The biggest hole remaining on the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have had another interesting offseason, albeit somewhat slow. What does ESPN say is their biggest remaining need?
John Elway always says he doesn’t want to go into the draft with any gaping holes, but that’s exactly what the Broncos have at the left tackle position.
Perhaps Elway doesn’t see it that way, and perhaps the coaching staff still has hopes that either Donald Stephenson or Ty Sambrailo can be better at left tackle than they were on the right side this past season.
At least on paper, the Broncos’ top remaining need is at the left tackle spot, and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold expounded on that a little bit:
"Left tackle is a big enough hole in the depth chart right now that both coach Vance Joseph and general manager John Elway have each admitted it exists. The Broncos have floated the idea that Donald Stephenson, who struggled at times at right tackle last season, or Menelik Watson could line up there. However, both players are considered more right tackles. It leaves the Broncos force-feeding one of those two into the lineup, using a first- or second-round pick on a rookie they believe could walk in and play, and waiting to see if a starter-worthy player gets released later this summer when rosters are trimmed."
There’s always a possibility the Broncos could swing a trade for a left tackle, and a couple of veteran options that have popped up in recent weeks are Philadelphia’s Jason Peters, and Arizona’s Jared Veldheer.
It still seems unlikely to me that the Broncos would trade valuable draft assets for someone who might not be here for the long haul, but you never know. If the price is right and one of those guys could be available in a reasonable trade, perhaps Elway would consider it.
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There’s also the option of looking at King Dunlap, who was a starting left tackle for new Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy while in San Diego. Dunlap was released earlier this offseason, and could potentially be an option if all else fails.
The most likely scenario is that the Broncos will draft someone to start at left tackle, which isn’t an ideal proposition but it’s probably the most attractive one at this point. Despite the fact that this year’s class doesn’t have anyone of the caliber of a guy like Joe Thomas or Tyron Smith, there are some players that could step in and play.
One that is very high on the Broncos’ radar is Utah’s Garett Bolles, who has exceptional athleticism and nastiness on the field, but will be 25 years old as a rookie.
Along with Bolles, the Broncos may consider Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp, Alabama’s Cam Robinson, and Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk in the first round.