A one-time special teams grinder who has developed into one of Denver's most productive inside linebackers.
Justin Strnad's road to relevance in Denver was a long one, starting with a rookie-year wrist injury and years of near-exclusive special teams duty before he broke through as a starter. The Wake Forest product has now strung together back-to-back standout seasons at inside linebacker for the Broncos.
Path to the league
Strnad started at Wake Forest for four seasons, racking up 244 tackles, four interceptions and eight sacks across 46 games. The Broncos drafted him in the fifth round (178th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft, though a season-ending wrist injury wiped out his rookie year before it started.
Career highlights
After years of primarily special teams work, Strnad broke out in 2024 when he stepped into the starting lineup following Alex Singleton's torn ACL, finishing with 73 tackles, three pass deflections and three sacks in eight starts. He has remained a full-time starter for Denver since.
2025 season recap
Strnad followed his breakout with another strong year in 2025, recording 58 tackles, a career-high 4.5 sacks, three passes defensed and an interception across 16 games, setting career highs in sacks, pass deflections and interceptions.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Justin Strnad
- Pro Football Reference: Justin Strnad
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
16 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | broncos | 16 | 58 | 23 | 4.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024 | broncos | 17 | 73 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | broncos | 17 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | broncos | 17 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | broncos | 16 | 36 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Wake Forest
- Hometown
- Palm Harbor, FL, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
