ILB · Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Rams · 59 graded snaps
Replacement
Strnad flashed strong click-and-close ability against screens and checkdowns, but susceptibility to play-action fakes and second-level blocks held him near replacement level.
Strnad earned a replacement-level 63.6 grade across 59 snaps, characterized by early assignment lapses offset by sharp short-area closing speed. He struggled early with gap discipline and block shedding, getting washed out by Kevin Dotson on a 30-yard Kyren Williams run (Q1 01:19) and biting inside on Tyler Higbee's touchdown rollout (Q1 05:00). In coverage, he was slow expanding to the boundary on an 18-yard reception (Q2 15:00), but balanced his ledger with an aggressive tackle for loss on a Blake Corum screen (Q2 09:05) and tight vertical coverage on Davis Allen (Q3 01:32). These positive coverage stops buoyed his grade to a 65 coverage facet, stabilizing an otherwise volatile outing.
Strengths
Click-and-close on checkdowns
Perimeter scrape speed
Matching tight ends vertically
Weaknesses
Shedding second-level climb blocks
Biting downhill on play-action
Expanding quickly to flat zones
Plays that moved the grade
+1.5Q2 09:05, 1st & 10Diagnosed a screen pass to Blake Corum immediately, scraping aggressively to secure a tackle for a 1-yard loss.
+1.5Q3 01:32, 2nd & 4Mirrored Davis Allen down the sideline in hip-to-hip coverage on a play-action rollout to force an incompletion.
-1Q1 01:19, 1st & 10Failed to shed Kevin Dotson's climb block on an inside zone, opening a crease for a 30-yard Kyren Williams run.
Every graded snap · 13 wins or losses, 46 routine
-0.5Q1 14:55 · 1 & 10 · CoverageBites downhill on the fake to Williams, opening up the underneath passing lane behind him for Allen.
+1Q1 14:26 · 1 & 10 · Run defenseDiagnoses the stretch instantly, scrapes cleanly past the tight end blocks, and tackles Williams at the sideline for a short 3-yard gain.
-0.5Q1 07:07 · 1 & 10 · CoverageSlightly slow to break out on the flat route from his inside alignment, but tracks across and makes the tackle after a 13-yard gain.
+0.5Q1 06:32 · 1 & 10 · CoverageScrapes laterally towards the sideline to eliminate intermediate crossers.
-0.5Q1 05:00 · 2 & 5 · Run defenseCrashes downhill into the A/B gap on Williams' run fake, taking himself completely out of position to help on the bootleg.
-1Q1 01:19 · 1 & 10 · Run defenseFails to slip Kevin Dotson's climb block at the second level, surrendering an open crease right through his gap.
-1Q2 15:00 · 2 & 7 · CoverageDrops inside into the hook zone and is late to expand out to the boundary flat against Williams' release, surrendering an uncontested catch and run.
-0.5Q2 14:26 · 1 & 10 · Run defenseGets reached and sealed slightly by the blocking scheme, allowing the back into the second level.
+1Q2 10:21 · 2 & 8 · CoverageReads Stafford's release to Corum instantly, driving downhill with great closing speed to make a solo tackle for a 1-yard gain.
+1.5Q2 09:05 · 1 & 10 · Run defenseReads Corum's swing route instantly from the snap, scrapes aggressively with superb angle and closing speed, and wraps up the ball carrier at the boundary for a tackle for loss.
+0.5Q3 13:14 · 2 & 7 · CoverageQuickly matches Higbee's release into the flat and closes down space swiftly.
+1.5Q3 01:32 · 2 & 4 · CoverageRecognizes the bootleg rollout and matches Davis Allen down the right sideline, maintaining tight hip-to-hip coverage to contest the pass.
+0.5Q4 15:00 · 2 & 19 · CoverageDisciplined drop over the middle, quickly rallied toward the right sideline when Stafford scrambled to eliminate running lane.