an undrafted rookie.

★ First Broncos undrafted rookie to record a sack in three straight games

★ Two-time USFL champion with the Birmingham Stallions (2022, 2023)

★ UFL champion with the Birmingham Stallions (2024)

Path to the league

Tillman played Division II football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2021, recording 174 tackles, 30 sacks, 10 passes defended and seven forced fumbles across 48 games. He went undrafted and spent three seasons with the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL and UFL, winning two USFL championships in 2022 and 2023 and a UFL championship in 2024, while recording more than 66 tackles and 5.5 sacks over that stretch. Denver signed him as a free agent on June 20, 2024.

Career highlights

Tillman made an immediate impact in his NFL debut in Week 3 of 2024 against Tampa Bay, recording two sacks. He went on to become the first Broncos rookie since Von Miller to record a sack in three straight games, and the first undrafted rookie in franchise history to do so, finishing his rookie season with 41 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions across 17 games.

2025 season recap

Tillman built on his rookie breakout in 2025, continuing as a productive edge presence for Denver's defense. Through the 2025 season his career NFL totals reached 64 tackles, nine sacks and two interceptions across 29 regular season games, and the Broncos retained him in March 2026 with an exclusive-rights free agent tender.