The Denver Broncos have often exceeded expectations when it comes to drafting on the defensive side of the ball.

And now, Josey Jewell looks to join a long list which includes Von Miller, Bradley Roby, Danny Trevathan and many more.

Miller — arguably the greatest defender in the history of the Broncos — really likes what he’s seeing from Jewell so far in training camp.

“You’re talking about Red Beard (laughs),” Miller asked a media member on Saturday at Dove Valley. “That’s one of my favorite rookies. I just love the way he plays. He may be a rookie, but when you talk to him, it really doesn’t feel like he’s a rookie. When you see him play, it doesn’t look like he’s a rookie.”

That’s some very high praise from Miller, who hit the ground running in the NFL himself, racking up 11.5 sacks as a rookie with the Broncos in 2011. Jewell isn’t an outside linebacker, though, he’s a middle linebacker who racked up 124-plus tackles in his last three years straight at Iowa.

Vance Joseph agrees he doesn’t practice or seem like a rookie, learning what the coaches expect in a hurry.

“How does he fit? He’s competing to be one of our backups,” Joseph said recently at training camp. “He has to be a core guy on special teams and he’s pushing to get playing time in our certain packages. I’ve been impressed with him from a mental standpoint. He doesn’t make mistakes and that’s a nice sign for a young player.”

Despite his lack of speed, Jewell impressed NFL scouts because he not only plays linebacker instinctually, he is also a film junkie. His desire to study the game relentlessly is clearly helping him transition into the NFL.

“He’s going to play in this league for a long time,” Miller continued on the rookie from Iowa. “I just like his intensity, I like having conversations with him. He’s going to be great for us.”

Like many rookies, Jewell is going to earn his spot on the Broncos play playing well on special teams, first. If he can do that, we may see him getting many reps at inside linebacker in the near future.

If you can’t make it out to camp, keep an eye on No. 47 starting this Saturday when the Broncos host the Minnesota Vikings at 7 p.m. MST.